The UK’s leading documentary festival, Sheffield DocFest, has announced the appointment of three new board trustees: Fran Baker, comissioning editor documentaries BBC Factual, Guy Gadney, CEO of Charismatic.ai and Roly Keating, former CEO of the British Library and former controller of BBC Four and BBC Two.
Baker is a Manchester-based BBC Documentaries commissioning editor. She has spent most of her career in Manchester, where she executive produced for 10 years, including in-house at Blakeway North, as well as working as a freelance exec and running her own production company.
As a commissioning editor at the BBC, she has looked after titles including Love and Loss: The Pandemic 5 Years On, Ambulance, Stacey Dooley: Rape on Trial, and BAFTA-nominated Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams On Tour. Winning commissions as well as looking after multiple singles and series before that as an exec, she has championed new documentary making talent in the north throughout her career.
Baker said: “As someone who is based in the North and is passionate about championing Northern stories, I am honoured to be joining Sheffield DocFest’s board of trustees. DocFest is an annual tradition for documentary makers, and I have been inspired by the films I have seen here since the festival and my career were in their infancy. I very much look forward to working with the rest of the board.”
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Gadney leads Charismatic.ai, a pioneer in creative artificial intelligence, transforming interactive entertainment through advanced technology. Under his leadership, Charismatic.ai has collaborated with prominent organizations such as Channel 4, Aardman Animations, and Innovate UK.
Gadney’s extensive experience includes leading digital strategies for major media organizations worldwide, producing Emmy and BAFTA-recognized products, and pioneering the use of AI in the creative industries. He also serves on InnovateUK’s BridgeAI Advisory Board, the Board of Oxford’s Story Museum, and co-founded The Collaborative AI Consortium, which researches the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Creative Industries.
He said: “The convergence of artificial intelligence and storytelling is unlocking unprecedented possibilities for creators and audiences alike. I am honoured to join Sheffield DocFest’s Board and look forward to contributing to the festival’s legacy of showcasing groundbreaking documentaries that push the boundaries of narrative and technology.”
Keating, former chief executive of the British Library, andformer controller of BBC Four and BBC Twc, said: “I’ve admired Sheffield DocFest for years and am thrilled to have the chance to get involved in its future. It is one of the world’s greatest showcases for what documentary can be at its very best: creative, thoughtful, humane, diverse and open-minded. These are values the world needs more than ever.”
Alex Cooke, Chair of Sheffield DocFest’s Board, welcomed the new appointments, saying: “Fran’s deep commitment to documentary, particularly in the North of England, means she is ideally placed to be the voice of documentary makers on our board.
“Guy’s expertise in Creative AI aligns with our vision to explore new frontiers in documentary storytelling and underscores the festival’s commitment to embracing innovative storytelling techniques.
“Roly’s extensive experience across multiple cultural sectors and rich interdisciplinary expertise will be invaluable in helping us continue to build on the legacy of the festival.
“With the addition of Anne Morrison, who takes over as Chair of the Board from June 2025, the festival is perfectly positioned to benefit from the vast amounts of insight and experience that these new board members bring.”
