JO LAPPING, BBC STORYVILLE, UK

Jo Lapping holds the position of Strand Manager for BBC Storyville – the BBC’s flagship documentary strand showing the best filmmaking from around the world. The strand is broadcast on BBC Four and the BBC iPlayer service. Jo has worked for Storyville in developing, commissioning and producing documentary films since its launch in 1997. She has been a buyer and BBC producer for several titles including – “Star Men”, “Dark Side of the Greens”, “My Nazi Legacy”, “Unmistaken Child”, “Forever Pure”, “Orion: The Man Who Would be King”, “Kings of Pastry”, “If A Tree Falls”, “Give Up Tomorrow”, “Knuckle”, “Great Hip Hop Hoax”, “Big Men”, “The Chinese Mayor” and the “Why Poverty?” international documentary. Working as Producer & Advisor, Storyville Global/World Stories, Jo has been crucial in setting up a global initiative to give second window distribution to documentary films through BBC World News and a wider network of broadcasters and overseeing the first season of 10 films. She has programmed two documentary seasons for BBC FOUR (Rock Docs and Families); has been a Professional Supporter of the STEPS initiative for filmmakers in Southern Africa which gave funding, training and worldwide distribution to locally made films dealing with the HIV/Aids pandemic; also a tutor for the Discovery Campus Masterschool; and has worked and travelled extensively in Africa.