Senior Teaching Fellow
Patron of the Puttnam School of Film & Animation

A distinguished and decorated film producer, educator, environmentalist and public servant, Lord David Puttnam is the patron of LASALLE’s Puttnam School of Film & Animation. His illustrious body of work continues to leave an indelible mark on global cinema and public policy relating to the creative industries and arts education.

Lord Puttnam’s filmography includes some of the most acclaimed films of modern cinema. His credits include the Academy Award-winning Chariots of Fire, as well as The Mission, The Killing Fields, Local Hero, Midnight Express, The Duellists and Memphis Belle. These films have collectively garnered an extraordinary tally of honours, including 10 Academy Awards, 31 BAFTAs, 13 Golden Globes, 9 Emmys and the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In recognition of his exceptional contributions to cinema, he received the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema in 1982 and the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement in 2006.

Since 1998, Lord Puttnam has focused on public policy at the intersection of education, environment, and digital communications. His lifelong commitment to fostering creativity, ethical leadership, and sustainable development continues to inspire a new generation of filmmakers and changemakers. He served for a decade as Chairman of the UK’s National Film and Television School (of which he is life president), and founded Skillset, the UK’s sector skills council for the creative media industries, dedicated to training young professionals in film and television. In 1997, he was appointed to the British House of Lords as a life peer.

Lord Puttnam’s contributions to society are global. He has served in significant public roles, including as UK President of UNICEF from 2002 to 2009, and continues to support the organisation as an ambassador. From 2012 to 2017, he served as the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

In recognition of his global leadership, Lord Puttnam has received over 50 honorary degrees and fellowships, including Honorary Doctorates from Imperial College, London in 1999 and from Trinity College Dublin in 2016. Additional accolades include the Royal Photographic Society’s President’s Medal and Honorary Fellowship in 2003, and his appointment as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2006. He has served as Chancellor of two Universities, the University of Sunderland from 1997 to 2007 and the Open University from 2006 to 2017.

In serving as the Patron of the Puttnam School of Film & Animation, Lord Puttnam not only ignites LASALLE’s commitment to storytelling and excellence in the cinematic and creative arts but also inspires 21st-century filmmakers in Asia.