It was founded on 18 June 1990,[5] and has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films of recent years, including Truly, Madly, Deeply, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Quartet, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Saving Mr. Banks, My Week with Marilyn, Eastern Promises, Match Point, Jane Eyre, In the Loop, An Education, StreetDance 3D, Fish Tank, The History Boys, Nativity!, Iris, Notes on a Scandal, Philomena, Stan & Ollie, Man Up, Billy Elliot and Brooklyn.

Eva Yates is head of BBC Film, responsible for the development and production slate, strategy and business operations.

[6] The company was founded in 1990 by Mark Shivas as part of the Drama Department, with David M. Thompson becoming its head in 1997 as a wholly owned but independent film-making company, based in offices in Mortimer Street, London.

As a result, it moved out of its independent offices into BBC Television Centre, and Thompson left to start his own film production company.

[7] BBC Film has been based at Broadcasting House in London since 2013.