UK distribution veteran Robert Mitchell has died of a heart attack aged 56, according to the Film Distributors Association and close associates.
The British Mitchell spent 17 years working at Walt Disney and was Disney UK managing director when he departed the company in 2009.
Having started as a runner, Mitchell worked in advertising before joining Warner Bros. UK where he became head of marketing. He then moved to Palace Pictures as deputy MD and set up Buena Vista International with Daniel Battsek.
After his tenure at Disney, Mitchell joined the board of UK sales firm Intandem in 2011 and became CEO in 2013. He left the troubled firm in 2015 and became a consultant.
Mitchell is survived by his five children.
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