Two of the most powerful women in the UK entertainment industry are joining forces.

Tessa Ross, the former Film4 chief and “the mother of British filmmaking,” is teaming up with Juliette Howell, the just-departed Working Title TV head, to launch a new production shingle. The company will begin operations by the end of the year and encompass both the big and small screens.

Ross was previously the Film4 controller and briefly the leader of London’s National Theatre. Howell leaves behind a fine reputation at Working Title. During her time there, she oversaw “Birdsong,” “Mary And Martha,” “The Borrowers” and “True Love.”

Given the news last fall that powerhouse producers Alison Owen and Debra Hayward started their own company as well, it seems like an exciting time for women producers in the UK.

[via Deadline]