By Paul Osborne

Ric Birch has been appointed as executive producer for Filmmaster Events ©Getty ImagesNovember 26 - Australian Ric Birch has been appointed executive producer of Filmmaster Events, the subsidiary of Filmmaster Group, who are in charge of both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.


Birch is regarded as the "Master of Ceremonies" worldwide due to his role in producing some of the largest live events ever mounted, including the Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony, both ceremonies at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and the ceremonies for Mexico's Bicentennial in 2010.

He also played the part of international artistic advisor for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The Australian last partnered with the Filmmaster Group in 2006 where he helped produce the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Turin Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Birch partnered with Filmmasters Events in 2006 where he helped produce the opening and closing ceremonies for the Turin Olympic and Paralympic GamesBirch partnered with Filmmaster Events in 2006 where he helped produce the opening and closing ceremonies for the Turin Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games ©Getty Images



Marco Balich, one of the four main partners of the Filmmaster Group and executive producer of the London 2012 Handover to Rio, will continue to liaise with Filmmaster Group for the production of the ceremonies for Rio's 2016 Olympic Games, which are being produced by Filmmaster Group through a new company,Consortium Cerimônias Cariocas 2016 (CC2016).

CC2016 was founded by Filmmaster Group in partnership with Brazilian company SRCOM and in 2011, the Rio Olympic Organising Committee awarded CC2016 the rights to produce and manage Opening and Closing Ceremonies and other major events related to Rio 2016.

In his new role at Filmmaster Event's, Birch will join the likes of Alfredo Accatino, author of many television shows and big events including a key role in Turin 2006, who works as creative producer at the Italian company.

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