1. Walk Of Fame for Welsh Capital
Actors Catherine Zeta Jones and Anthony Hopkins, and singers Tom Jones and Charlotte Church are among the Welsh celebrities tipped to be featured in a Welsh National Walk of Fame. From April, the people of Wales will be asked to vote for the stars they would like featured in the new attraction which will be laid in Cardiff Bay in October 2007. The first 30 plaques, bearing the names drawn from five categories and fashioned in Welsh slate, will be set in the pavement near the Wales Millennium Centre in the capital. An additional five stars will be inducted: one a year for the next decade and the attraction is expected to become a popular landmark. Website: www.walkoffame.co.uk
2. The Queen Reigns! British Films Up for Major Awards
The awards season is currently in full swing and several British films and acting talent are likely to be rewarded. The undisputed leader of the pack is Helen Mirren in The Queen, recent winner of the best actress award at the Golden Globes, and favourite for the same award in both the British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs) on 11 February and the Oscars on 25 February. However, she will face stiff competition at both events from fellow British actresses Judy Dench for Notes on a Scandal and Kate Winslet for Little Children. Other films that have been causing a stir amongst industry voters are Kevin MacDonald’s The Last King of Scotland, Roger Michell’s Venus, and perhaps most surprisingly, James Bond finally makes it onto the awards circuit, as both Daniel Craig and Casino Royale are nominated for best actor and best film respectively at the BAFTAs.
For more information visit:
www.oscars.org
www.bafta.org
3. Forthcoming Attractions
Blank Slate’06 is the latest collection of short films produced by B3 Media, a network charged with developing creative talent from communities underrepresented by the mainstream. These films, all shot digitally, are a fascinating and diverse collection of stories cutting across gender, racial and religious boundaries and clearly highlight the wealth of new film making talent across the UK. Film Department is currently working with B3 Media to make these films accessible to BC offices – the final DVD version will have subtitles in Spanish, French and English (to enhance their suitability for ELT purposes) and possibly Arabic. Detailed information on the content, including any censorship concerns, will be sent out to all Arts Officers in the next two months. Film Department is also developing a series of DVD short film packages in response to issues highlighted in S2010, including climate change and creative cities.
4. British Films Catalogue 2007
Our annual British Films Catalogue has just arrived from the printers and a copy will be winging its way to all British Council offices shortly, in the meantime, information on all the films listed in the catalogue and much more is available online at www.britfilms.com
5. ‘Miss Potter’ Lake District Movi Map
The story of children's author Beatrix Potter, her love affair with the English Lake District and relationship with her publisher is told in a new film, Miss Potter, released in Britain in January. Potter is played by Renée Zellweger and her publisher Norman Warne by Ewan McGregor. The movie was shot in the English Lake District in spring 2006 and a free movie map has been published by the area’s tourism bodies. It features attractions such as the author’s farmhouse home, Hill Top; the Beatrix Potter Gallery at Hawkshead and Lindeth Howe, used as a holiday home by her family and now a hotel. Details will be found on an accompanying website. Potter spent happy childhood holidays in the lake District and, in 1905, made it her home. By 1930 she had bought 4,000 acres of farmland which she bequeathed to the National Trust charity so that it should remain unspoilt forever. The new film was also shot in Osterley Park and House in West London, now also owned by the charity. Website: www.visitmisspotter.com.
6. Dench, Mirren, Winslet head-to-head in Golden Globes
Three top British stars, Judi Dench (Notes On A Scandal), Helen Mirren (The Queen) and Kate Winslet (Little Children) will be competing for the Best Actress title at the 64th Golden Globes. They are up against Penelope Cruz (Volver) and Maggie Gyllenhall (Sherrybaby) for the award, acknowledged with the BAFTAs as the precursor to the Academy Awards. Click here to read more.
7. Shane Meadows triumphs at BIFAs
Shane Meadows' fifth full-length feature, the 1980s set This Is England, took the Best Film award at the 2006 British Independent Film Awards in London on 29 November - the traditional kick-off for the annual film awards season which culminates in the Academy Awards. Click here to read more.
8. 2007 Satyajit Ray Foundation Short Film Competition
This Competition is open to all film-makers, of any age, either resident or studying in the UK. The closing date, after which no entries can be considered, is 2 March 2007. Click here to read more.
9. EU approves new UK film tax relief
The European Commission has given State Aid approval to the new UK film tax reliefs. The UK Government will receive an official letter from the European Commission in the next few days, outlining the guidance notes which support the new Cultural Test. Subject to Parliamentary approval of the test, the new film tax incentives will be activated from 1 January 2007. Click here to read more.
10. UK Film Council launches diversity website
A new film industry information resource which brings together comprehensive information on diversity, equality and employment law is now available online at www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/diversitytoolkit. Click here to read more.
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