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This World was shot in a faux doc- umentary style and was intro- duced by Nick Broomfield. And Touching The Void was a book Danny Boyle had just read and loved. So we did try to match people with things that were of interest to them.”
Among other presenters were Alan Parker, Mariella Frostrup, Anthony Minghella, Asif Kapadia, Duncan Kenworthy and Stephen Frears.
“I know [director] Kevin MacDonald,” said former Alexander Korda Award winner Boyle during his Touching The Void introduction. “So when I was asked to do this I thought ‘well I’d love to do Kevin’s film, I’m sure it’ll be good’. But when I saw
it I was absolutely blown away by it. I felt sickeningly jealous, and profoundly moved.”
There is a sense that while each filmmaker strives to take every possible care with their
film they are also part of a greater whole: the British film industry. The idea is that ulti- mately we’re on the same team, not to the exclusion of American cinema but as a satisfying con- trast to it.
It’s all very English and diffident in many respects, as just about everyone who has a film support- ed by Choice Brits has worked in the American industry at some point and would no doubt wel- come the chance of doing so again. But they all recognise that
the industry that nurtured them must be supported.
In his introduction to The Mother, Iain Softley pointed out the simple aims and universal ben- efits of the Choice Brits initiative. “This is a chance for myself and a lot of other filmmakers just to show our support to this scheme,” he said. “To remind people that there are other films that might have had less attention, as they’re preparing to vote.”
Next year of course things could be different again. If Charlotte Macleod has her way, Choice Brits will be expanded to showcase more than a mere 12 films. As well as celebrity introductions there may well be filmmaker Q&As, and more screenings outside of London.
Macleod hopes to run the scheme in the US next year so that members of BAFTA LA and East Coast will be able to see the films. So it’s not so much a loud proclamation that ‘the British are coming’, more a co-ordinated and eloquent demonstration that we’re here already.
For more information on the British films eligible for the BAFTA Film Awards see www.scriptfacto- ry.co.uk/choicebrits. This year’s Choice Brits was in no sense intended to be ‘The best of’, rather the tip of the whole British film iceberg which is featured more fully on the aforementioned complementary website.
LONDON SCREENINGS
9 December
6:30 pm
Mr. Young’s Screening Room 14-15 D’Arblay
RSVP: +44 208 222 2828
9 December
7:00 pm
Mr. Young’s Screening Room 14-15 D’Arblay
RSVP: +44 207 291 6621
OFFICIAL SITE: www.kill-
Artwork©2003 Miramax Films Corp. All Rights Reserved.
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