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Although Pathé, Entertainment, FilmFourandothersplayanimportant and invaluable part in sustaining British production and distribution, we ignore the majors at our own peril. Historically, they are of paramount importance to the success of our awards ceremony.
As a ceremony that celebrates excellence from around the world, the challenge was to win over the support of, first, the UK distributors and then their US parent companies in order to achieve a change of date that would see the British Academy Awards sand- wiched between The Golden Globes and the American Academy Awards.
At a meeting in June, UK distributors gave a conditional thumbs up. Before I discuss the studios’ response to our deci- sion, which Amanda Berry and I received first hand in a series of Los Angeles meet- ings this September, I am afraid we must slip back in time.
In the last decade, since I’ve been involved in the British Academy, we have achieved specific goals culminating in the announcement of a new date for the awards ceremony: February 25, 2001.
Hindsight is perpetually rose-tinted and the gains we have made may now seem trivial and obvious, but speaking selfishly as Chairman of the Film Committee, re-dressing the balance between our two industries has been exhausting and bewildering, although ultimately rewarding.
Traditionally through the 1970s and 1980s, television, which dominated the marketplace, also ruled the BAFTA roost. My Film Committee colleagues and I have dedicated ourselves to reinstating an equilibrium which reflects more equally the growth of the film industry in the 1990s.
The space allotted for this article is not sufficient to detail the unravel- ling of the BAFTA Masonic hierarchy, but the key factors in restoring respect for both the Film and Television com- munities has been recognition of the importance of the awards and the influ- ence that they can command.
By splitting television and film three
years ago, we gave both an opportunity
to breathe more easily as stand alone
events. For the first time this year the
Orange British Academy Film Awards has
retained the same sponsor, broadcaster, venue and pro- duction team as we partnered the previous year. This unprecedented consistency could only have been achieved by splitting the awards.
As well as each industry generally applauding the opportunity to showcase their innovations, artistic and
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The 25 February 2001 Film Awards’ host Stephen Fry
creative advances, it has also allowed the Academy to focus on creating events that are stylishly and individual- ly tailored to their needs.
As a producer the great bonus for those of us who recognise that movie making is a collaborative effort is that we can celebrate all of the skills, crafts and disci-
plines that contribute to a great movie at thesameevent. Inthepast,hivingoffpro- duction design, editing, costume, cine- matography etc. (even screenwriting) on to a separate B-list awards evening was hypocritical, and ultimately counter-pro- ductive to encouraging film membership. I’m pleased to say this has been rectified.
Happily, the transformation of the British Academy Awards for Film ceremo- ny has not gone unnoticed. As the second most influential ceremony in our business calendar the major studios received our Los Angeles initiative with open arms, inconceivable even four years ago.
Encouraged by mini-major Miramax, last year’s distributor of The Talented Mr Ripley and the previous year’s Shakespeare in Love, we were also warmly supported by DreamWorks the financiers and distributors of American Beauty and this year’s Gladiator and Chicken Run.
Columbia Pictures (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Twentieth Century Fox (Quills), Buena Vista (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin), Universal (Billy Elliot), Paramount (Wonder Boys) and Warner Bros. (The Perfect Storm) all accepted our new initiative with great enthusiasm.
We now have the active support of not only the most prestigious of US and indie distributors but also a growing groundswell of endorsements from our local distribution and production companies. The net result of all this is more glamour and glitz for our stand-alone ceremony at the same time as the Academy’s increasing its membership with a younger profile.
What does all of this practically mean? Well, for a start, there will now be many, many more opportunities to see the cream of this year’s releases not only at the over- crowded Academy screenings but also out- side Piccadilly at other venues.
More films will be mailed out on video cassette, and while this is never entirely satisfactory creatively, it is a great boon for those members working outside London or on heavy shooting schedules.
The increase in sponsorship and the glare of publicity gives greater opportuni- ty to arrange more events and film func- tions at the Piccadilly showcase. More ‘bonuses’ for the members will eventually lead to greater membership numbers and the opportunity for the British Academy to truly reflect our industry, which, in
recent years, is a boast it hasn’t been able to make.
The big strides taken in the last few years have been pos- sible through the small steps contributed by successive indus- trious and energetic film committees. They know who they are
and should be proud of their efforts, especially outgoing and incoming chairpersons, Tim Angel and Simon Relph.
DATELINE FEBRUARY
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