Page 19 - 05_Bafta ACADEMY_Phil Jupitus_ok

ADDINGCROWD
ADDINGCROWD
BAFTA CYMRU
BAFTA SCOTLAND
espite the inevitable Dattritions of summer
heat and holidays, BAFTA Cymru contin- ued to offer its mem-
bers a full programme of twice monthly pre –release screenings from July through September and
into October in collaboration with
FilmFour.
These included
La Veuve de St Pierre, the lush period drama star- ring Juliette Binoche, and Lars von Trier’s Cannes winner Dancer in The Dark, starring Björk.
These were fol-
lowed by Michael Almereyda’s modern Hamlet, with Ethan Hawke and Bill Murray, and the delicious adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel, The House of Mirth, from director Terence Davies.
The new Management Committee met for the first time in July and we wel- comed enthusiastic new- comers (Nia Thomas, Rhys Bean, Sue Jeffries and Catrin Lewis Defis) as well as some past masters (Iestyn Garlick, Glenda Jones and Gwenda Griffith). Emyr Daniel was confirmed as Chair, Allison Dowzell as Treasurer and Glenda Jones and Iestyn Garlick were elected as Vice Chairs.
The Black Welsh Film Festival was held in Cardiff from September 15 – 17 with support from BAFTA, as a continuation of our commit- ment to highlight the work of
Welsh black filmmakers initi- ated in June 1999 with the Black Light Showcase.
The success of this new event was down to the hard work of Yvonne Connikie, originally from Newport, who did all the groundwork in pulling the programme
cles on the Welsh language soap, drama commissioning policy, the history of IFFW and a feature section on Cyber Cymru among other things. Additional contribu- tions or leads are, however, still welcome. Preparations are also already underway
with the relevant institutional part- ners to produce a one-day presenta- tion of the Welsh industry – Showcase Wales – for the London audi- ence at 195 Piccadilly in early March. We’ll be serving cawl.
We are also try- ing to widen the appeal of our Job
Shop service to more Welsh professionals by offering them a free 6-month trial period - BECTU members have already received an invitation and the take-up is good. A premiere screening and an industrial briefing on new media are also likely to be supported by BAFTA Cymru as part of our contri- bution to the International Film Festival in Cardiff (IFFW) at the end of November. More to follow!
www.bafta-cymru.org.uk
tuart Cosgrove, Head of SNations and Regions for
Channel Four enter- tained a large audience with his highly personal
view of New Media in his Sick Boy’s Guide to New Media, pre- sented by BAFTA Scotland at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Introducing himself as his alter ego (Sick Boy from Trainspotting) Stuart continued to amaze and amuse throughout the session with his innovative lap top presentation on everything from Channel Four’s sensational Big Brother to his rec- ommendation to visit the Barbie Doll site.
The event was held in the city centre Lumiere Cinema followed by a reception at Monboddo – a superb new Edinburgh bar. The event was a great success and most enjoyable.
Back in Glasgow after the Festival, we resumed our weekly preview screenings at the Odeon Cinema. The season began with screenings of Girlfight, an unusu- al and charming story about a female American boxer and then Miss Julie, Strindberg’s play, beautifully adapted for the screen by Helen Cooper and directed by Mike Figgis. It starred Saffron Burrows in the title role and Scotland’s multi tal- ented actor/writer/director Peter Mullan as her servant Jean.
This year’s sensational Cannes Palme D’Or winner,
Dancer In The Dark, was also chosen to open the Edinburgh International Film Festival. This controversial movie stimulated some fascinating discussions at the drinks evening which fol- lowed in our new club premises.
Our forthcoming screenings include Billy Elliot, Love & Sex, Purely Belter and The House of
Mirth – the latter being of special interest to Scottish members, as it was shot in Glasgow.
We are extreme- ly fortunate in the generous sponsor- ship of our screen- ings. Under the excellent manage- ment of BAFTA Scotland Committee member David Elliot, the Odeon Cinema continues to give us indispens-
able support. Sincere apprecia- tion and thanks must also go to Stefan King who has so carefully arranged the sponsorship of our new BAFTA Club meeting place in the Private Members Bar of the beautifully restored Corinthian, set in the heart of Glasgow’s old Merchant City.
Work has begun in earnest for the BAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards 2000 which will take place in Glasgow this year, on November 26, in the city’s state-of-the-art Clyde Auditorium, affectionately known as The Armadillo. It promises to be an exciting occa- sion and for further information you can call/email Emma Henderson, BAFTA Scotland Assistant at Tel: 0141 302 1770 or info@baftascotland.co.uk.
together. Prominent among the specifically Welsh offer- ings on the menu were two Teliesyn Cyf. Productions: Cut me loose, a revisionist history of the slave trade seen through Welsh eyes by Colin Thomas, and the drama-documentary Terfysg/Protest (David Evans, Teliesyn Cyf.) a modern day re-telling in Welsh and English of the story of the first British race riots in the Butetown port area of Cardiff.
We were also treated to three short films by Cardiff- based programme maker Awolaja Adebayo - A Fighter’s Life, There are many ways of being Welsh and Norman the Doc.
Looking ahead, TX: 3 – the BAFTA Cymru quarterly for the Welsh audiovisual industry - will be coming out in mid-November with arti-
Photos opposite page from left: Freddie Hancock, Kris Slava, Nigel Cole, star Brenda Blethyn, Craig Ferguson and BAFTA Chairman NY Christina Thomas at the screening of Saving Grace; Composer John Murphy with Maureen Sinclair; photos this page from left: Leon Thomas in Cut Me Loose; Stuart Cosgrove
17
M
M