LFF 2011: BFI London Film Festival Awards - Interviews
FeaturesWe speak to winners Lynne Ramsay, Ralph Fiennes, David Cronenberg, judge Gillian Anderson and more.
Posted 29th October 2011, 1:22pm in Film, by Becky Reed
The London Film Festival Awards
Gillian Anderson brought glamour to East London, as one of the judges of the best film award.
Wednesday 26th October saw one of the highlights of the 55th BFI London Film Festival - the annual awards.
With a jury of their peers, the best films, the most original works and the brightest newcomers are celebrated at LSO St Luke's on Old Street. The BFI Fellowships are also presented, which this year went to David Cronenberg and Ralph Fiennes.
We had the pleasure of chatting to the jurors and winners on the nights. Results and verdicts below!
BEST FILM: We Need to Talk About Kevin, directed by Lynne Ramsay
Celebrating the most original, intelligent and distinctive filmmaking in the Festival, the Best Film award, presented in partnership with American Express, was chaired by John Madden who presented the award with fellow judge Gillian Anderson.
We spoke to Anderson on the red carpet, who revealed how difficult it was to choose: "There were a few we really had to battle it out over the table." However, the experience was hugely enjoyable for the actress: "I love being asked to sit down and watch films all day long, I can't think of anything better than that! It was a delight, and the opportunity to sit and talk about it with other people who really love films, and discuss how much we loved them, and the beautiful aspects of them."
When asked how she compares films, she explained: "It's really hard. You hope that the one one chooses has the element of the sublime in it, that is above and beyond what the others might have, even if the others might be perfect films for what they are. If something lifts itself outside of that, and there's a unanimous agreement about that fact, then you start to get closer to the end result."
Ramsay revealed how overwhelmed she was: "I know the other films in this section are wonderful. I'm really shocked! I'm filming right now - I was in Devon, in wellington boots four hours ago! I wish Tilda could be here, and John C. Reilly, Ezra and the kids. We had so little money and time, and we tried to make quite an epic film."
Earlier on the red carpet, she explained how much hard work the film was: "My dad passed away during the process, and I wish he could be here. A lot of hard work pays off. We paid our dues on this one. The script was really well-crafted as we had to do it that way, as we only had 30 days to shoot." However, she later told us what fun making the film actually was: "I've never been on a shoot where I've hung out with the actors after 14 hour days - that's the first time. There was a lot of love in this, because it was a labour of love."
We got to chat to Ramsay about her new sci-fi film, inspired by Moby Dick, and working with Jonny Greenwood. Watch this space.
BEST BRITISH NEWCOMER: Candese Reid, actress, Junkhearts
This award is presented in partnership with Swarovski and honours new and emerging film talent, recognising the achievements of a new writer, producer, director, actor or actress. The award for Best British Newcomer was presented by Edgar Wright to Candese Reid, for her acting role in Junkhearts, a sophisticated, social drama about hope and the search for redemption. Starting acting at the age of nine, she joined Nottingham’s prestigious Television Workshop, and her role in Junkhearts, at the age of 18, was her first professional acting role. Candese also received a bursary of £5,000 courtesy of Swarovski.
We spoke to actress Anne-Marie Duff, one of the jury members on this award, before the ceremony. She told us that judging the newcomer category is "bonkers". "You're having to compare writers, actors, directors and producers, so you have to try and remember. It's a gut feeling - most of us had the same feeling, which was interesting. It's talent, innovation, just a sense of potential. We don't often celebrate potential in our society generally, do we? We want everyone to be finished when they're 21. Being part of a film festival gives it much more generous quality."
We chatted to eventual winner Reid before the show, with the young actress endearingly overwhelmed by the red carpet experience. "I never thought this would happen to me, just being here is amazing. I've never been a part of anything like this in my life, so it's surreal to be on a red carpet, and have my picture taken." She told us why she felt she got the part in Tinge Krishnan's film: "When I read the script I found Lynette was very like me in her feistiness and attitude and fieriness. It grabbed me and I'm so happy I got to be a part of it."
After her win, we grabbed the enormously excited Reid for a quick reaction: "I can't put it into words. I'm ready to keep pushing now, it's given me the courage. I've obviously got something! I didn't think for one moment they'd call my name."
SUTHERLAND AWARD WINNER: Pablo Giorgelli, director of Las Acacias
The long-standing Sutherland Award is presented to the director of the most original and imaginative feature debut in the Festival. This year, Argentinian director Pablo Giorgelli took the award for his film Las Acacias, a slow-burning, uplifting and enchanting story of a truck driver and his passengers. The director received his Star of London from film director Terry Gilliam.
Before the award ceremony, and his win, Giorgelli expressed his joy at being at the festival: "It's incredible. These ceremonies are for me very strange. It's not normal for me - some days ago I was in shorts, and now to be here with a black suit is beautiful and strange. I'm very happy as this thing was very important for me and my film. I'm here for my film. The most beautiful thing was to be invited by the London Film Festival to present my film here. Just this was enough. After the screening, we were received incredibly well, and I went to sleep incredibly happy. I never imagined I would be here now."
GRIERSON AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY: Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life directed by Werner Herzog
The award is co-presented with the Grierson Trust, in commemoration of John Grierson, the grandfather of British documentary. Recognising outstanding feature length documentaries of integrity, originality, technical excellence or cultural significance, the jury was chaired by Adam Curtis and the award went to Werner Herzog’s coruscating study of the senselessness of violence and its consequences.
BFI FELLOWSHIP: Ralph Fiennes and David Cronenberg
Awarded to an individual whose body of work has made an outstanding contribution to film culture, the Fellowship is the highest accolade that the British Film Institute bestows and was awarded to Canadian auteur David Cronenberg whose film A Dangerous Method premiered at the Festival on Monday. The Fellowship was presented by Jeremy Thomas and Michael Fassbender.
We had a chat with Cronenberg at the event, where he explained what the fellowship meant to him: "It's important. You don't make films because of the honours, but especially as you get older, to be acknowledged by your peers - especially in another country - is fantastic. It means your films have a voice and a life, and have made an impact."
The director went on to talk about his love of British film: "The history of British film - I was seeing British films in the 40s and 50s, and they had a huge impact on me. The particular tone at that time was fantastic - very humanistic, very realistic, and really quite lovely. It's had an influence on my career."
Ralph Fiennes, one of Britain’s pre-eminent actors, who has just made a bold and critically well received transition to film directing with his festival film Coriolanus, was also presented with a Fellowship, this time from fellow actor and personal friend Liam Neeson.
Fiennes took the time to talk to press backstage. "As someone who lives in London it makes me proud our city can offer a worldclass and dynamic festival. If I'm lucky enough to be in it as an actor, and in this case director, it's a great honour. I'd like to thank Sandra Hebron for making this festival seriously vibrant and recognisable on an international level. I hope it will grow, so London Film Festival is the place you'd want to bring your film."
He then went on to talk about his love for Shakespeare, and criticised what modern language has evolved into. "Shakepeare's work is extraordinarily expressive. Very few writers have equalled it. I think we're living in a time when our ears are attuned to a flattened and truncated sense of our English language. Our expressiveness and our ease with some words is being diluted so that the sentence with more than one clause is a problem for us, and the word of more than two syllables is a problem for us. I hear it, too, from people at drama schools, who say the younger intake find the density of a Shakespeare text a challenge in a way that, perhaps a few generations ago maybe they wouldn't have. We're in a world of truncated sentences, soundbites and Twitter."
Greg Dyke, Chair, BFI has the final word: "The BFI London Film Festival Awards pay tribute to outstanding film talent, so we are delighted and honoured that both Ralph Fiennes, one of the world’s finest and most respected actors and David Cronenberg, one of the most original and ground-breaking film directors of contemporary cinema, have both accepted BFI Fellowships - the highest accolade the BFI can bestow. I also want to congratulate all the filmmakers and industry professionals here tonight, not only on their nominations and awards, but also for their vision, skill, passion and creativity."
Watch the BFI's highlights below.
With a jury of their peers, the best films, the most original works and the brightest newcomers are celebrated at LSO St Luke's on Old Street. The BFI Fellowships are also presented, which this year went to David Cronenberg and Ralph Fiennes.
We had the pleasure of chatting to the jurors and winners on the nights. Results and verdicts below!
BEST FILM: We Need to Talk About Kevin, directed by Lynne Ramsay
Celebrating the most original, intelligent and distinctive filmmaking in the Festival, the Best Film award, presented in partnership with American Express, was chaired by John Madden who presented the award with fellow judge Gillian Anderson.
We spoke to Anderson on the red carpet, who revealed how difficult it was to choose: "There were a few we really had to battle it out over the table." However, the experience was hugely enjoyable for the actress: "I love being asked to sit down and watch films all day long, I can't think of anything better than that! It was a delight, and the opportunity to sit and talk about it with other people who really love films, and discuss how much we loved them, and the beautiful aspects of them."
When asked how she compares films, she explained: "It's really hard. You hope that the one one chooses has the element of the sublime in it, that is above and beyond what the others might have, even if the others might be perfect films for what they are. If something lifts itself outside of that, and there's a unanimous agreement about that fact, then you start to get closer to the end result."
Ramsay revealed how overwhelmed she was: "I know the other films in this section are wonderful. I'm really shocked! I'm filming right now - I was in Devon, in wellington boots four hours ago! I wish Tilda could be here, and John C. Reilly, Ezra and the kids. We had so little money and time, and we tried to make quite an epic film."
Earlier on the red carpet, she explained how much hard work the film was: "My dad passed away during the process, and I wish he could be here. A lot of hard work pays off. We paid our dues on this one. The script was really well-crafted as we had to do it that way, as we only had 30 days to shoot." However, she later told us what fun making the film actually was: "I've never been on a shoot where I've hung out with the actors after 14 hour days - that's the first time. There was a lot of love in this, because it was a labour of love."
We got to chat to Ramsay about her new sci-fi film, inspired by Moby Dick, and working with Jonny Greenwood. Watch this space.
BEST BRITISH NEWCOMER: Candese Reid, actress, Junkhearts
This award is presented in partnership with Swarovski and honours new and emerging film talent, recognising the achievements of a new writer, producer, director, actor or actress. The award for Best British Newcomer was presented by Edgar Wright to Candese Reid, for her acting role in Junkhearts, a sophisticated, social drama about hope and the search for redemption. Starting acting at the age of nine, she joined Nottingham’s prestigious Television Workshop, and her role in Junkhearts, at the age of 18, was her first professional acting role. Candese also received a bursary of £5,000 courtesy of Swarovski.
We spoke to actress Anne-Marie Duff, one of the jury members on this award, before the ceremony. She told us that judging the newcomer category is "bonkers". "You're having to compare writers, actors, directors and producers, so you have to try and remember. It's a gut feeling - most of us had the same feeling, which was interesting. It's talent, innovation, just a sense of potential. We don't often celebrate potential in our society generally, do we? We want everyone to be finished when they're 21. Being part of a film festival gives it much more generous quality."
We chatted to eventual winner Reid before the show, with the young actress endearingly overwhelmed by the red carpet experience. "I never thought this would happen to me, just being here is amazing. I've never been a part of anything like this in my life, so it's surreal to be on a red carpet, and have my picture taken." She told us why she felt she got the part in Tinge Krishnan's film: "When I read the script I found Lynette was very like me in her feistiness and attitude and fieriness. It grabbed me and I'm so happy I got to be a part of it."
After her win, we grabbed the enormously excited Reid for a quick reaction: "I can't put it into words. I'm ready to keep pushing now, it's given me the courage. I've obviously got something! I didn't think for one moment they'd call my name."
SUTHERLAND AWARD WINNER: Pablo Giorgelli, director of Las Acacias
The long-standing Sutherland Award is presented to the director of the most original and imaginative feature debut in the Festival. This year, Argentinian director Pablo Giorgelli took the award for his film Las Acacias, a slow-burning, uplifting and enchanting story of a truck driver and his passengers. The director received his Star of London from film director Terry Gilliam.
Before the award ceremony, and his win, Giorgelli expressed his joy at being at the festival: "It's incredible. These ceremonies are for me very strange. It's not normal for me - some days ago I was in shorts, and now to be here with a black suit is beautiful and strange. I'm very happy as this thing was very important for me and my film. I'm here for my film. The most beautiful thing was to be invited by the London Film Festival to present my film here. Just this was enough. After the screening, we were received incredibly well, and I went to sleep incredibly happy. I never imagined I would be here now."
GRIERSON AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY: Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life directed by Werner Herzog
The award is co-presented with the Grierson Trust, in commemoration of John Grierson, the grandfather of British documentary. Recognising outstanding feature length documentaries of integrity, originality, technical excellence or cultural significance, the jury was chaired by Adam Curtis and the award went to Werner Herzog’s coruscating study of the senselessness of violence and its consequences.
BFI FELLOWSHIP: Ralph Fiennes and David Cronenberg
Awarded to an individual whose body of work has made an outstanding contribution to film culture, the Fellowship is the highest accolade that the British Film Institute bestows and was awarded to Canadian auteur David Cronenberg whose film A Dangerous Method premiered at the Festival on Monday. The Fellowship was presented by Jeremy Thomas and Michael Fassbender.
We had a chat with Cronenberg at the event, where he explained what the fellowship meant to him: "It's important. You don't make films because of the honours, but especially as you get older, to be acknowledged by your peers - especially in another country - is fantastic. It means your films have a voice and a life, and have made an impact."
The director went on to talk about his love of British film: "The history of British film - I was seeing British films in the 40s and 50s, and they had a huge impact on me. The particular tone at that time was fantastic - very humanistic, very realistic, and really quite lovely. It's had an influence on my career."
Ralph Fiennes, one of Britain’s pre-eminent actors, who has just made a bold and critically well received transition to film directing with his festival film Coriolanus, was also presented with a Fellowship, this time from fellow actor and personal friend Liam Neeson.
Fiennes took the time to talk to press backstage. "As someone who lives in London it makes me proud our city can offer a worldclass and dynamic festival. If I'm lucky enough to be in it as an actor, and in this case director, it's a great honour. I'd like to thank Sandra Hebron for making this festival seriously vibrant and recognisable on an international level. I hope it will grow, so London Film Festival is the place you'd want to bring your film."
He then went on to talk about his love for Shakespeare, and criticised what modern language has evolved into. "Shakepeare's work is extraordinarily expressive. Very few writers have equalled it. I think we're living in a time when our ears are attuned to a flattened and truncated sense of our English language. Our expressiveness and our ease with some words is being diluted so that the sentence with more than one clause is a problem for us, and the word of more than two syllables is a problem for us. I hear it, too, from people at drama schools, who say the younger intake find the density of a Shakespeare text a challenge in a way that, perhaps a few generations ago maybe they wouldn't have. We're in a world of truncated sentences, soundbites and Twitter."
Greg Dyke, Chair, BFI has the final word: "The BFI London Film Festival Awards pay tribute to outstanding film talent, so we are delighted and honoured that both Ralph Fiennes, one of the world’s finest and most respected actors and David Cronenberg, one of the most original and ground-breaking film directors of contemporary cinema, have both accepted BFI Fellowships - the highest accolade the BFI can bestow. I also want to congratulate all the filmmakers and industry professionals here tonight, not only on their nominations and awards, but also for their vision, skill, passion and creativity."
Watch the BFI's highlights below.
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