The BFI London Film Festival, which opens October 12 and runs through October 27, has announced its shortlists and juries for the awards ceremony which will close out the festival.
The festival’s highest honor, the BFI Fellowship, will be awarded to maverick filmmaker David Cronenberg and actor Ralph Fiennes. Cronenberg's list of credits includes “The Fly,” “Videodrome,” “Crash,” “A History of Violence,” and “A Dangerous Method,” which has its premiere at this year’s festival.
"This is a monumental, in fact overwhelming, honor, and my being the first Canadian to receive it makes it all the sweeter,” Cronenberg said. “British cinema has been a potent inspiration for me, and to be associated with this particular group of filmmakers is tremendously exhilarating."
Fiennes, one of Britain’s most recognizable and reliable actors, has starred in “The End of the Affair,” “The English Patient,” “The Constant Gardener,” and “Schindler’s List.” Fiennes has begun his career as a director as well, and his film “Coriolanus” was selected to be screened as part of the Gala at this year’s festival.
“I'm extremely honored and delighted to be given this fellowship by the BFI," said Fiennes.
The Best Film Award is presented in partnership with the festival's headline sponsor American Express. The shortlist will be judged by directors John Madden and Asif Kapadia, actress Gillian Anderson, producer Tracey Seaward, writer Andrew O'Hagan and filmmaker and artist Sam Taylor Wood.
This year's shortlist is:
“360”
“The Artist”
“The Deep Blue Sea”
“The Descendants”
“Faust”
“The Kid with a Bike”
“Shame”
“Trishna”
“We Need To Talk About Kevin”
The award for Best British Newcomer is presented in partnership with Swarovski and honors new and emerging film talent. This year's jury comprises actress Anne-Marie Duff, actor Tom Hollander, producer and director of the National Film and Television School Nik Powell, producer Andy Harries, broadcaster Edith Bowman and producer Stephen Woolley.
The shortlist for Best British Newcomer is:
Nick Murphy, director, “The Awakening”
Tinge Krishnan, director, “Junkhearts”
Candese Reid, actress, “Junkhearts”
Nirpal Bhogal, writer/director, “Sket”
Aimee Kelly, actress, “Sket”
Tom Cullen, actor, “Weekend”
Chris New, actor, “Weekend”
D.R. Hood, writer/director, “Wreckers”
The jury for the Sutherland Award, presented to the director of the most original and imaginative feature debut in the festival includes Turner Prize nominee Phil Collins, producer Andrew Eaton, director Joanna Hogg, director Peter Kosminsky, actress Saskia Reeves, Hugo Grumbar, managing director (International) Icon UK Group, and film journalist Tim Robey.
The previously announced Sutherland shortlist is:
“Corpo Celeste”
“Eternity”
“HERE”
“The House”
“Las Acacias”
“Last Winter”
“Michael”
“Mourning”
“She Monkeys”
“Snowtown”
“The Sun-Beaten Path”
“Without”
The Grierson Award for Best Documentary recognizes outstanding feature-length documentaries of integrity, originality, technical excellence or cultural significance. Two-time BAFTA winner Adam Curtis will chair the jury, which also includes documentary filmmaker Kim Longinotto, Mandy Chang of the Grierson Trust, and Charlotte Moore, Head of Documentary Commissioning at the BBC.
This year's shortlist is:
“Bernadette: Notes on a Political Journey”
“Better This World”
“The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975”
“Dragonslayer”
“Dreams of a Life”
“Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life”
“Last Days Here”
“Whores' Glory”
