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RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH FILM AWARDS 2008 RESULTS
CINEMA Days,
the trade events for UK regional film journalists, announces the
results of the Richard Attenborough Film Awards 2008. This is the
1st year these annual awards, voted for by UK regional film
journalists, have been named the Richard Attenborough Film Awards.
Film of the year
Atonement
Filmmaker of the year
Joe Wright
Rising Star of the year
Sam Riley
Actor of the year
James McAvoy
Actress of the year
Cate Blanchett
Screenwriter of the year
Christopher Hampton
Regional
arts/entertainment writers in all media, including critics and
editors, staff and freelance, participated from Aberdeen to
Aberystwyth, Preston to Plymouth, Belfast to Birmingham, and many
points in between. Voting in the 6 categories took place online at
cinemadays.com from 3–28 January 2008.
Film of the year is Atonement, produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
and Paul Webster, and directed by Joe Wright. A home-grown critical
and commercial hit on its UK cinema release in autumn 2007, the
romantic drama is currently the focus of enormous attention in the
international awards season. Paul Webster, Producer of
Atonement, said:- “This film was shot entirely in England with
a completely British cast and crew so it is especially thrilling
that our film has been so honoured by the Richard Attenborough Film
Awards.”
Filmmaker of the year is Londoner, Joe Wright. Atonement is the
second feature film he has directed, the first being the
award-winning Pride & Prejudice (2005).
The UK regional critics’ Rising Star of 2008 is Sam Riley. Aged 28,
Riley was born and raised in Yorkshire. He had a small part in 24
Hour Party People (2002) but Control, directed by Anton Corbijn,
gave him his first leading role. His spellbinding portrayal of Joy
Division frontman, Ian Curtis, who committed suicide aged 23 in
1980, is attracting international acclaim. He said:- “I
am very honoured to receive this award. Thank you to the Richard
Attenborough Film Awards and to all the regional critics. I would
also like to thank Anton Corbijn for his support and the incredible
cast who made this possible.”
Actor of the year is Glaswegian, James McAvoy, whose career has
flourished since he was named BAFTA’s Rising Star in 2006. UK
cinemagoers have seen him over the last year in Becoming Jane and
The Last King of Scotland, with Penelope and Wanted coming soon, but
it is for his leading performance as Robbie in Atonement that he
wins the Richard Attenborough Film Award. James said:-
“Atonement was both an emotional and a physical film to work on, and
it was an honour to be among such a great cast and crew. I’m really
proud to be a part of this film and excited to be taking home this
award. My thanks go to Joe Wright and to the regional critics for
their great vote of confidence. So often films like Atonement don’t
get meaningful nationwide releases and I am so glad to see that it
has been enjoyed throughout Britain.”
Actress of the year is Cate Blanchett for her fierce yet vulnerable
performance in the title role of 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age'.
This came 9 years after she starred as the younger Queen in Shekhar
Kapur’s original Elizabeth. UK cinema audiences, who have also seen
Cate recently in I’m Not There, will next see her in a very
different guise in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull.
Christopher Hampton has scooped Screenwriter of the year, a new
category introduced for the regional critics’ 2008 awards. His
screenplay for Atonement was adapted from Ian McEwan’s novel
published in 2001. A writer in various media for more than thirty
years, Hampton previously won an Oscar® for his script for Dangerous
Liaisons (1988), adapted from his own stage play. Christopher
Hampton said:- “As a long time friend of Dickie Attenborough,
I’m especially delighted to receive this award.”
Lord Attenborough CBE said:- “The last year has shown the
cinema to be both resilient and innovative, with large audiences
eager to enjoy the unique theatrical experience. It has also brought
a superb crop of terrific films with compelling performances from
both experienced and fresh talents. I offer my warmest
congratulations to this admirable set of winners.”
Peter Scott, Co-ordinator of Cinema Days, said:- “Despite the
shrinking world, local media remains highly influential. One-third
of the population turns first to their trusted local media for
editorial coverage and opinion of new films.
We are thrilled with
the response to the vote from regional journalists right across the
UK and join Lord Attenborough in congratulating the winners – what a
celebration of contemporary British cinema!”
In recognition of their achievement, each winner will be presented
by Cinema Days with a glass diamond mounted on a plinth, inscribed
and engraved with Lord Attenborough’s signature.
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10,000 free books for Liverpool in the city’s annual reading
adventure!
2008 is the
National Year of Reading as well as Liverpool’s year as European
Capital of Culture. Liverpool Reads is proud to present its 4th
annual reading adventure with 2 novels by author Mal Peet, Keeper
and Tamar. The initiative is being jointly sponsored for the 1st
time by Cobalt Housing and Liverpool Housing Trust (LHT).
Liverpool Reads is a city-wide reading adventure where each year a
book is distributed for free across the city and a programme of
outreach activity, author events, reading groups and much more, is
coordinated to accompany the big read.
Keeper will be the focus book with 10,000 copies to be distributed
for free on 6th March 2008 from Liverpool Libraries – a coupon will
be printed in the Liverpool Echo on 6, 7, and 8 March which can be
exchanged for a free copy of the book. The novel tells the
story of El Gato - the Cat - the world's greatest goalkeeper - how
he, a poor South American logger's son, learns to become a World
Cup-winning goalkeeper so good he is almost unbeatable.
In addition to this, Liverpool Reads will be using Mal Peet’s
Carnegie Prize winning novel Tamar, which is a story of espionage,
love, jealousy, and tragedy set in Nazi-occupied Holland and appeals
to all ages. 3,000 copies of Tamar will be available to use in
various intergenerational projects around the city, in particular in
the north Liverpool area, in connection with partner organisations
such as The Reader Organisation and The Bluecoat.
Sponsors Cobalt and LHT will be involved in setting up reading
groups for local residents. Staff from both housing associations are
looking forward to receiving training to work with the groups.
Reading groups will also be run in schools and community centres, as
well as with intergenerational groups across the neighbourhoods
where Cobalt and LHT work.
We are extremely excited to have the support of Walker Books for
this year’s big read, and author Mal Peet says of the project:-
“Books are free travel passes for journeys through space and
time, and it’s a brilliant, radical idea on the part of Liverpool
Reads to distribute them to the people of Liverpool. And I feel
hugely honoured that in 2008, the National Year of Reading and the
year in which Liverpool is the European Capital of Culture, my books
have been chosen as the City Reads. All it will take now for my
happiness to be complete is either Liverpool or Everton winning the
Premiership and the Cup. (One each would do!)”
Following the success of 2007’s Small Island Read where the city
read Small Island by Andrea Levy in connection with Bristol, Hull,
Glasgow, and the North and South West, 2008’s read will focus once
again on Liverpool, its love of the beautiful game and its
regeneration after the Second World War and on into its year as
Capital of Culture.
The public launch of Liverpool Reads… Mal Peet, will be on Thursday
6 March (World Book Day) at 6pm in Central Library, William Brown
Street. Mal will be reading from his two novels and answering
questions. Light refreshments will be served on a first come first
served basis at 6pm and the event starts at 6.30pm prompt. Tickets
are now available for collection only for FREE from four Liverpool
Libraries: Central – William Brown Street, Childwall – Childwall
Five Ways, Walton – Evered Avenue, and Allerton – Allerton Road.
Please contact Liverpool Reads if you have any queries:- 0151 794
2291.
Hottest acts wanted for HUB
THE UK's
biggest urban youth festival has launched a search for the best
bands to star in one of the highlights of Liverpool's European
Capital of Culture celebrations.
HUB - the biggest free festival of its kind - annually takes place
at Otterspool Promenade, Liverpool - and is expected to attract up
to 20,000 people on 17-18 May. And event organisers are
inviting the best musicians from indie to funk, rock to soul,
hip-hop to metal to send in a demo which could see them starring on
its live music stage. Successful bands will earn themselves a
slot at the festival, joining confirmed headliner Shlomo, one of the
world's finest human beatboxers.
Susan Whitehead, Event organiser from the Liverpool Culture Company,
said:- “Whether you’re rappers or rockers, speed metallers or
soul divas, we want to hear from you. Judges will be looking for
acts with heaps of energy, style and passion. Only the best talent
will be selected to play at what promises to be a wicked weekend.”
Councillor Warren Bradley, Leader of Liverpool City Council and
Deputy Chairman of Liverpool Culture Company, added:- "This is
a fantastic opportunity for bands and artists to perform live, in an
incredible atmosphere, in front of thousands of people at one of the
biggest and best urban youth festivals in the country.''
Bands have until Monday 25 February 2008 to apply with a biography, a
completed artists’ contact form and a demo. A panel of music
industry professionals will judge all applications and choose their
favourites to play at the event. Successful bands/artists will be
notified by Monday 10 March 2008. Application forms can be
downloaded from
www.liverpool08.com/hub
or requested by
email. (Please type 'HUB'
in the subject field of your email.)
The HUB festival, now into its 6th year, was established by
Liverpool Culture Company during the city's successful '08 culture
bid. It celebrates a vibrant mix of urban art, music and extreme
sports including skateboarding, BMX, in-line skating, breakdancing
and body popping. |
