The winners of the British Film Designers Guild Awards have been announced in a virtual ceremony. Included for her work on The Personal History of David Copperfield was Production Designer Cristina Casali. Cristina has been the featured production designer on Film Birmingham’s Working in the Locations Department course for aspiring location managers.

About the British Film Designers Guild Awards

This year saw 3 new awards for: Commercial, Short Film and Outstanding Contribution to the Art Department. In other categories, The Gentlemen, 1917 and Tenet were among the winners.

The evening was hosted by BFDG Chairperson and Production Designer, Sonja Klaus and celebrity presenters included actor, Tim Robbins and Manchester United footballer Andy Cole. Major sponsors supporting the evening were film industry supply and service companies: BGI Supplies, Compuhire and Data Reprographics.

The ceremony can be viewed here.

British Film Designers Guild Winners

Here is a full list of winners:

THE PETER LAMONT AWARD – SPOTLIGHTING NEW TALENT

Libby Hoggard – Junior Graphics

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – COMMERCIAL

David Lee

Production Designer – Argos Christmas Advert

Grant Bailey

Art Director – Argos Christmas Advert

Poppy Luard

Stylist – Argos Christmas Advert

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – SHORT FILM

Jamie Lapsley

Production Designer – Expensive Shit

Gordon Rogers

Art Director – Expensive Shit

Imogen Toner

Set Decorator – Expensive Shit

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT TV PROGRAMME

Samantha Harley

Production Designer – Sex Education, Series 2

Samantha Jay Cliff

Supervising Art Director – Sex Education, Series 2

Miri Katz

Set Decorator – Sex Education, Series 2

Alexandra Slade

Set Decorator – Sex Education, Series 2

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – INDEPENDENT TV DRAMA INCLUDING MINI SERIES, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Arwel W Jones

Production Designer – Dracula

Harry Trow

Supervising Art Director – Dracula

Hannah Nicholson

Set Decorator – Dracula

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – INTERNATIONAL TV DRAMA INCLUDING MINI SERIES, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Simon Bowles

Production Designer – Avenue 5

Stuart Kearns

Supervising Art Director – Avenue 5

Liz Griffiths

Set Decorator – Avenue 5

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – INDEPENDENT FEATURE FILM – PERIOD

Cristina Casali

Production Designer – The Personal History of David Copperfield

Nick Dent

Supervising Art Director – The Personal History of David Copperfield

Charlotte Watts

Set Decorator – The Personal History of David Copperfield

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – INDEPENDENT FEATURE FILM – CONTEMPORARY

Gemma Jackson

Production Designer – The Gentlemen

Martyn John

Supervising Art Director – The Gentlemen

Sarah Whittle

Set Decorator – The Gentlemen

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – INTERNATIONAL STUDIO FEATURE FILM – PERIOD

Dennis Gassner

Production Designer – 1917

Niall Moroney

Supervising Art Director – 1917

Lee Sandales

Set Decorator – 1917

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – INTERNATIONAL STUDIO FEATURE FILM – FANTASY

Nathan Crowley

Production Designer – Tenet

Toby Britton

Supervising Art Director – Tenet (Estonia, UK, Italy, Norway, Denmark)

Eggert Ketilsson

Supervising Art Director – Tenet (Estonia, India)

Jenne Lee

Supervising Art Director – Tenet (US)

Kathy Lucas

Set Decorator – Tenet (International)

Emmanuel Delis

Set Decorator – Tenet (Estonia)

Anna Pinnock

Set Decorator – Tenet (UK)

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE ART DEPARTMENT

Gary Tomkins

Art Director

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

John King

Supervising Art Director

For more industry information, visit Film Birmingham’s news page.

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ScreenSkills invites you to find out more about the Unscripted TV Skills Fund at an event targeted at producers of unscripted content in the Midlands.

This will be taking place on Thursday, 20th May at 9:00am via Zoom. The meeting should take around 15-20 minutes. Feel free to send this invitation to colleagues.   If you have any access requirements, such as BSL interpretation, kindly email katherine.parsons@screenskills.com as soon as possible.

About the Fund

The Fund, which was announced on 16th April 2021 and goes live on Tuesday 1st June 2021, will address skills gaps and shortages in unscripted television across the UK and build a bigger pool of off-screen crew and talent in the nations and regions. See more details here.

Investing matched contributions from broadcasters who are signed up and productions, the Fund is designed to build a more inclusive workforce and future-proof the industry.

ScreenSkills will manage the Fund and in this session Sarah Joyce, Head of Unscripted and Children’s TV, ScreenSkills, will outline how it will work and answer your questions.

To Join the Meeting

You must register in advance for this meeting, which takes place online on May 20, 2021 09:00 AM

https://screenskills.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMldOGorzwiHNUSz0a2giD6i3_rPwbB3Xk3

For more industry information, visit Film Birmingham’s news page.

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Coventry launches its year as UK City of Culture with the release of a George Eliot-inspired film, featuring a new track by Coolie. Watch the film here.

About the Eliot George x Coolie Film

The premiere of the new film, Timeless Words Made New, marks the beginning of Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture. The film takes inspiration from the words of George Eliot, who lived in the city, setting her words to a new music track specially created for the film by one of the city’s hottest talents, Coolie.

Coolie is one of the pioneers of the booming Coventry music scene, known for his work with other Coventry artists including Jay1. The film is commissioned by Coventry UK City of Culture Trust and created by Uncommon Creative Studio and Untold Productions.

The film, which was facilitated by Film Birmingham, takes us on a journey around the city led by Coolie, highlighting what being a City of Culture means to him, in a city he feels has often been overlooked. As George Elliot’s timeless words are projected onto Coventry’s iconic mid-Century cityscape, Coolie takes the viewer on a personal tour of his city as it emerges from the challenges of the past year to be UK City of Culture.

Throughout the film Eliot’s observations on life and art are projected on the buildings of Coventry, while well-known people from the city speak their words. The full list of participants are: Pauline Black, Lee Child, Coolie, Lisa Dillon, Emma Fryer, Nitin Ganatra, Stella Graham, Vince Hill, Debbie Isitt, Jay 1, Navin Kundra, Alice Lowe, Ann Lucas – The Lord Mayor of Coventry, Clint Mansell, Helen Masters, Carla Mendoca, Hazel O’Connor, Horace Panter, Icey Stanley, Paul Morrell, Samson, Manjinder Virk

The quotes were selected for their relevance after a year in which people have been isolated, communities have been challenged and young people have been particularly hard hit.

About Eliot George and Coolie

Mary Ann Evans, writing under the pseudonym George Eliot so her work could be taken ‘more seriously’ was the acclaimed writer of Middlemarch (1871), which is said to be a fictionalised version of Victorian Coventry. She lived at Bird Grove House in Coventry in her formative 20s in the 1840s, and was earlier schooled in the city.

Coolie’s music and the sound he has pioneered has received critical and commercial acclaim.  With the profile of this movement and Coolie’s music now reaching a global wider audience, he’s passionate about celebrating his roots and elevating the status of the city.

Coolie said: “Coventry City of Culture Trust approached me with an idea about breathing new life into the words of George Eliot, which feel really poignant to remember as we come out of lockdown and celebrate the opening of City of Culture. We used her quotes about music, poetry, determination, and resilience. They are as relevant today as they were back when she was writing in Victorian England, but we wanted to present them in a way that was more accessible for today – so I mixed them in a drill track, and we’re using the city as a canvas too for projections.”

Watch the film here.

Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director of City of Culture Trust said: “Timeless Words Made New will put the words of one of our amazing women at the centre of the emotional and cultural renewal of our nation. This dynamic film and its compelling soundtrack, speak to who we are as a city, putting our powerful social history at the centre of our future. It marks the start of what will be an incredible year for Coventry and the re-start of our cultural lives.”

About Coventry

Coventry, the city that moves, is known around the world as a city of invention and reinvention. From its rebuilding after WWII, when its city centre was destroyed in the blitz, it has become a symbol of resilience and rebirth. It has been at the heart of several musical pioneers and movements, from Delia Derbyshire to 2Tone and rave and house. Celebrating the city’s youthfulness, diversity and the role that women have played in creating the city it is today are all major themes of its year as UK City of Culture.

The launch of the UK City of Culture year was delayed until today due to the outbreak of Coronavirus. A major signature event – Coventry Moves – will take place on Saturday 5 June. Experienced across the nation through a major partnership with the BBC and extensive broadcast, online and social media content, Coventry Moves will tell the story of the city’s pioneering past, present and future throughout the day.

Watch the film here.

Visit the 2021 City of Culture official website here.

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Actor, comedian, radio and television presenter Adil Ray OBE has become the first Patron of Screen and Film School Birmingham .

The new college, which opens its doors in September 2021, will also be introducing the Adil Ray OBE Scholarship worth £30,000 and implementing a  Fair Access Fund  to ensure students are
supported during their studies to create a level playing field of equality of opportunity.

Birmingham-born Adil Ray is best known for starring in the BBC hit comedy Citizen Khan, which he created and co-wrote. Adil’s other notable roles include the hit Channel 4 drama series Ackley Bridge, Blithe Spirit with Judi Dench, and hosting Have I Got News for You. More recently, he has been a guest presenter on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

As a Patron, Adil Ray is recognised for his contributions to film, television, the arts and his passion for diversity. Screen and Film School, in turn, will benefit from Adil's accumulated knowledge of the film and television industry, his passion for education and his belief in the power of access, participation and promoting equal opportunities.

Speaking after becoming Patron for Screen and Film School Birmingham, Adil said, “I am incredibly proud to be a Patron of the Screen and Film School Birmingham. This school is an
incredible asset to the Midlands. I want to help students find their voices and instil in them the self-belief and motivation needed for a successful career. We share a passion for helping shape a new generation of filmmakers, enabling diverse young creative minds to flourish. I want families to know that things are changing in the industry and that a career in film and television is possible; even if you haven’t been reflected on-screen while growing up, it is achievable. Screen and Film School
Birmingham is on my doorstep, so I’m expecting to be involved as much as I can.”

Screen and Film School is keen to cement their legacy and inspire the next generation by offering the Adil Ray OBE Scholarship worth nearly £30,000 to one lucky student who will have all their tuition fees paid. Adil Ray will have the opportunity to review the shortlist of candidates and devise the scholarship criteria with the College Principal Hannah Stevenson.

Commenting on the Adil Ray OBE Scholarship, he said:

“I am honoured to lend my name to the Screen and Film School Birmingham Scholarship. I am committed to nurturing talent from within the region, especially from under-represented
communities. I hope the Adil Ray OBE Scholarship will open the door for someone who might think the film and television industry is closed to them. Growing up in Birmingham, I would sit in my room thinking up ideas for comedy sketches and television shows. I would travel past the local television studios on the school bus, never thinking it was an option for me. I am pleased to say the industry is beginning to change. Still, we need to do more to enable those with financial or social barriers to accessing higher education, training and support to make the industry vastly more inclusive.”

Screen and Film School College Principal Hannah Stevenson said, “We are delighted that Adil has agreed to become a Patron of Screen and Film School Birmingham. We will benefit greatly from his wisdom, knowledge and enthusiasm in the years ahead. We share a passion for making the screen and film industries accessible to a new generation that may have felt overlooked and disconnected in the past.”

“Adil has been a forerunner as a creator, writer, producer, and adept performer throughout his career. He has shone a light on inequality, discrimination and the disconnect between programme-makers and the audience, often using humour to soften the blow, unafraid to tackle complex topics in both drama and documentary. He embodies a can-do attitude and drive inspiring for students and respected by the industry”

Executive Principal of Screen and Film School,  Dara Kilkenny,  said: “Adil’s enthusiasm for his role as Patron of Screen and Film School Birmingham is infectious. We have a shared passion and mission to nurture and develop the next generation of talent in film, screen and television and to ensure equality of opportunity for all. His belief in sharing his knowledge, experience and creativity with the students is a gift. I truly cannot think of a better person to take on this important role.”

Screen and Film School Birmingham are hosting a number of  Open Days  before September. Prospective students will get to attend workshops with lecturers and graduates, learn more about
the courses and ask the career teams about how studying at Screen and Film School can help them forge a career in the film, television and screen industry.  https://screenfilmschool.ac.uk/open-days/

For more industry information, visit Film Birmingham’s news page.

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