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British film talent took almost one in five international film awards in 2009

British winners received 36 awards in 2009, representing 17% of the awards given at the world's leading film events

LONDON – 16 March 2010

British films and talenttook home almost one in five of the world's major awards from last year's international awards ceremonies and film festivals, according to figures released today by the UK Film Council. In addition, 25% of those awards went to British women working in film.

In total, 36 awards went to British winners in 2009, representing 17% of the awards given at the world's leading film events, including the Academy Awards®, the BAFTAs and major international film festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, Berlin and Venice. This was up on 2008's figure of 32 British wins, or 15% of all awards.

John Woodward, Chief Executive Officer at the UK Film Council, said: "2009 was an outstanding year for British filmmaking talent, underlining the UK's international reputation for creative excellence. It's worth noting, too, that many of last year's award-winners benefitted enormously from a range of public investment and support – whether that's films such as Slumdog Millionaire and Man on Wire or filmmakers such as Noel Clarke and Andrea Arnold. With British talent taking home 12 BAFTAs, two Oscars® and two prizes at Berlin so far this year, we can take great pride in the quality of the UK film industry and the skills of those who work in it."

Nine of the 36 awards went to British actresses and directors, led by Kate Winslet with the Best Leading Actress Oscar® and BAFTA for her role in The Reader, and Charlotte Gainsbourg who picked up the Cannes Best Actress award for her role in Antichrist. Award-winning women directors included Andrea Arnold (Cannes Jury Prize for the UK Film Council-backed Fish Tank), Kim Longinotto (Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Rough Aunties), Havana Marking (Sundance Directing and Audience awards for Afghan Star) and Sam Taylor-Wood (Sundance Short Filmmaking Honourable Mention for Love You More). Esther Campbell won the Best Short Film BAFTA for her short film September, which was backed by the UK Film Council, as was Daniel Elliott's Jade, winner of the Berlin Silver Bear for Best Short Film.

The biggest British award winner of the year was established director Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, which picked up six Oscars® and six BAFTAs, including Best Film, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography and Sound. However, 2009 was a good year for newer feature filmmakers too, such as James Marsh, whose debut Man on Wire (co-funded by the UK Film Council) won the Best Documentary Oscar® and Outstanding British Film BAFTA, and Steve McQueen, who took home the BAFTA Carl Foreman award for Hunger. Actor, writer and director Noel Clarke picked up the Orange Rising Star Award at the BAFTAs.

Amongst the awards for technical achievement were Nick Park's A Matter of Loaf and Death, whichwon the Short Animation BAFTA, and Michael O'Connor's Best Costume Design Oscar® and BAFTA for his work on The Duchess. Facilities were also celebrated, with Pinewood and Shepperton Studios receiving the BAFTA for Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema.

The full report on awards won by British talent in 2009, can be found at www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/statscalendar with latest awards news at www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/news

For more information, please contact:

Oliver Foster, Head of Press and Public Affairs
T: 020 7861 7508 / 07920 560509
E: oliver.foster@ukfilmcouncil.org.uk

Tara Milne, Press and Public Affairs Officer
T: 020 7861 7901
E: tara.milne@ukfilmcouncil.org.uk

Notes to Editors

UK award winners, 2009

Source: UK Film Council

NB: London River and Katalin Varga had British producers although the awards won for these films at Berlin International Film Festival were for international talent associated with the films.

1. Data were obtained from the Academy Awards® and BAFTA websites, the websites of the individual named festivals and the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). British winners were identified from information acquired from a wide range of public sources.
2. A UK film is a film that has been certified as British by the DCMS or by the Certification Unit of the UK Film Council (acting on the authority of the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport) or which is a de facto UK film by virtue of being made in whole or part in the UK by a UK production company.
3. An individual is considered to be British either by virtue of having been born in the UK or by having gained British Citizenship.

UK FILM COUNCIL (www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk)

• The UK Film Council is the Government and Lottery-backed lead agency for film in the UK, supporting the UK film industry, celebrating UK film culture and nurturing UK film talent at home and abroad. 
• Since its creation in 2000 the UK Film Council has backed more than 900 films, shorts and features, which have won over 300 awards and entertained more than 200 million people around the world. The UK Film Council generates £5 for every £1 of Lottery money it invests.
• Its support develops new filmmakers, funds exciting new British films and gets a wider choice of films to audiences throughout the UK. It also invests in training British talent, promoting Britain as an international filmmaking location and raising the profile of British films abroad. In addition, it funds the British Film Institute.
• Films backed by the UK Film Council include Bend it like Beckham, Bright Star, The Constant Gardener, Fish Tank, Gosford Park, Happy-Go-Lucky, In the Loop, The Last King of Scotland, Man on Wire, Nowhere Boy, Red Road, St Trinian's, This is England, Touching the Void, Vera Drake and The Wind That Shakes the Barley.
• Current UK Film Council funding initiatives include:
• 
  
  • the world's first Digital Screen Network, which has invested in 240 digital screens in cinemas across the country, increasing film choice, bringing the 3D experience to a wider audience, and ensuring the UK has more digital screens than any other European country;
  • over 200 film societies and independent regional film venues;
  • UK film festivals, including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival and the Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival;
  • working with Skillset, the UK skills and training industry body for the creative industries, to enable almost 7000 people to further their filmmaking careers;
  • giving over 20,000 young people the opportunity to get involved in filmmaking through First Light Movies and Mediabox;
  • sponsoring the pilot and now the current rollout of FILMCLUB to thousands of schools, introducing new generations of children to the best of British and international cinema.

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