BAFTA/LA - British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles

AMY ADAMS, BENICIO DEL TORO, MINNIE DRIVER, EWAN MCGREGOR AND DEV PATEL AMONG PRESENTERS AT 18TH ANNUAL 2009 BAFTA/LA BRITANNIA AWARDS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Los Angeles, CA, October 19, 2009 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) has announced that Amy Adams, Benicio del Toro, Minnie Driver, Ewan McGregor and Dev Patel will be among the presenters at the 18th Annual BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 5, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel.

As previously announced, Kirk Douglas will be honored with the Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Filmed Entertainment; Robert De Niro is receiving the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film; Colin Firth with the BAFTA/LA Humanitarian Award; Emily Blunt with the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year, and Danny Boyle with the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence in Directing.

Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated actor and writer Stephen Fry will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

BAFTA/LA's outreach programs benefit members and other professionals working within the entertainment industry, as well as the Los Angeles community at large. BAFTA/LA provides exclusive access to screenings, Q&A's with talent and filmmakers, conversations with leading UK-based film and television executives, and the Heritage Archive, featuring broadcast-quality interviews with distinguished British members of the film and television industries. Educational outreach for students and the Los Angeles community includes an after-school screening program for inner-city youth at the Helen Keller Park Recreation Center, and a recent partnership with FilmAid to mentor young filmmakers. Additional programs include seminars in association with local universities and festivals, scholarships for post-graduate programs, and recognizing professional and student talent with awards at film festivals throughout the U.S.

Maintaining a long tradition of recognizing the finest filmmaking and television talent, BAFTA/LA hosts a series of social networking events, including the Annual BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards Brunch, the Annual Garden Party, the BAFTA/LA Comedy Awards, and the Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties in January and September. BAFTA/LA is affiliated with BAFTA in London, and members vote annually for the prestigious BAFTA Film Awards. BAFTA/LA also presents its annual Britannia Awards every November, where it has honored such luminaries as Denzel Washington, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, and Martin Scorsese with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film.

For more information on BAFTA/LA, visit www.baftala.org.

BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) TO HONOR KIRK DOUGLAS FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO WORLDWIDE FILMED ENTERTAINMENT

COLIN FIRTH AND DANNY BOYLE ALSO TO BE HONORED AT GALA EVENT

STEPHEN FRY TO HOST

18TH ANNUAL 2009 BAFTA/LA BRITANNIA AWARDS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Los Angeles, CA, October 6, 2009 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will honor screen legend Kirk Douglas for his contribution to Worldwide Filmed Entertainment at the 2009 BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. Colin Firth will be receiving the BAFTA/LA Humanitarian Award Presented by Volvo and Academy Award and BAFTA award-winning director Danny Boyle will be presented with the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence in Directing. BAFTA/LA previously announced Robert De Niro as the honoree for this year's Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film as well as Emily Blunt for the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year.

"Kirk Douglas is an acting institution whose iconic roles have made him an archetypal international movie star," says BAFTA/LA Chairman Peter Morris." His filmography is second to none and outside the world of film he has continued to inspire audiences worldwide through his books and his charitable endeavors. It could not be more fitting that BAFTA/LA is honoring Mr. Douglas for his lasting legacy to worldwide entertainment."

Morris continues, "This year's honorees have consistently inspired us and audiences worldwide with their incredible talent and presence on and off screen, and we are proud to honor their remarkable accomplishments and welcome them to the distinguished pantheon of BAFTA/LA honorees."

Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated actor and writer Stephen Fry will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Fry has previously hosted the British Academy Film Awards for three consecutive years. His film and TV credits include "Wilde," "Peter's Friends," "Gosford Park," "A Bit of Fry and Laurie," and most recently "Bones" and "Kingdom."

KIRK DOUGLAS

A lifetime of achievement -- which includes 87 films, 10 plays, 9 books, and a host of other contributions to his art, his country, and his fellowmen -- speaks for itself. Born December 9, 1916 in Amsterdam, New York, Kirk Douglas made his Broadway debut as a singing Western Union boy in Spring Again, but interrupted his budding stage career in 1942 to enlist in the U.S. Navy, where he served as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare.

After the war he returned to Broadway as the ghost soldier in The Wind is Ninety. His widely praised performance caught the attention of Hollywood, and he was cast opposite Barbara Stanwyck in "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers." Three years later, after an unsuccessful return to Broadway, his agents arranged for him to co-star with Ava Gardner and Gregory Peck in "The Great Sinner." His agents were aghast when he declined to play that part. Instead, he chose the role of the anti-hero, Mr. Kelly, in "Champion," at a much lower salary. The cynical boxer in Stanley Kramer's "Champion," won him both stardom and an Academy Award nomination. He received his second nomination in 1952 for playing an opportunistic movie mogul in "The Bad and the Beautiful," and his third in 1956 for his portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh in "Lust for Life," for which he won the New York Film Critics' Best Actor Award.

In 1955, Mr. Douglas formed one of Hollywood's first independent film companies, Bryna, named for his mother, and managed by his wife, Anne. The Bryna Company produced many memorable films, including "Paths of Glory," "The Vikings," "Spartacus," "Lonely are the Brave," and "Seven Days in May." In 1958, Mr. Douglas broke the notorious Hollywood blacklist when he gave screen credit to blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo for the "Spartacus" screenplay. Mr. Douglas was widely condemned for his decision at the time. It was not until 30 years later that the American Civil Liberties Union and the Writers Guild of America recognized his act as courageous.

Among the top awards Douglas received was the Medal of Freedom, the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award, the Academy Award for "50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community," the Santa Barbara International Film Festival's inaugural Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film, the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, and the Presidential Medal of the Arts. He had a high school named for him in West Granada Hills and a street named after him in Palm Springs.

When not acting, Mr. Douglas occupies his time writing. His credits include The Ragman's Son, Dance with the Devil, The Gift, Climbing the Mountain: My Search for Meaning, My Stroke of Luck, Last Tango in Brooklyn and Let's Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving and Learning, as well as the children's books, The Broken Mirror and Young Heroes of the Bible .

In 1996, he had a stroke which affected his speech. For a time, he believed this would end his career as an actor, but with the encouragement of his friends and family, he kept working with a speech therapist and at the end of 1998, he played the role of a feisty ex-boxer recovering from a stroke. "Diamonds" was released in December of 1999.

In 2003 he filmed "It Runs in the Family" with his son Michael and grandson Cameron. He followed that with a movie, "Illusion." He said that will be his last movie, but don't count on it. In the meantime, he made a documentary with his son Michael dramatizing the relationship between them, it is called "A Father A Son: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

Mr. Douglas recently wrote and performed a one man show called Before I Forget that opened to rave reviews and sold out performances in Los Angeles. It is currently being adapted for a future theatrical release of which all proceeds will go to the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

COLIN FIRTH

In addition to being an internationally recognized actor, Colin Firth is an Ambassador for Oxfam International, an organization dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world. He is also a supporter of Survival International and the co founder of Café Progreso, a fair trade coffee chain. Firth is also involved with Eco Age, a retail store and environmental consultancy promoting green living. In 2008 he was named "Philanthropist of the Year" by The Hollywood Reporter and in 2006 he was voted "European Campaigner of the Year" by the EU.

Firth's versatility has been recognized in both dramas and comedies, garnering critical acclaim and awards including nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, an Emmy nomination, and multiple BAFTA nominations. Firth will next be seen starring in "A Single Man," based on the acclaimed Christopher Isherwood novel. Tom Ford makes his directorial debut with the film which stars Firth as a man contemplating what may be the last day of his life. Firth was recently awarded Best Actor at the 2009 Venice Film Festival for his performance. He will also appear in Robert Zemeckis' "A Christmas Carol," a 3D motion-capture-animated version of the classic Dickens tale which stars Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman.

His film credits include "Genova" directed by Michael Winterbottom, "Mamma Mia," "Then She Found Me," "And When Did You Last See Your Father," "Easy Virtue," "Girl With A Pearl Earring," "Bridget Jones' Diary," "Love Actually," "The Importance of Being Earnest," "Shakespeare In Love," "The English Patient," "Where the Truth Lies," "Trauma," "Apartment Zero," "My Life So Far," Nick Hornby's "Fever Pitch," "Circle of Friends" and the title role in Milos Forman's "Valmont."

On the small screen, Firth is infamous for his breakout role in 1995, when he played "Mr. Darcy" in the BBC adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice," for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor and was honored with the National Television Award for "Most Popular Actor." In 2006 Firth appeared in the critically-acclaimed BBC television movie "Born Equal." In March 2004, Firth hosted NBC's legendary series "Saturday Night Live." He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2001 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in the critically acclaimed HBO film "Conspiracy" and has also received the Royal Television Society Best Actor Award and a BAFTA nomination for his performance in "Tumbledown." His other television credits include "Windmills on the Clyde: Making Donovan Quick," "Donovan Quick," "The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd," "Deep Blue Sea," "Hostages," and the mini-series "Nostromo."

DANNY BOYLE

Danny Boyle is an award winning director whose most recent project; "Slumdog Millionaire" received eight Academy Awards including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture at the 2009 Oscars. Boyle has been receiving honors from his debut film, "Shallow Grave," which won the Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film at the BAFTAs, as well as Best Director at the San Sebastian Film Festival, The Empire Award for Best Director and Best British Film and the London Critics' Circle Film Award for Best British Newcomer.

Boyle's second feature, "Trainspotting," is one of the highest grossing British films of all time. and won four Empire Awards including Best Director and Best Film and was nominated for a BAFTA Alexander Korda Award. In 2002 Boyle made the smash hit horror film "28 Days Later" earning him a Saturn Award for Best Horror Film from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Boyle's other feature films include "Millions" starring James Nesbit, Alex Etel and Lewis McGibbon, "The Beach," starring Leonardo Di Caprio, "A Life Less Ordinary," starring Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz, "Alien Love Triangle" and "Sunshine" starring Cillian Murphy.

Boyle's work in television includes producing Alan Clark's controversial "Elephant," and directing Strumpet, Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise and the series "Mr. Wroe's Virgins" for which he received a BAFTA nomination. Boyle's career started in the theatre with Howard Barker's Victory, Howard Brenton's The Genius and Edward Bond's Saved, which won the Time Out Award. Boyle has also directed five productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

BAFTA/LA

For more information on BAFTA/LA, visit www.baftala.org.

BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) TO HONOR ROBERT DE NIRO WITH THE STANLEY KUBRICK BRITANNIA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM

Los Angeles, CA, September 22, 2009 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will honor multi-Academy Award winning and BAFTA nominated actor and director Robert De Niro with its most prestigious film award, the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film, at the 2009 BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel.

"Robert De Niro is truly a film icon, and his formidable ability to disappear into each and every character he plays makes him one of the most acclaimed actors in the world," says BAFTA/LA Chairman Peter Morris. "His impressive body of work exemplifies his extraordinary craftsmanship and determination as an actor, director and producer, and I am excited that BAFTA/LA has selected Mr. De Niro to receive this outstanding honor."

De Niro will next star in Miramax Films' "Everybody's Fine" which opens nationwide on December 4, 2009.

De Niro launched his prolific motion picture career in Brian De Palma's "The Wedding Party" in 1969. By 1973 De Niro had twice won the New York Film Critics' Award for Best Supporting Actor in recognition of his critically acclaimed performances in "Bang the Drum Slowly" and Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets." In 1974 De Niro received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the young Vito Corleone in "The Godfather, Part II." In 1980 he won his second Oscar, as Best Actor, for his extraordinary portrayal of Jake La Motta in Scorsese's "Raging Bull." De Niro has earned Academy Award nominations in four additional films: as Travis Bickle in Scorsese's acclaimed "Taxi Driver," as a Vietnam vet in Michael Cimino's "The Deer Hunter," as a catatonic patient brought to life in Penny Marshall's "Awakenings," and in 1992 as Max Cady, an ex-con looking for revenge, in Scorsese's remake of the 1962 classic "Cape Fear."

His recent film credits include "What Just Happened, "Righteous Kill;' Elia Kazan's "The Last Tycoon"; Bernardo Bertolucci's "1900"; Ulu Grosbard's "True Confessions" and "Falling in Love"; Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America"; Scorsese's "King of Comedy," "New York, New York," "Goodfellas," and "Casino"; Terry Gilliam's "Brazil"; Roland Joffe's "The Mission"; Brian De Palma's "The Untouchables"; Alan Parker's "Angel Heart"; Martin Brest's "Midnight Run"; David Jones' "Jacknife"; Martin Ritt's "Stanley and Iris"; Neil Jordan's "We're No Angels"; Penny Marshall's "Awakenings"; Ron Howard's "Backdraft"; Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown"; DreamWorks's "Shark Tale" and Jay Roach's "Meet The Parents," and "Meet the Fockers."

De Niro takes pride in the development of his production company, Tribeca Productions, the Tribeca Film Center, which he founded with Jane Rosenthal in 1988, and in the Tribeca Film Festival, which he founded with Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 as a response to the attacks on the World Trade Center. Through Tribeca Productions, De Niro develops projects on which he serves in a combination of capacities, including producer, director and actor. Tribeca's "A Bronx Tale" in 1993 marked De Niro's directorial debut. He later directed and co-starred in "The Good Shepherd" with Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. Other Tribeca features include "Thunderheart," "Cape Fear," "Mistress," "Night and the City," "The Night We Never Met," "Faithful," "Panther," "Marvin's Room," "Wag the Dog," "Analyze This," "Flawless," " The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle," "Meet the Parents," "Fifteen Minutes," "Showtime," "Analyze That" and "Meet the Fockers."

Maintaining a long tradition of recognizing the finest filmmaking and television talent, BAFTA/LA hosts a series of social networking events, including the Annual BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards Brunch, the Annual Garden Party, the BAFTA/LA British Comedy Festival & Awards Dinner, and the Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties in January and September. BAFTA/LA is affiliated with BAFTA in London, and members vote annually for the prestigious BAFTA Film Awards as well as for Best International Program at the BAFTA Television Awards. BAFTA/LA also presents its annual Britannia Awards every November, where it has honored such luminaries as Sean Penn, Denzel Washington, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, and Martin Scorsese with Britannia Awards for Excellence in both film and television.

For more information on BAFTA/LA, visit www.baftala.org.

BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES HONORING PRIMETIME EMMY® NOMINEES AT 7TH ANNUAL TV TEA PARTY SET FOR SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th, 2009

Los Angeles, CA, August 24, 2009 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles® (BAFTA/LA) will host its 7th Annual TV Tea Party on Saturday, September 19 at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City from 3:00-6:00 PM, to benefit BAFTA/LA's philanthropic efforts. BBC America and British Airways are the Presenting Sponsors, and additional sponsors of the event include Jorian Hill Wines, Fox Television Studios, Reveille and WMe, as well as BAFTA/LA annual sponsors Volvo, American Airlines and Bombardier.

The TV Tea celebrates the 2008-2009 Emmy nominees and talent from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on the Saturday prior to Primetime Emmy Awards. Other invited guests include nominees, past Emmy winners, BAFTA/LA Members, and industry executives. Talent attending this year includes Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, Toni Collette, Stephen Moyer, Kathryn Morris, Kathy Griffin, Tom Wilkinson, Tate Donavan, Leslie David, Melora Hardin, Katee Sackhoff, Joely Fisher, Alex Kingston, Anne Dudek, Kate Flannery, Eva La Rue, Jim Parsons, Colin Ferguson, Ashley Jensen, Brendan Gleeson, Sharon Lawrence, James Bobin, Bret McKenzie and many, many more!

"With the continued and increasing success of British talent on American television, the TV Tea Party is an excellent occasion for bringing everyone together to celebrate and unwind before the awards show in a beautiful relaxed atmosphere," stated Peter Morris, BAFTA/LA's Chairman of the Board.

ABOUT BAFTA/LA

Serving as the bridge between the American and British entertainment communities, BAFTA/LA is a professional non-profit organization founded in California in 1987 to promote and advance original work in film, television and interactive media.

BAFTA/LA's outreach programs benefit members and other professionals working within the entertainment industry, as well as the Los Angeles community at large. BAFTA/LA provides exclusive access to screenings, Q&As with talent and filmmakers, conversations with leading UK-based film and television executives, and the Heritage Archive, featuring broadcast-quality interviews with distinguished British members of the film and television industries. Educational outreach for students and the Los Angeles community includes an after-school screening program for inner-city youth at the Helen Keller Park Recreation Center and a recent partnership with FilmAid to mentor young filmmakers. Additional programs include seminars in association with local universities and festivals, scholarships for post-graduate programs, and recognizing professional and student talent with awards at film festivals throughout the U.S.

For more information on BAFTA/LA, visit www.baftala.org.

ABOUT BBC AMERICA

BBC AMERICA brings audiences a new generation of award-winning television featuring news with a uniquely global perspective, provocative dramas, razor-sharp comedies and life-changing makeovers. BBC AMERICA pushes the boundaries to deliver high quality, highly addictive and eminently watchable programming to viewers who demand more. BBC AMERICA is distributed by Discovery Networks. It is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 60 million homes. For up-to-the-minute information on BBC AMERICA, forthcoming U.S. premieres, art work and news from the channel, log on to www.press.bbcamerica.com.

ABOUT BRITISH AIRWAYS

British Airways is one the world's largest international airlines, carrying approximately 33 million passengers to over 157 destinations around the world. Also one of the world's longest established airlines, it has always been regarded as an industry-leader.

British Airways opened Terminal 5 at London's Heathrow Airport in 2008, the newest, largest and most convenient gateway to Europe.

Whether customers are in the air or on the ground, British Airways takes pride in providing a full service experience. For additional information please visit www.britishairways.com

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RICHARD CURTIS TO BE HONORED BY BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) WITH HUMANITARIAN AWARD AT THE 16TH ANNUAL BAFTA/LA CUNARD BRITANNIA AWARDS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2007

Los Angeles, CA, October 8, 2007 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will honor Richard Curtis with the inaugural BAFTA/LA Humanitarian Award presented by Volvo at the 2007 BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 1, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

The Humanitarian Award presented by Volvo was created to recognize and celebrate a prominent individual in the film and television arts community who has committed their self and career to positively improving and/or changing the community. "BAFTA/LA has a history of recognizing individuals for their talents in the arts, but part of what defines them is also how they give back to the community. Richard is a prime example of how art and philanthropy go hand in hand, and we are honored that he will be the first recipient," states BAFTA/LA Chairman of the Board Peter Morris.

"I have always believed that its the responsibility of the film and television community to use their talents and time to work for those whose lives are hardest. TV and film are very powerful mass media and can actually changes things, and get things done, says Curtis. "Undoubtedly, Richard Curtis owns a Volvo -- or he should!" says Anne Belec, president and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. "When you compare how he's devoted his talent and resources to help others, well, it's so consistent with Volvo's commitment to people in the areas of safety innovation, environmental care and quality of life. His unselfish work typifies the true heroes we see each year in the Volvo for life Awards program."

Although Curtis is most acclaimed and recognized for his screenwriting accomplishments, he is passionate about philanthropy. His dedication to philanthropy became visible in 1985 when he founded UK Comic Relief, which has raised almost $1 billion to date. The organization was established to use entertainment and comedy to raise funds and ultimately change lives. Over the past two decades, more than two thousand celebrities have lent their talent and time to Comic Relief, from John Cleese to Ricky Gervais and Sacha Baron Cohen, from Cher to the Spice Girls and Bono. Curtis was also co-founder of Make Poverty History, a coalition of over 400 organizations which worked together to increase awareness about relieving poverty in 2005. He also helped organize the 2005 Live 8 concerts, as well as Idol Gives Back in 2007, a TV extravaganza which raised over $75 million to help children and young people in extreme poverty in the U.S. and Africa.

New Zealand-born screenwriter Richard Curtis began his career at the 1979 Edinburgh Festival in Scotland where he received an offer for the BBC 2 series Not the Nine OClock News. Since then, Curtis has collaborated with some of Britains and Americas biggest name actors and comedians, such as Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Andie MacDowell and longtime colleague Rowan Atkinson. In America, Curtis is most acknowledged for his popular British romantic comedies Four Weddings and A Funeral, Notting Hill and Love Actually. In 1995 Curtis earned BAFTA and Oscar screenwriting nominations for Four Weddings and a Funeral. More recently, Curtis won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special for The Girl in the Cafe in 2006. Over the span of his career he has been nominated for the BAFTA Film Award for Best Screenplay Adapted for Bridget Joness Diary, the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for Love Actually and in May 2007 Curtis was awarded the Fellowship award at the BAFTA Television awards. The Fellowship award was in recognition of his charity contributions and successful career in film and television. He has recently co-written an adaptation of The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency with Anthony Minghella.

BAFTA/LA's outreach programs benefit members and other professionals working within the entertainment industry, as well as the Los Angeles community at large. BAFTA/LA provides exclusive access to screenings, Q&As with talent and filmmakers, conversations with leading UK-based film and television executives, and the Heritage Archive, featuring broadcast-quality interviews with distinguished British members of the film and television industries. Educational outreach for students and the Los Angeles community includes an after-school screening program for inner-city youth at the Helen Keller Park Recreation Center and a recent partnership with FilmAid to mentor young filmmakers. Additional programs include seminars in association with local universities and festivals, scholarships for post-graduate programs, and recognizing professional and student talent with awards at film festivals throughout the U.S.

Maintaining a long tradition of recognizing the finest filmmaking and television talent, BAFTA/LA hosts a series of social networking events, including the Annual BAFTA/LA-Cunard Britannia Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards Brunch, the Annual Garden Party, and the Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties in January and September. BAFTA/LA is affiliated with BAFTA in London, and members vote annually for the prestigious BAFTA Film Awards. BAFTA/LA also presents its annual Britannia Awards every November, where it has honored such luminaries as Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, and Martin Scorsese with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film.

For more information on BAFTA/LA, visit www.baftala.org.

The Volvo for life Awards (www.volvoforlifeawards.com) annually recognizes and rewards everyday American heroes who do extraordinary things in their communities.

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BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES AND ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES HONORING PRIMETIME EMMY(R) NOMINEES AT 5TH ANNUAL TEA PARTY

Los Angeles, CA, July 31, 2007 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will co-host the 5th Annual Primetime Emmy(R) Nominees Tea Party on Saturday, September 15 at the Wattles Mansion & Gardens in Hollywood from 2-5pm benefiting both organizations philanthropic divisions. BBC America and British Airways are the presenting sponsors.

In what has become a time-honored tradition, BAFTA/LA and the Television Academy will celebrate the 2006-2007 Emmy nominees from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on the Saturday prior to the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. Invited guests include past Emmy winners, current nominees and other notable talent from the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries, BAFTA/LA Members, Television Academy Members, and industry executives.

Peter Morris, BAFTA/LA's Chairman of the Board, remarked "The Tea Party is a wonderful setting for industry friends and nominees to get together and celebrate the rise and success of British talent on American television in a relaxed and informal atmosphere."

"The Primetime Emmy broadcast is a major event around the world, and especially in English-speaking countries," stated Dick Askin, Chairman and CEO of the Television Academy, "and the Tea Party has become a highly anticipated stop on the road to the Emmys. It is a terrific celebration for the UK and Commonwealth nominees to mingle with their American counterparts."

BAFTA/LA's outreach programs benefit Members and other professionals working within the entertainment industry, as well as the Los Angeles community at large. BAFTA/LA provides exclusive access to screenings, Q&As with talent and filmmakers, conversations with leading UK-based film and television executives, and the Heritage Archive, featuring broadcast-quality interviews with distinguished British members of the film and television industries. Educational outreach for students and the Los Angeles community includes an after-school screening program for inner-city youth at the Helen Keller Park Recreation Center and a recent partnership with FilmAid to mentor young filmmakers. Additional programs include seminars in association with local universities and festivals, scholarships for post-graduate programs, and recognizing professional and student talent with awards at film festivals throughout the U.S.

Maintaining a long tradition of recognizing the finest filmmaking and television talent, BAFTA/LA hosts a series of social networking events, including the Annual BAFTA/LA-Cunard Britannia Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards Brunch, the Annual Garden Party, and the Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties in January and September. BAFTA/LA is affiliated with BAFTA in London, and Members vote annually for the prestigious BAFTA Film Awards. BAFTA/LA also presents its annual Britannia Awards every November, where it has honored such luminaries as Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, and Martin Scorsese with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film.

For more information on BAFTA/LA, visit www.baftala.org.

Established in 1959 as the charitable arm of the Television Academy, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation is dedicated to utilizing the resources of the Television Academy and the artistry of television to preserve and celebrate the history of the medium and to educate and guide those who will shape its future. The Foundation is responsible for the Archive of American Television, as well as Educational Programs such as the College Television Awards, its renowned Student Internship Program, the Fred Rogers Memorial Scholarship and its annual Faculty Seminar.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences was founded in 1946 just one month after network television was born. It is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunications arts and sciences and to fostering creative leadership in the telecommunications industry. In addition to recognizing outstanding programming through its Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, the Television Academy publishes emmy(R) Magazine and stages many industry-related programs, services and year-round events for the television community.

For more information on the Foundation and the Television Academy, please visit www.emmys.tv/foundation.

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BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) TO HONOR DENZEL WASHINGTON WITH THE STANLEY KUBRICK BRITANNIA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM

Los Angeles, CA, June 26, 2007 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will honor two-time Academy Award(R)-winning actor Denzel Washington with its most prominent film award, the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film, at the 2007 BAFTA/LA Cunard Britianna Awards on Thursday, November 1, 2007, at The Century Plaza Hotel.

"Denzel is a remarkably talented actor who always entertains the audience with the rich array of characters that he has portrayed on screen," states Peter Morris, BAFTA/LA Chairman. "As both an actor and director he continually takes on challenging projects and we are thrilled to honor and celebrate his immense talents."

Washington will next be seen in "American Gangster", directed by Ridley Scott and co-starring Russell Crowe, slated for a November release. The film is based on the true juggernaut success story that portrays the life of a cult hero from the streets of 1970s Harlem during one of Americas biggest drug wars. He will also direct and co-star with Academy Award winning actor Forest Whitaker in "The Great Debaters", a drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Whiley College Texas who in 1935, inspired students from the schools debate team to challenge Harvard in the national championship.

Washington has starred in over 30 films, including "Training Day" and "Glory", for which he won Academy Awards(R), and he has received an additional three Academy Award(R) nominations for his work in "The Hurricane", "Malcolm X" and "Cry Freedom". Other notable performances include "Deja Vu", "Man of Fire", "The Manchurian Candidate", "Antwone Fisher" (which was also his directorial debut), "Remember the Titans", "John Q", and "He's Got Game".

Washington began his career on the stage in New York with Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park, which was quickly followed by numerous off-Broadway productions. It was his Obie award-winning performance on stage in A Soldiers Play that captured the attention of the producers of the NBC television series "St. Elsewhere", and he was cast in the role of Dr. Phillip Chandler.

Maintaining a long tradition of recognizing the finest filmmaking and television talent, BAFTA/LA hosts a series of social networking events, including the Annual BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards Brunch, the Annual Garden Party, and the Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties in January and September. BAFTA/LA is affiliated with BAFTA in London, and Members vote annually for the prestigious BAFTA Film Awards. BAFTA/LA also presents its annual Britannia Awards every November, where it has honored such luminaries as Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, and Martin Scorsese with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film.

For more information on BAFTA/LA, visit www.baftala.org.

# # #

Media Contact:
Shari Mesulam
323.933-3399 x4207
smesulam@mprm.com

THE BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) TO HONOR SIR SIDNEY POITIER, ANTHONY MINGHELLA AND RACHEL WEISZ AT THE 15th ANNUAL 2006 BAFTA/LA CUNARD BRITANNIA AWARDS

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, AUGUST 8, 2006 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will mark its 15th Annual 2006 BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 2, 2006 at The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel when it honors Academy Award-winning actor and filmmaker Sir Sidney Poitier with the Cunard Britannia Award for Lifetime Contributions to International Film; Academy Award-winning filmmaker Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) with the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence in Directing; and Academy Award-winning actress Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener) with the Britannia Award for Artist of the Year.

As previously announced, Clint Eastwood will receive BAFTA/LA's annual 2006 Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film.

BAFTA/LA Chairman Peter Morris states: "BAFTA/LA is proud to honor such distinguished individuals who have accomplished so much and inspired so many of us for so long. This will be a night to remember for BAFTA/LA for years to come."

"We are thrilled to enter into our second year of partnership with BAFTA/LA and look forward to honoring this year's illustrious Cunard Britannia Award recipients," says Cunard Line President Carol Marlow. "Their elegant style, overall graciousness and transcendent appeal truly embody the spirit of both BAFTA/LA and Cunard Line."

Born in Miami, Florida and raised in the Bahamas, Sir Sidney Poitier is one of the most honored and respected actors of the past century. During his fifty-plus year career, audiences have loved and revered him as an actor, director, producer, and best-selling author. He has received almost every major acting award, including two Academy Awards (as Best Actor for Lilies of the Field in 1963, and with an honorary Oscar in 2002). He has also received three Golden Globes, the BAFTA award, the American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award, the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, and five NAACP Image Awards. In addition, he was knighted by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II in 1963 and has received four honorary doctorates, the most recent from New York University.

Poitier currently serves as ambassador to Japan for the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and as president and CEO of Verdon Cedric Productions. Poitier is the father of six daughters, the grandfather of four and the great-grandfather of one.

Poitier is the second recipient of the Cunard Britannia Award for Lifetime Contributions to International Film. Last year, the honor was awarded to filmmaker Ronald Neame.

Writer, director and producer Anthony Minghella, CBE, made his feature film debut in 1991 with Truly Madly Deeply, a film that won numerous awards including a BAFTA. He received international acclaim in 1996 with The English Patient, which received more than thirty awards internationally -- including nine Academy Awards (Best Picture and Best Director among them). He was also honored with BAFTA's Best Picture and Best Screenplay awards and the Directors Guild of America Award for Best Director. His next film, The Talented Mr. Ripley, was nominated for five Academy Awards and seven BAFTA Awards. Minghella also wrote and directed Cold Mountain, nominated for 7 Oscars and three BAFTAs. Minghella has most recently directed the upcoming feature Breaking and Entering, starring Jude Law, Juliet Binoche and Robin Wright Penn, for release later this year.

In 2000, Minghella partnered with filmmaker Sydney Pollack in Mirage Enterprises, a company that has helped produce Iris, The Quiet American, Cold Mountain, and The Interpreter. For the past four years, he has served as Chairman of the British Film Institute. He has also received three honorary doctorates.

British born Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz began acting while attending Cambridge University, where she formed a theater company called Talking Tongues. Upon graduating, she received a starring role in the stage revival of Noel Coward's "Design For Living," for which she was nominated for Most Promising Newcomer by the London Critics' Circle. She spent most of the early nineties acting in British television dramas, including Dirtysomething and Inspector Morse. In 1996, she transitioned into film with Bernardo Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty, followed that same year by Neil LaBute's The Shape of Things, which she also produced. She then went on to star in the phenomenally successful The Mummy and The Mummy Returns films, as well as Enemy at the Gates, About a Boy, and Constantine. In 2005, Weisz starred in The Constant Gardener, for which she won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, London's Critic Circle Film, and British Independent Film Award.

Weisz recently completed The Fountain, a film written and directed by Darren Aronofsky. She is currently filming My Blueberry Nights with Jude Law and Natalie Portman, and will next begin production on the Working Title comedy Definitely Maybe.

Founded in 1987, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) is an independent, non-profit organization composed of 1,200 members in the Los Angeles-based film and television industries, representing the largest professional association outside of the U.K. BAFTA/LA operates as an affiliate of BAFTA, headquartered in London, with all members granted full voting rights in the annual Orange British Academy Film Awards (popularly known as the BAFTAs).

BAFTA/LA is actively involved in numerous outreach programs, most notably the Helen Keller Park After School Program, which has spearheaded the creation of a screening facility with monthly film programming for the inner-city youth of Los Angeles. Additional outreach activities include hosting numerous educational events for various entertainment organizations, granting a number of film scholarships for students, and producing the BAFTA/LA Heritage Archives of historic one-on-one interviews with noted British filmmakers. Membership activities also include screenings, Q & As with talent and filmmakers, and a variety of charitable events. BAFTA/LA also presents its annual Britannia Awards every November, where it has honored such luminaries as Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine, and Martin Scorsese with Britannia Awards.

Cunard, operator of the luxury ocean liners Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2, has long been synonymous with the quest for new discoveries and the epitome of British finesse since the company's first paddle-wheeled steamer, the Britannia, crossed the Atlantic in 1840. The company has an illustrious history of hosting famed entertainers, royalty, and society luminaries aboard its fleet of liners. Earlier Cunard "Queens" have welcomed such famous personalities as Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Marlene Dietrich, Cary Grant, Bing Crosby, and Clark Gable who enjoyed Cunard's White Star Service(SM) when crossing the Atlantic aboard a Cunard ship was considered the only way to travel.

Since Queen Mary 2's launch in January 2004, she has continued to play host to many notable guests such as John Cleese, Katie Couric, Uma Thurman, Richard Dreyfuss, Carly Simon, Rod Stewart, Tina Brown and Harold Evans, Donald Trump, and Dame Shirley Bassey, while eminent visitors have included Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Senator Hillary Clinton.

(Press Contact: Danni Pearlberg/The Angellotti Company, 818-506-7887)

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BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) TO HONOR CLINT EASTWOOD WITH THE STANLEY KUBRICK BRITANNIA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, JULY 10, 2005 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will honor four-time Academy Award-winning actor/producer/director Clint Eastwood with its most prestigious film accolade, the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film, at the 15th Annual Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 2, 2006, at The Century Plaza Hotel.

BAFTA/LA Chairman Peter Morris states: "Clint Eastwood is an undisputed international icon and an enormous creative force, both behind and in front of the camera. It is our distinct pleasure to honor him with our highest film award."/

Eastwood most recently produced and directed the Dreamworks/Warner Bros. World War II drama Flags of Our Fathers, to be distributed in October 2006 by Paramount in the United States and by Warner Bros. internationally. The companion film, Letters From Iwo Jima, told from the Japanese perspective, is also planned for international release by Paramount later this year, with the domestic release set for 2007 by Warner Bros.

Eastwood has directed more than 25 films, including Million Dollar Baby, for which he won both the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars; Unforgiven, for which he won his first Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director; and Mystic River, for which he received dual Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. In addition, he earned BAFTA nominations for directing and producing Unforgiven. He has also helmed such diverse films as Absolute Power, The Bridges of Madison County, Bird, Space Cowboys, Sudden Impact, Bronco Billy, The Outlaw Josey Wales and Play Misty for Me, which marked his directing debut.

Eastwood began his acting career in the mid-1950s, appearing in films and on television. His breakthrough film role came in 1964 in Sergio Leone's "spaghetti western" A Fistful of Dollars. His many memorable films also include Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, Kelly's Heroes, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Every Which Way But Loose, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Sudden Impact, Tightrope, In the Line of Fire, and The Bridges of Madison County. He received Best Actor Oscar nominations for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.

Founded in 1987, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) is an independent, non-profit organization composed of 1,200 Los Angeles-based film and television professionals from all areas of the industry, representing the largest such association outside of the U.K. BAFTA/LA operates as an affiliate of BAFTA, headquartered in London, with all members granted full voting rights in the annual Orange British Academy Film Awards (popularly known as the BAFTAs).

BAFTA/LA is actively involved in numerous outreach programs, most notably the Helen Keller Park After School Program, which has spearheaded the creation of a screening facility with monthly film programming for the inner-city youth of Los Angeles. Additional outreach activities include hosting numerous educational events for various entertainment organizations, and granting a number of film scholarships for students. Membership activities also include screenings, Q & As with talent and filmmakers, and a variety of charitable events. BAFTA/LA also presents its annual Britannia Awards every November, where it has honored such luminaries as Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Michael Caine, and Martin Scorsese with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film.

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(Press Contact: Danni Pearlberg/The Angellotti Company, 818-506-7887)

THE BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) HONORS DAME ELIZABETH TAYLOR WITH THE BRITANNIA AWARD FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, JULY 20, 2005 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will honor Dame Elizabeth Taylor with the Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence in International Entertainment at the 2005 Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 10, 2005 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel.

BAFTA/LA Chairman Gary Dartnall states: "To pay tribute to an international icon is BAFTA/LA's duty and privilege, but to honor a British star of the national treasure status of Miss Taylor is a downright thrill."

Born in London, England to American parents, two-time Oscar-winning legend Elizabeth Taylor starred in over twenty films before her twenty-first birthday, including in such classics as National Velvet, Lassie, Come Home, Little Women, Father of the Bride, and A Place in the Sun. She received her first of five Best Actress Oscar nominations for her role in Raintree County. She was nominated also for Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly, Last Summer, Butterfield 8 and Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf? She won her Oscars for both Butterfield 8 and Virginia Woolf.

In addition to her many Oscar nominations and wins, Taylor has also been honored by BAFTA many times throughout her career. BAFTA first nominated Taylor in 1959 for Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, with subsequent nods for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, for which she won, and The Taming of the Shrew. In 1999, BAFTA honored her with its prestigious Academy Fellowship.

Taylor has notably also dedicated much of her life to raising money for the fight against AIDS. In 1992, she was awarded the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's prestigious Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

As previously announced, Tom Cruise will receive this year's Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film, and director Mike Newell the John Schlesinger Britannia Award For Artistic Excellence in Directing.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) is a professional, independent, non-profit organization founded in 1987, which operates as an affiliate of BAFTA, headquartered in London. Its members represent all disciplines of the entertainment industry and have full voting rights in the annual Orange British Academy Film Awards (known as the BAFTAs). With over 1,100 voting members, BAFTA/LA is the largest British professional industry organization outside of the UK.

BAFTA/LA's various activities include screenings, Q & A's, scholarships to British students studying film and television in Los Angeles, and the Heritage Archive Video Interviews. Its outreach program extends to hosting numerous educational events for various entertainment organizations as well as students and inner-city school children.

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(Press Contact: Danni Pearlberg/The Angellotti Company, 818-506-7887)

THE BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) HONORS DIRECTOR MIKE NEWELL WITH THE JOHN SCHLESINGER BRITANNIA AWARD FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, JUNE 27, 2005 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will honor Mike Newell with the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence at the 2005 Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 10, 2005 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel.

BAFTA/LA Chairman Gary Dartnall states: "Mike Newell is a filmmaker of unique gifts, and a man of great integrity. He makes us laugh, and makes us cry, and always surprises us with his visions. He richly deserves this recognition for his contributions to cinema."

British born Mike Newell began his career in television, directing over forty television movies and eleven series as well as documentaries and specials for the small screen. Soon after turning his attention to films for the big screen, he received widespread acclaim in 1985 for the haunting Dance With a Stranger, starring Miranda Richardson and Rupert Everett.

Newell gained worldwide recognition in 1994 with the hugely successful romantic comedy hit Four Weddings and a Funeral, for which he received BAFTA's David Lean Award for Direction. He has since helmed numerous other successful motion pictures including Donnie Brasco, Pushing Tin, Enchanted April, Into the West and most recently Mona Lisa Smile. Newell made international headlines when he was selected to direct the upcoming Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The film, due out later this year, is the fourth installment in the widely popular series.

The John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence, in its third year, is named after multi-Oscar and BAFTA winner/nominee, British producer/director John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy, Darling and Madame Sousatska.) Schlesinger was honored for his ambition, range and high standard of filmmaking by BAFTA/LA with a moving tribute in May 2002 before he passed away. The recipient of last year's award was director Jim Sheridan.

As previously announced, actor Tom Cruise will receive the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film at the same awards show.

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(Press Contact: Danni Pearlberg/The Angellotti Company, 818-506-7887)

BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) TO HONOR TOM CRUISE WITH THE STANLEY KUBRICK BRITANNIA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, JUNE 6, 2005 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will honor three-time Academy Award nominee Tom Cruise with its highest honor, the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film, at the 14th Annual Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 10, 2005 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel.

BAFTA/LA Chairman Gary Dartnall states: "Tom Cruise is the very embodiment of the consummate acting professional. For more than twenty years he has been that rarest of them all: an unparalleled movie star who has attained both global fame and the most prestigious recognition of his acting talents. He has done all of this while remaining one of the most charming and admirable and generous men in all of entertainment. We are proud to bestow upon Tom Cruise our premier honor, the Britannia Award for Excellence in Film."

The Britannia Award for Excellence in Film has been awarded to Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, Peter Ustinov, Michael Caine, Martin Scorsese, Anthony Hopkins, Miramax Films' Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Dustin Hoffman, Stanley Kubrick (in whose name the film award is now given), Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Hugh Grant. The 2004 Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film was awarded to Tom Hanks.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) is a professional, independent, non-profit organization founded in 1987, which operates as an affiliate of BAFTA, headquartered in London. Its members represent all disciplines of the entertainment industry and have full voting rights in the annual Orange BAFTA Film Awards (known as the BAFTAs). With over 1,100 voting members, BAFTA/LA is the largest British professional industry organization outside of the UK.

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(Press Contact: Danni Pearlberg/The Angellotti Company, 818-506-7887)

CRAIG FERGUSON TO HOST THE 13TH ANNUAL BRITANNIA AWARDS

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, OCTOBER 13, 2004 - Actor/filmmaker/comedian Craig Ferguson will host the British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles' (BAFTA/LA) 13th annual Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 4, 2004 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

As previously announced, Tom Hanks will receive the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film, with Meg Ryan serving as a presenter; Helen Mirren D.B.E, will receive the Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence in International Entertainment, with Michael Caine serving as a presenter; and writer/director/producer Jim Sheridan will receive the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence, with Djimon Hounsou ("In America") serving as a presenter.

Craig Ferguson most notably portrayed the often-flustered Nigel Wick, Drew Carey's boss on the hit television show "The Drew Carey Show" from 1996 to 2003. He will next be seen as "P.O.I.G." (Person Of Indeterminate Gender) in the DreamWorks/Paramount co-production of LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, directed by Brad Silberling and starring Jim Carrey, in theaters this Christmas. Also, he stars (with Kevin Pollack and Anna Friel) in the independent film NIAGRA MOTEL to be released next year.

On October 14 and 15, Ferguson will guest-host the "Late Late Show" on CBS and plans to wear a suit and ask guests about their new projects and whether they have had anything funny happen to them recently.

Ferguson wrote the feature films THE BIG TEASE and SAVING GRACE while sitting in his trailer on "The Drew Carey Show", in which he also starred and served as a producer. He also starred in BORN ROMANTIC, LIFE WITHOUT DICK, THE SOUL KEEPER and a vampire movie that he doesn't want to talk about but Rod Steiger was in it.

Ferguson has also just completed writing his first novel, Between the Bridge and the River, a dark and twisted comic romance of Jungian psychotherapy, God, Hollywood and television evangelism. It's four hundred and forty pages long. And he is 6'2" not 5'11, like it says on the IMDB.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) is a professional, independent, non-profit organization founded in 1987, which operates as an affiliate of BAFTA, headquartered in London. Its members represent all disciplines of the entertainment industry and have full voting rights in the annual Orange BAFTA Film Awards (known as the BAFTAs). With over 1,100 voting members, BAFTA/LA is the largest British professional industry organization outside of the UK.

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(Press Contact: Emmy Chang/The Angellotti Company, 818-506-7887)

BAFTA/LA AND THE ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES TO CO-HOST TEA PARTY HONORING 2004 BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH EMMY NOMINEES SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, AUGUST 16, 2004 - The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will join with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to co-host their Second Annual Tea Party celebrating this season's Emmy Award nominees from the UK & The Commonwealth on Saturday, September 18 at The St. Regis Hotel in Century City from 3:00 - 5:30 PM.

A silent auction of celebrity painted teapots with all proceeds benefiting educational programs in association with both BAFTA/LA and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will also be held at the Tea Party.

In addition, anticipated attendees will also include past Emmy winners and nominees and talent from the United Kingdom and former and current Commonwealth countries, BAFTA/LA and ATAS members, and invited media. BBC AMERICA is the Presenting Sponsor of the event.

BAFTA/LA Chairman Gary Dartnall stated, "Last year's inaugural event was a great success and gave us all a wonderful opportunity to salute the tremendous amount of talent from the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand working both in front of and behind the cameras in U.S. television."

"The international television community is increasingly important to the Television Academy, and working with BAFTA/LA to co-host an event for U.K. and Commonwealth nominees is one of the ways in which we are expanding our outreach around the world. We look forward to another successful event this year, on the eve of the Primetime Emmy Awards, and hope this will continue to be a long term relationship with BAFTA/LA," said Dick Askin, Chairman of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

BAFTA/LA's annual Tea Party held in January celebrating the achievement of motion pictures has long been one of the town's most popular pre-awards events, attracting top industry leaders, awards nominees, and stage and screen celebrities from all over the world.

BAFTA/LA is a professional, independent, non-profit organization founded in 1987, whose members represent all aspects of the entertainment industry.As the only Anglo-American professional organization founded to promote and advance excellence in film, television and interactive media, BAFTA/LA serves as the bridge between the Hollywood and British entertainment communities, and is a vital link with BAFTA in London.All members of BAFTA/LA are entitled to vote in the prestigious BAFTA Film Awards.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences was founded in 1946 just one month after network television was born in the United States.It is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunications arts and sciences and to fostering creative leadership in the telecommunications industry. In addition to recognizing outstanding programming through its Primetime Emmy Awards, the Television Academy publishes emmy magazine and is responsible for the Archive of American Television, the Academy Foundation Library and the College Television Awards.

For up-to-the-minute information on BBC AMERICA, forthcoming U.S. premieres, art work and news from the channel, log on to www.press.bbcamerica.com.

BBC AMERICA brings audiences a new generation of award-winning television featuring razor-sharp comedies, provocative dramas, life-changing makeovers and news with a uniquely global perspective. BBC AMERICA pushes the boundaries to deliver high quality, highly addictive and eminently watchable programming to viewers who demand more. BBC AMERICA is distributed by Discovery Networks. It is available on digital cable and satellite TV.

For more information about BBC AMERICA visit www.bbcamerica.com.

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(Press Contact: Emmy Chang/The Angellotti Company, 818-506-7887)

THE BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) HONORS ACTRESS DAME HELEN MIRREN WITH THE BRITANNIA AWARD FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, JULY 12, 2004 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will honor two-time Oscar-nominated actress Dame Helen Mirren with the Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence in International Entertainment at the 2004 Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 4, 2004 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

BAFTA/LA Chairman Gary Dartnall states: "We are proud to honor Dame Helen Mirren with an award that celebrates her extensive body of work both on stage and screen. She is clearly one of our generation's most respected artists."

Dame Helen Mirren stars opposite Robert Redford in the recently released motion picture THE CLEARING. She is currently filming SHADOWBOXER opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. Mirren also starred on the London stage recently, receiving incredible reviews for her performance in Eugene O'Neill's "Mourning Becomes Electra."

Mirren has also starred in Showtime's THE ROMAN SPRING OF MRS. STONE and THE PASSION OF AYN RAND, for which she was nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe Award. Mirren has won a BAFTA, Emmy and Golden Globe Award for her role as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in the PBS series "Prime Suspect."

As a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Mirren has portrayed most of the classic theatrical roles, including Ophelia, Cressida, Lady Macbeth, Nina in "The Seagull" and the title role in August Strindberg's "Miss Julie." Mirren also returned to the stage starring opposite Stuart Townsend in Tennessee Williams' "Orpheus Descending" at London's Donmar Warehouse and opposite Sir Ian McKellen in August Strindberg's "Dance of Death."

Mirren's other film credits include: CALENDAR GIRLS, GOSFORD PARK, for which she received a SAG Award as well as Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award nominations. Mirren was also nominated for an Academy Award for her role in THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE. Her other films include LAST ORDERS, TEACHING MRS. TINGLE, SOME MOTHER'S SON, MOSQUITO COAST opposite Harrison Ford, THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY opposite Bob Hoskins, EXCALIBUR, COMFORT OF STRANGERS, PASCALI'S ISLAND and Peter Greenaway's controversial THE COOK, THE THEIF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER.

Proving that she is multi-talented, Mirren made her directorial debut last year directing a short entitled "Happy Birthday" for Showtime's "Directed By" film series. Mirren followed that by starring opposite Jack Nicholson in the Sean Penn directed THE PLEDGE for Warner Bros.

As previously announced, actor/producer Tom Hanks will receive the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film and writer, director and producer Jim Sheridan will receive the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence at the same awards show.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) is a professional, independent, non-profit organization founded in 1987, which operates as an affiliate of BAFTA, headquartered in London. Its members represent all disciplines of the entertainment industry and have full voting rights in the annual Orange BAFTA Film Awards (known as the BAFTAs). With over 1,100 voting members, BAFTA/LA is the largest British professional industry organization outside of the UK.

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Press Contact: Emmy Chang/The Angellotti Company, 818-506-7887

THE BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) HONORS WRITER, DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER JIM SHERIDAN WITH THE JOHN SCHLESINGER BRITANNIA AWARD FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, MAY 4, 2004 - The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will honor five time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jim Sheridan with the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence at the 2004 Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 4, 2004 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

BAFTA/LA Chairman Gary Dartnall states: "We are delighted to honor the tremendous talent that is Jim Sheridan. He has created some of the most effecting cinema in history and we are proud to present this esteemed award to him."

Sheridan’s films have achieved popular and critical acclaim throughout the world and have garnered two Academy Awards®, 13 Academy Award nominations and numerous prestigious international awards. In his fifth film as a writer/director/producer, last year's IN AMERICA, which he co-wrote with his daughters, Naomi and Kirsten, Sheridan presented his most personal story to date. The film is based on his own experiences as a flat-broke immigrant settling with his family in New York.

IN AMERICA received three Oscar nominations, including for the Sheridan's screenplay, three Golden Globe nominations, six nominations from the IFP Spirit Awards and Best Ensemble from The Screen Actor's Guild. The Producer's Guild of America also presented Sheridan with the prestigious Stanley Kramer Award.
The son of a theater director, Sheridan grew up in Ireland, where he began his career on stage, co-founding Dublin's "alternative theater," the Project Art Centre that launched such stars as Gabriel Byrne. He had numerous plays produced in Ireland, including the highly regarded "Spike in the First World War," based on Jaroslev Hasek's novel The Good Soldier Schweik. He was awarded the Macauley Fellowship for writers, and was at that time only the second playwright to ever receive that honor.

In 1981, Sheridan journeyed to America, (via Canada) with his wife and two daughters in tow - events that inspired the story of IN AMERICA. While in New York, Sheridan received his only formal training in film, enrolling in NYU Film School for six weeks. He ended up serving as artistic director of the Irish Arts Center, where his creative leadership helped to win the theatre a 1987 Obie Award for "sustained excellence." Two decades after he first came to America, Sheridan came full circle, returning to New York to shoot IN AMERICA.

The John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence, in its second year, is named after multi-Oscar and BAFTA winner/nominee, British producer/director John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy, Darling and Madame Sousatska.) Schlesinger was honored for his ambition, range and high standard of filmmaking by BAFTA/LA with a moving tribute in May 2002 before he passed away. The recipient of last year's award was director Peter Weir.

As previously announced, actor/producer Tom Hanks will receive the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film at the same awards show.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) is a professional, independent, non-profit organization founded in 1987, which operates as an affiliate of BAFTA, headquartered in London. Its members represent all disciplines of the entertainment industry and have full voting rights in the annual Orange BAFTA Film Awards (known as the BAFTAs). With over 1,100 voting members, BAFTA/LA is the largest British professional industry organization outside of the UK.

BAFTA/LA's various activities include screenings, Q & A’s, scholarships to British students studying film and television in Los Angeles, and the Heritage Archive Video Interviews. Its outreach program extends to hosting numerous educational events for various entertainment organizations as well as students and inner-city school children.

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(Press Contact: Emmy Chang/The Angellotti Company, 818-506-7887)

THE BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LOS ANGELES (BAFTA/LA) TO HONOR TOM HANKS

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, APRIL 22, 2004 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will bestow its Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award upon Tom Hanks. The award will be presented at the 13th Annual Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 4, 2004 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

BAFTA/LA Chairman Gary Dartnall states: "We are very pleased to honor Tom Hanks with the Stanley Kubrick Award. Mr. Hanks has distinguished himself as a truly outstanding actor and international film star with a deep body of work, and as a visionary filmmaker and producer. He has done all this while remaining one of the most respected individuals in all of the entertainment business."

One of the world's most accomplished and versatile actors today, Tom Hanks also holds the distinction of being the first actor in 50 years to be awarded back-to-back Best Actor Academy Awards. In 1993, he was rewarded for his compelling performance as the AIDS stricken lawyer in "Philadelphia," and the following year he won the Oscar for his outstanding performance in "Forrest Gump." He also won Golden Globes for both of these performances.

In 2000, Hanks served as executive producer (as well as having directed one of the episodes) for the much honored and successful epic WWII HBO miniseries, "Band of Brothers," based on the Stephen Ambrose book and filmed in England. The Golden Globe-winning miniseries aired in the spring of 2001.

Hanks recently produced and starred in the screen adaptation of the Caldecott Medal winning and much-beloved children's book "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg. The film is scheduled for a November 2004 release by Warner Bros.

Hanks can presently be seen in the Coen Brothers' dark comedy "The Ladykillers," a Walt Disney release. After that he stars in the Steven Spielberg directed "The Terminal," co-starring Catherine Zeta Jones, to be released by DreamWorks in June.

The Britannia Award for Excellence in Film has been awarded to Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, Peter Ustinov, Michael Caine, Martin Scorsese, Anthony Hopkins, Miramax Films' Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Dustin Hoffman, John Travolta, Stanley Kubrick (in whose name the film award is now given), Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. The 2003 Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film was awarded to Hugh Grant.

A portion of the proceeds from this year's gala event will go to New Directions, a non-profit organization that provides drug and alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation, mental health services, food, clothing, shelter, job training, and a wide variety of services for homeless men and women veterans in Los Angeles County. Other proceeds will benefit the BAFTA/LA Heritage Archive, the BAFTA/LA-UCLA Scholarship Program and Community Outreach Programs.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) is a professional, independent, non-profit organization founded in 1987, which operates as an affiliate of BAFTA, headquartered in London. Its members represent all disciplines of the entertainment industry and have full voting rights in the annual Orange BAFTA Film Awards (known as the BAFTAs). With over 1,100 voting members, BAFTA/LA is the largest British professional industry organization outside of the UK.

ENDS
(Press Contact: Emmy Chang/The Angellotti Company, 818-506-7887)

BAFTA/LA Scholarship helps drive UCLA Film & Television Fund to $1 million total for coming year

LOS ANGELES, CA., JUNE 3, 2003--The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) has increased the funding of its Fellowship at The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

The pledge for increased funding was made by BAFTA/LA Officers following an appeal to help the school exceed $1 million in scholarships for the next academic year.

The contribution was made at a June 3 breakfast honoring the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Scholarship winners and donors alike. BAFTA/LA annually sponsors a student from the United Kingdom studying Film and Television at UCLA.

This year's contribution, made publicly at the breakfast, was increased to help UCLA reach its goal of $1 million.

States BAFTA/LA Chairman Gary Dartnall: "BAFTA/LA has long and happily supported the UCLA Film and Television Department. Our efforts to provide scholarships for students studying film and television is a reflection of our mission to celebrate and promote excellence in the arts. This Fellowship is certainly one of our most treasured contributions."

ENDS
(Press Contact: Emmy Chang/The Angellotti Company, 818-506-7887)

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