The Carl Foreman Award: A Short History

15 January 09

The Carl Foreman Award recognises and encourages the most promising new British directors, writers and producers.

The Carl Foreman Award For Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer in their First Feature Film recognises and encourages the most promising new British directors, writers and producers.

The award was introduced in 1998 and is run in conjunction with the Williams-Jones Foundation.

A Short History

Born in Chicago, Carl Foreman made his mark in Hollywood with such notable screenplays as Champion (1949), which established Kirk Douglas as a major star, and The Men (1950), which launched the career of Marlon Brando. During the filming of High Noon (1952), for which he not only produced but also wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay, Carl was summoned to appear before the infamous House Un-American Activities Committee.

Refusing to “name names,” he was blacklisted and forced to move to Britain to further his career. In 1957 he won an Oscar with Michael Wilson for their screenplay of Bridge On The River Kwai. Carl went on to produce, write and direct films, including The Mouse That Roared (1959), Guns Of Navarone (1961), The Victors (1963), Born Free (1966) and Young Winston (1972). In 1976, he was honoured by his adoptive country with a CBE – rare for an American.

“The exceptionally high standard of previous Carl Foreman Award winners fittingly honours Carl’s memory,” says Eve Williams-Jones (formerly Foreman). “He was passionately committed to the training and development of new generations of filmmakers who understood that the medium not only had the potential to inform and enlighten, but was required to entertain as well.”

RECENT WINNERS

2009 - Steve McQueen (writer/director, Hunger)
2008 – Matt Greenhalgh (writer, Control)
2007 – Andrea Arnold (director, Red Road)
2006 – Joe Wright (director, Pride & Prejudice)
2005 – Amma Asante (writer/director, A Way Of Life)
2004 – Emily Young (writer/director, Kiss Of Life)
2003 – Asif Kapadia (writer/director, The Warrior)
2002 – Joel Hopkins and Nicola Usborne (writer/director & producer, Jump Tomorrow)
2001 – Pawel Pawlikowski (writer/director, Last Resort)