Watch trailers and find out more about the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer nominees in 2015.
ELAINE CONSTANTINE (Writer/Director) Northern Soul
Elaine Constantine was born in Bury, Greater Manchester, and began her photography career as an apprentice to Nick Knight in London. As a pioneer of the vibrant, documentary-inspired approach to fashion photography, Constantine has become one of the UK’s most celebrated photographers, with her work held in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain and the V&A. In the mid-90s, Elaine turned her attentions towards the moving image and went on to direct pop videos for Moloko and Richard Hawley.
Northern Soul is a celebration of the late 1960s and 1970s dance movement that saw rare American soul music sweeping through the nightclubs of Northern England. The film tells the story of two young men whose lives are changed forever when they discover black American soul music and the DJ-led club scene.
GREGORY BURKE (Writer), YANN DEMANGE (Director) ’71
Gregory Burke is a writer for stage, radio and screen best known for his play Black Watch which opened at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2006, produced by the National Theatre of Scotland. The production has subsequently been seen all around the world, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Play and the New York Drama Circle Award for Best Foreign Play. For television, Gregory wrote One Night in Emergency (BBC Scotland/Silver River), which was directed by Michael Offer and broadcast in 2010.
Born in Paris and raised in London, Yann Demange began his career filming live concerts and assisting on commercials and music promos. Yann attended the National Film and Television School, and on graduating in 2006 he went on to direct comedy drama Man in a Box for Channel 4. His other projects for television have included Dead Set and Top Boy, both of which received nominations at the British Academy Television Awards in 2009 and 2012 respectively.
’71 tells the story of a young British soldier, accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, the recruit must survive the night alone and find his way to safety through a disorientating, alien and deadly landscape.
Yann was identified by BAFTA as a rising talent back in August 2014 and was invited to present '71 to audiences in New York and Los Angeles as part of BAFTA's 'Brits to Watch: The Screenings' programme, which aims to showcase fresh British talent in the US. Find out more about Yann Demange's 'Brits To Watch' screening of Lilting >
HONG KHAOU (Writer/Director) Lilting
Born in Cambodia and raised in the UK, Hong Khaou has participated in various writers’ attachment programs with Polka Theatre and Dende Collective and the BBC/Royal Court New Writing Initiatives for emerging writers. Hong spent seven years at Peccadillo Pictures, managing their Home Entertainment department and working across acquisitions.
Hong has written and directed two short films, Summer (2006) and Spring (2011) which played at Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals. In 2013 Hong Khaou was named as one of the Stars of Tomorrow in Screen International.
Lilting, produced through Film London’s Microwave scheme, tells the story of a Cambodian-Chinese mother mourning the untimely death of her son. Her world is suddenly disrupted by the presence of a stranger, and we observe as they try to connect, without a common language, through the memories of a man they both loved.
Hong was identified by BAFTA as a rising talent back in 2014 and was invited to present Lilting to audiences in New York and Los Angeles as part of BAFTA's 'Brits to Watch: The Screenings' programme, which aims to showcase fresh British talent in the US. Find out more about Hong Khaou's 'Brits To Watch' screening of Lilting >
PAUL KATIS (Director/Producer), ANDREW DE LOTBINIERE (Producer) Kakaji: The True Story
Paul Katis founded his career as an award-winning producer, director and editor of commercials, amassing a wealth of experience over 25 years. Paul subsequently moved on to direct several successful short films, including The Strange Case of Penny Allison, a comedy starring Hugh Laurie and Imelda Staunton. Paul’s other shorts include Exposed and Starting Over, which was selected for the Kodak Shorts Showcase and broadcast by Channel Four.
Adrew de Lotbinière has been producing non-broadcast marketing and communications films for 15 years, for which he has won numerous awards.
Kajaki tells the true story of a group of British soldiers who were trapped in a minefield while stationed at the Kajaki Dam in Afghanistan in 2006. Out of this harrowing day came tales of bravery, selflessness and tragic consequences for Corporal Mark Wright and his men, who risked their own lives to help each other.
STEPHEN BERESFORD (Writer), DAVID LIVINGSTONE (Producer) Pride
Stephen Beresford trained at RADA as an actor. His first play, The Last of the Haussmans, starred Julie Walters, Helen McCrory and Rory Kinnear and was both a critical and commercial success for the National Theatre in London.
David Livingstone has enjoyed a successful career in distribution at Universal Pictures International and Working Title Films, where he worked on films including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Trainspotting, Billy Elliot and The Usual Suspects.
Set in the summer of 1984 and based on a true story, Pride depicts a group of lesbian and gay activists who raised money to help families affected by the British miners’ strike in 1984, forming what would become the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners campaign. Split between rural Wales and urban London, Pride is the extraordinary story of two seemingly alien communities who form a surprising and ultimately triumphant partnership.
