BAFTA-winning director Ava DuVernay will receive the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing presented by The GREAT Britain Campaign at the 2017 AMD British Academy Britannia Awards presented by American Airlines.
She joins previously announced honoree Dick Van Dyke, who will receive the Britannia Award for Excellence in Television. This year’s event will take place on Friday, October 27, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
“Ava is both a fearless director and a champion of talent, who has used her platform to shed light on some of the most important issues facing the world today” said Kieran Breen, Chairman of BAFTA Los Angeles. “She has brought together talents from the US and UK for her projects, and successfully crafted work that resonates with audiences around the globe, making her incredibly deserving of this honour.”
Recipients of the John Schlesinger Britannia Award are deeply respected, distinctive and innovative directors, whose contribution as both technicians and artists represents the zenith of the directing profession. Past recipients include Ang Lee, Sam Mendes, Mike Newell, Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan, David Yates, Quentin Tarantino, and Kathryn Bigelow.
The AMD British Academy Britannia Awards is BAFTA’s biggest event outside of the UK, where Brits and anglophiles alike come together in Los Angeles in celebration of exceptional members of the creative community who have dedicated their careers to advancing the art forms of the moving image in the US, UK and beyond. The AMD Britannia Awards are BAFTA Los Angeles’ highest accolades, recognizing both outstanding British talent, and exceptional international talent by virtue of their strong connection to British entertainment through their body of work. Known to be an enjoyable evening that captures a unique blend of sincerity and British irreverence, the evening also serves to celebrate the long-standing collaboration between the British and American industries. Proceeds from the event support BAFTA’s Access for All campaign, a range of impactful educational initiatives created to provide a foot-in-the-door and a pathway to success for talented individuals, uninhibited by background, demographics or personal circumstance.
The 2016 ceremony took place on Friday, October 28 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and was hosted by British actor and comedian Ben “Doc Brown” Smith. Ang Lee was honored with the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing presented by the GREAT Britain Campaign, Samuel L. Jackson was honored with the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment, Ricky Gervais was honored with the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy, Ewan McGregor was honored with the Britannia Humanitarian Award, Felicity Jones was honored with the British Artist of the Year presented by Burberry, and Jodie Foster was honored with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film presented by the Arya Group. World-renowned television and event production company Done + Dusted produced the ceremony, with Event Management by MTA Events.
BAFTA’s other key events include the highly-anticipated TV Tea on September 16, 2017, the BAFTA Tea Party in January and the EE British Academy Film Awards in London on February 18, 2018.
Nominated for the Academy Award and eight EMMYs, winner of the BAFTA for Best Documentary and The Peabody Award, Ava DuVernay's 13TH is one of the most critically-acclaimed films of 2016. In 2015, DuVernay directed the historical drama SELMA, which garnered four Golden Globe nominations and two Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Her current directorial work includes the top rated dramatic television series QUEEN SUGAR; and the upcoming Disney feature film A WRINKLE IN TIME. Winner of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival's Best Director prize for her previous feature MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, DuVernay's early directorial work includes I WILL FOLLOW, VENUS VS. and THIS IS THE LIFE. In 2017, DuVernay was named one of Fortune Magazine's 50 Greatest World Leaders and TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. She also distributes and amplifies the work of people of color and women directors through her film collective ARRAY, named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.
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About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – featuring workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes – in the UK, USA and Asia; it offers unique access to the world’s most inspiring talent and connects with a global audience of all ages and backgrounds. To access the best creative minds in film, TV and games production, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.
Founded in 1987, BAFTA Los Angeles serves as a bridge between the Hollywood and British production and entertainment business communities. Its commitment to professional and community education is at the heart of all activity, including an award-winning community outreach programme, screenings, seminars, Behind Closed Doors series, Q&As, scholarships for British students studying in the US, a Newcomers Program for emerging British talents working in the US, and a Heritage Archive project that preserves in-depth interviews with the industry's leading talents for future generations. BAFTA Los Angeles celebrates and promotes excellence through its annual Britannia Awards, Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties and the Student Film Awards. www.bafta.org/losangeles
About AMD
For more than 45 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics and visualization technologies ― the building blocks for gaming, immersive platforms, and the datacenter. Hundreds of millions of consumers, leading Fortune 500 businesses and cutting-edge scientific research facilities around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work and play. AMD employees around the world are focused on building great products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, and Facebook and Twitter pages.
About American Airlines Group
American Airlines and American Eagle offer an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American has hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. American is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, whose members serve more than 1,000 destinations with about 14,250 daily flights to over 150 countries. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. In 2015, its stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.
About The GREAT Britain campaign
The GREAT Britain campaign showcases the best of what the UK has to offer to inspire the world and encourage people to do business with, invest in, visit and study in the UK and unites the efforts of the public and private sector to generate jobs and growth for Britain. For more information click here
