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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