London, 28 November 2013: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has today announced its first series of BAFTA events in Hong Kong. BAFTA has also established an advisory board with leading industry figures from Hong Kong and the UK, overseeing BAFTA’s ambitions to expand its charitable activity in Hong Kong and beyond.
BAFTA activity kicks off on Sunday 1 December with a screening of _BAFTA Shorts 2013_, a selection of BAFTA-nominated short films and animations from the Film Awards earlier this year, at the Clockenflap Festival. The first meeting of the new BAFTA Hong Kong Advisory Board takes place on Monday 2 December, then on Tuesday 3 December actor Eddie Redmayne (_Les Misérables_, _My Week With Marilyn_) will participate in an intimate ‘Academy Circle’ event, hosted by Hong Kong actress and presenter Lisa S, at The Peninsula Hong Kong for local supporters of BAFTA’s mission in Asia. The following day, Wednesday 4 December, Redmayne will participate in an acting masterclass with students at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said: “At BAFTA we’re passionate about producing events with the most talented individuals in the business who can share their skills, expertise and experiences with our audiences. The upcoming BAFTA activity in Hong Kong is a chance for us to bring together the UK and Asian creative communities and engage and inspire career-starters across the region. With historic ties to Hong Kong, the support of loyal partners and donors, and limitless ambition, we look forward to strengthening our relationships across the region in the future.”
Supporting this activity are BAFTA partners The Peninsula Hong Kong, Champagne Taittinger, British Airways, Berry Bros. & Rudd and KEE Club, and a number of individual donors.
The BAFTA Hong Kong Advisory Board, whose members are Jonathan Caplan QC (Chair), Claire Breen Melwani, Kevin Burke, Peter Chan, Duncan Kenworthy OBE, Levina Li-Cadman, Peter Loehr, Shu Kei, John McLellan, Sandra Ng, William Pfeiffer, Darren Shaw, Nansun Shi, Yat Siu, Fred Wang and Katherine Yip, will continue advising on a range of activity to encourage greater UK-Asia collaboration between the film, television and games industries and practitioners.
BAFTA has a long history of recognising the work of Asian talent at its annual awards ceremonies, including Wong Kar-Wai, Ang Lee, Zhang Yimou, Akira Kurosawa, Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh, and cinema legend Sir Run Run Shaw’s generous donation in the late 1970s helped BAFTA grow into the organisation it is today.
BAFTA identifies, nurtures and supports the next generation of talent through its year-round programme of learning events, alongside its internationally-renowned annual award ceremonies celebrating excellence in film, television and games. The learning programme includes masterclasses, lectures with established practitioners, ‘new talent’ initiatives and over 250 events across the UK and the USA giving the public access to a wealth of knowledge and advice. Alongside an extensive collection of online resources on BAFTA Guru, BAFTA’s online learning channel, the organisation has in recent years created one of the most developed and highly-regarded learning programmes for film, television and games in the world.
On Tuesday 3 December there will be another announcement at The Peninsula Hong Kong with further details about BAFTA’s plans in the region.
BAFTA events in Hong Kong – at a glance
Sunday 1 December
– Screening of BAFTA-nominated short films and animations
Clockenflap, Hong Kong’s Music & Arts Festival (Film Tent, West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade)
Monday 2 December
– First meeting of the BAFTA Hong Kong Advisory Board
Tuesday 3 December
– Academy Circle with Eddie Redmayne
The Peninsula Hong Kong
Wednesday 4 December
– Acting masterclass with Eddie Redmayne
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
For further information, please contact:
Rachel Catanach at Fleishman Hillard
T: +852 (2530) 0228
E: [email protected]
About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is an independent charity that 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 Learning & Events programme that offers unique access to some of the world’s most inspiring talent through workshops, masterclasses, lectures, scholarships and mentoring schemes, connecting with audiences of all ages and backgrounds across the UK, Los Angeles and New York. BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work. For further information, visit BAFTA and BAFTA Guru.
About the Academy Circle
BAFTA’s Academy Circle is small group of influential supporters that makes a significant donation each year to support BAFTA’s charitable activity. In return, the group is invited to a series of intimate evenings throughout the year, allowing them to be inspired by the extraordinary experience and insight of BAFTA members and other famous industry professionals, from actors to directors to cinematographers. Individual support is highly important to BAFTA and the scope of its charitable activity, which includes a wide range of heritage and learning projects, and makes a direct and lasting contribution to its future.