London/New York/Los Angeles, 1 October: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has today announced that writer-director Stephen Fingleton will be the focus of the next ‘Brits to Watch: The Screenings’; a series of events, hosted by BAFTA in New York and Los Angeles, which showcase outstanding British talent to the US film industry. The series is produced in partnership with British Council, with the support of IMDb, the Academy Circle, and Soho House New York.
On Tuesday 6 October at Soho House in New York, and Thursday 8 October at The London West Hollywood in Los Angeles, Stephen Fingleton will be presented at a screening of his highly anticipated feature-length debut The Survivalist. The script garnered industry-wide attention when it featured on the Hollywood ‘Black List’ for the year’s best un-produced scripts in 2012, before topping the British Black List in 2013.
With three stellar performances at its core, The Survivalist is a post-apocalyptic thriller set in a world where resources have run out. The film premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival in April and was awarded a Special Mention by the jury in the Best New Narrative Director category. It will be released by Alchemy in the US in 2016.
‘Brits to Watch: The Screenings’ events offer a chance to introduce British talent who show great promise, to an exclusive audience of film industry professionals. BAFTA then facilitates a number of follow-up meetings with key industry figures for the individuals in both cities.
Beginning in 2013, the series continues to be a partnership between BAFTA and the British Council. It has featured directors and writer-directors Clio Barnard (The Selfish Giant), Richard Laxton (Burton and Taylor), Amma Asante (Belle), Kieran Evans (Kelly + Victor), Hong Khaou (Lilting), Yann Demange (’71), John Maclean (Slow West) and Carol Morley (The Falling).
The ‘Brits to Watch: The Screenings’ series builds on the legacy of BAFTA’s 2011 ‘Brits to Watch’ event supported by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, at which BAFTA introduced 42 promising British newcomers to leading figures in the US film, television and games industries at a black-tie gala in Los Angeles.
The initiative is endorsed by ‘Friends of Brits to Watch: The Screenings’, a high-profile group of leading industry practitioners including: actors Damian Lewis (Homeland), Tom Hiddleston (Avengers Assemble, Midnight in Paris), Andrea Riseborough (Shadow Dancer, Brighton Rock), Simon Pegg (Star Trek, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn), Alice Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness, Men in Black 3), Sienna Miller (Foxcatcher, American Sniper), Rebecca Hall (Parade’s End, Vicky Christina Barcelona) and David Harewood (Homeland, Blood Diamond); director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World); screenwriter John Logan (Skyfall, Hugo, The Aviator); and writer, director and producer Armando Iannucci (Veep, In The Loop).
Biography of Stephen Fingleton:
Stephen Fingleton was born in Northern Ireland and began his career in guerrilla filmmaking. He was chosen by Screen Daily as a Star of Tomorrow in 2013, and was one of 16 filmmakers selected by the UK’s prestigious BFI Lighthouse short film scheme, which funded his film, SLR. The film was shortlisted for an Oscar, nominated for an Irish Film and Television Award, and won Best Irish short at the Foyle Film Festival.
Fingleton’s debut feature, The Survivalist, premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015, where it was awarded a Special Mention by the jury in the Best New Narrative Director category.
He is represented by Philip d’Amecourt and Philip Raskind at WME in the US, and Jack Thomas at Independent Talent Group in the UK.
Notes to editors:
‘Brits to Watch: The Screenings’ is produced as a collaboration between the BAFTA offices in London, Los Angeles and New York.
The initiative is a talent showcase for the industry, and the associated screenings are not intended as film previews for press.
For further information, please contact:
In New York:
Lina Plath / Stephanie Davidson at Frank PR
Tel: 646 861 0843
Email: lina@frankpublicity.com / stephanie@frankpublicity.com
In Los Angeles:
Andy Gelb / Rachael Trager at Slate PR
Tel: 310 461 0111
Email: andy@slate-pr.com / rachael@slate-pr.com
