Multi award-winning and unique directors Ken Loach and Paul Greengrass, distinguished producers Lord Puttnam, CBE, and Tessa Ross, CBE, and legendary actor Sir Michael Caine, CBE, heaped praise on NFTS students at the 2014 NFTS Graduation Ceremony, at the BFI in London, where they were bestowed Honorary Fellowships.
NFTS Chair and CEO of Ingenious Media Patrick McKenna congratulated the 135 Diploma and MA students for “the sheer quality” of their graduation films and said he recognised “…the scale of achievement and the esteem with which the school is held by the industry,” before introducing the Fellowships, which are awarded to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the industry.
Ken Loach, the iconic director of Cathy Come Home, Kes, Riff-Raff and The Wind That Shakes the Barley, applauded the students’ graduation films and wished them good luck on the “… great adventure ahead” while also urging them to “reclaim the screens so that a wider variety of films can be shown in more cinemas,” and to “…use new technology to make better films and TV programmes instead of cutting costs.”
The unique director Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday, The Murder of Stephen Lawrence, Omagh, The Bourne Supremacy, United 93) whose latest film - the Oscar-nominated Captain Phillips - has been a box office hit, echoed Ken Loach’s advice while adding: “To make commercial films is not the same as selling out – what counts is the quality of the film and whether it has something to say and can entertain. If you are lucky enough to make films that connect with people then hold your head up high.”
Describing 2014 as a great time to be making films in Britain because it was attracting worldwide investment due to the wealth of talent in the country, Greengrass said “British talent is hugely represented on the international stage; so many people want to come here to make films. And the most important part of that is the emerging talent in our society – that’s you.”
He encouraged the graduates to “…be aware of the challenges but also see the opportunities. If you can embrace those, the future will be rich indeed.”
Fellowships were also awarded to Lord Puttnam, the distinguished producer of films such as Chariots of Fire, The Killing Fields and The Mission, described film-making as ‘…like a hobby; it is the most glorious way to earn a living,” while advising graduates to have “resilience” if they received knock backs.
The esteemed actor Sir Michael Caine praised the skills of many NFTS graduates who have worked with him films including The Dark Knight (Art Director Steve Lawrence, Huw Arthur), Batman Begins (Art Directors Steve Lawrence, Paul Kirby), The Cider House Rules (DoP Oliver Stapleton) and Little Voice (Director Mark Herman, DoP Andrew Collins) and invited graduates to “follow the great tradition of film making in this nation.”
Producer Tessa Ross, one of the most influential people in film and television, (Slumdog Millionaire, Four Lions, Billy Elliot, The Iron Lady and the BAFTA winning and Oscar nominated 12 Years a Slave) praised the “hugely talented people that the school produces” and assured graduates that great talent would be recognised by the industry.
114 NFTS graduates were involved in BAFTA and Oscar nominated films this year. Full list here
Pictured (L-R) are Paul Greengrass, Tessa Ross and Ken Loach.
Source: Roy Morris
