The National Film and Television School’s Board of Governors has bestowed an Honorary Fellowship on Duncan Kenworthy OBE, one of the UK’s most successful film and television producers, whose film credits include Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994), Lawn Dogs (1997), Notting Hill (1999), Love Actually (2003) and The Eagle (2011).
The Fellowship was presented by NFTS Director Nik Powell at the School’s annual Graduation Ceremony held at the BFI Southbank in London on Friday February 27th, 2015.
Speaking at the ceremony, Duncan Kenworthy said: “I’m absolutely delighted to receive this Honorary Fellowship from the NFTS - the best film, television and games school in the world. In my many years of involvement with the NFTS, I’ve been constantly impressed by the passion and commitment of teachers and students alike. A School is a protected environment in which to take bold risks, and to fail sometimes in order to learn - yet the NFTS's student productions have won countless awards, including both of the 2015 BAFTA Short Film Awards and gaining Oscar nominations in both short film categories. NFTS students are industry-ready when they graduate - their knowledge is broad and their skills are honed - but their originality is intact and their passion as deep as the day they started. I wish all of this year’s graduating students great success in their careers and creative fulfillment in their lives.”
After receiving a First in English from Cambridge and an MA from the University of Pennsylvania, Duncan began his career in New York in 1973, where he supervised productions of Sesame Street around the world. He moved back to London in 1980 to work with Jim Henson until Jim’s untimely death in 1990. He was Henson’s associate producer on The Dark Crystal (1982), and co-creator and producer of Fraggle Rock (1983-87). He produced The Storyteller (1988) and Greek Myths (1990) series, both written by Anthony Minghella, and a critically acclaimed miniseries of Gulliver’s Travels (1996), which premiered to a primetime US audience of 56 million. In 1997 he and Andrew Macdonald founded DNA (Duncan ‘N’ Andrew) Films, which they co-chaired for seven years. His production company, Toledo Productions, is based in Soho.
Duncan Kenworthy has been nominated for an Oscar and three Golden Globes, has won five BAFTAs and three Emmys, and was made an O.B.E. in 1999 for services to film. He is currently Vice-President of BAFTA, having been Chairman from 2004 -2006. After serving on the NFTS Board of Governors for 13 years, he stood down in December 2014.
Also awarded at the NFTS Grad Show were industry prizes presented by Avid, Christie, IOSH, Panalux, and Sargent-Disc.
Read about the full list of prize winners here
