The16th Moet British Independent Film Awards To Honour Paul Greengrass

On December 8th the BIFA’s (The 16th Moet British Independent Film Awards)will honour British film director Paul Greengrass. The Captain Phillips director will receive the prestigious Variety Award which was won last year by Jude Law with Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Daniel Craig and Kenneth Branagh all previous winners too.

The award is in recognition of a director, producer, writer and actor who have helped promote UK on a international level. Paul Greengrass career stretches back to 1980’s to television working on ITV’s long running World In Action current affairs programme before moving on TV Films. After winning 2000 BAFTA Drama award The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence, 2 years later it was Bloody Sunday the TV drama (Cinematically released in USA)  dramatization of the 1972 Irish civil rights protest march the film side of of his career kicked off. His most recent film Captain Phillips could see him in running for Oscar nomination.

You can find the full list of  The Moët British Independent Film Awards  here.

The Moët British Independent Film Awards will take place  on Sunday 8th December at 8pm, the whole event can be watched exclusively here.

Here is the official press release from BIFA…

PAUL GREENGRASS TO BE HONOURED AT THE 16th MOËT BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS

The recipient of The Variety Award has been announced by Johanna von Fischer and Tessa Collinson, t Directors, The Moët British Independent Film Awards.

Paul Greengrass will receive The Variety Award at the ceremony on Sunday 8th December at Old Billingsgate.

The Variety Award recognises a director, actor, writer or producer who has helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK. The Variety Award was bestowed upon Jude Law last year and has previously been awarded to Kenneth Branagh, Liam Neeson, Sir Michael Caine, Daniel Craig, Dame Helen Mirren and Richard Curtis to name a few.

Paul Greengrass became an internationally renowned and respected filmmaker who earned an Academy Award® nomination for Best Director and a Best Original Screenplay nomination from the Writers Guild of America for his work on UNITED 93. He won recognition for his work on BLOODY SUNDAY when the film won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. BLOODY SUNDAY starred MBIFA 2013 host and patron James Nesbitt, who won best actor at BIFA alongside Greengrass who also picked up his first BIFA for Best Director. Greengrass directed THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, picking up the baton from Doug Liman on the blockbuster hit franchise. He was subsequently nominated for a BAFTA for Best Director for the final film in the saga, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM which also received all three Academy Awards® it was nominated for, and two BAFTAs. The film broke records in the US when it became the highest grossing August opening. Greengrass continued his working relationship with actor Matt Damon with GREEN ZONE. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, which opened the 2013 BFI London Film Festival earlier this year, is Greengrass’ latest critical success and is expected to garner much recognition during this year’s awards season.

Greengrass has had a long and distinguished career in British television: he has written and directed TV films concerned with social and political issues, including THE MURDER OF STEPHEN LAWRENCE (winner of BAFTA’s Best Single Drama Award in 2000 and the Special Jury Prize at the BANFF World Television Festival), as well as THE FIX, THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, and OPEN FIRE. He produced and co-wrote the 2004 television film OMAGH, set in the aftermath of a real IRA car-bombing that killed 29 people in Omagh, Northern Ireland. OMAGH won BAFTA’s Best Single Drama Award in 2005. Greengrass spent the first decade of his career covering global conflict for the ITV current affairs programme WORLD IN ACTION and writing and directing many documentaries. He also co-wrote the bestselling memoir Spycatcher with Peter Wright, former assistant director of Britain’s MI5.

Previous winners of the prestigious Best British Independent Film award include Broken, Tyrannosaur, The King’s Speech, Moon, Control, Slumdog Millionaire, The Constant Gardener and This Is England.

Proud ers and patrons of The Moët British Independent Film Awards include Mike Figgis, Tom Hollander, Adrian Lester, Ken Loach, Ewan McGregor, Helen Mirren, Samantha Morton, James Nesbitt, Michael Sheen, Trudie Styler, Tilda Swinton, Meera Syal, David Thewlis, Ray Winstone and Michael Winterbottom.

The Moët British Independent Film Awards would like to thank all its ers, especially: Moët & Chandon, BFI NET.WORK, 3 Mills Studios, BBC Films, Company 3, M.A.C Cosmetics, Raindance, Sanderson & St Martins Lane – Morgans Hotel Group, Soho House, Studiocanal, Swarovski, Variety, Wentworth Media and Arts, LightBrigade, AllCity and Intermission.

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The winners will be announced at the much anticipated 16th awards ceremony which will be hosted by actor and BIFA Patron, James Nesbitt, who returns for his eighth year on Sunday 8 December at the impressive Old Billingsgate in London.