The BFI is paying tribute to Tilda Swinton. The Oscar and BAFTA winner will receive the BFI Fellowship to honor and celebrate her “daringly eclectic and striking talents as a performer and filmmaker and [to recognize] her great contribution to film culture, independent film exhibition, and philanthropy,” a press release announcing the award details. The BFI Fellowship is presented alongside a Tilda Swinton season at BFI Southbank. Curated in collaboration with Swinton and highlighting her work as well as her inspirations, the program will run from March 1-18, and includes a special Tilda in Conversation event on March 3.
Other BFI Fellows include Vanessa Redgrave, Judi Dench, and Maggie Smith.
“Fellowship and BFI are two of my favorite words. And the beginning and end of the reason I live my life in the cinema in the first place. I am very happy and touched by this honor. And I share it entirely with my beloved filmmaking playmates, living and departed,” said Swinton.
BFI Chair Josh Berger added, “I am delighted that Tilda has accepted the BFI Fellowship. Tilda is enjoying the broadest of careers, stretching from her earliest acclaimed work with Derek Jarman through to her dazzling involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is a career full of courageous artistic choices that has earned her the deep respect of her peers, our industry, and the admiration and enjoyment of audiences all over the world. Tilda inhabits the characters she portrays in the most compelling way. Her work is powerful and far-ranging and as such occupies a unique place in our collective film history; it captivates young filmmakers and actors, inspiring them to make bolder, braver, and more profound work.’
Swinton won an Oscar and BAFTA for her supporting role in “Michael Clayton.” The “Orlando” star’s recent credits include “The Dead Don’t Die,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “The Souvenir,” “Suspiria,” and “Okja.” She’ll be seen next in “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” set to bow May 8.
Films screening in the Tilda Swinton season will include Sally Potter’s “Orlando,” Lynne Ramsay’s
“We Need to Talk About Kevin,” and Joanna Hogg’s “Caprice,” among many other titles.
