Tilda Swinton will lend her expertise to the BFI’s new initiative, the Filmmaker Awards: Celebrating Creative Audacity. According to Deadline, the Oscar-winner will chair the awards’ jury and announce the winners during Luminous, the fundraiser for BFI’s education network, on September 29.
In partnership with Chanel, the BFI will present three prizes of £20,000 (about $24,300 USD) each to “emerging UK film creatives who demonstrate originality and risk taking and want to explore a new dynamic to their work.” At least one of the winners will be someone who identifies as a woman and/or non-binary.
In order to qualify for the Filmmaker Awards, a filmmaker must be nominated by a panel of industry experts, and then be invited to apply. Eligible artists will be producers, writers, directors, or writer/directors with UK residency who have completed one or two features or XR/immersive projects that have been released in the UK or presented at a top film festival.
A shortlist of seven filmmakers, with a special focus on underrepresented voices, will be considered by the jury, which also counts producer Marie-Louise Khondji among its members. All projects must adhere to BFI Diversity Standards.
“Both the BFI and the House of Chanel are acknowledged beacons long-committed not only to the vibrancy of the new but also to the conscientious and dedicated custodianship of our precious cultural archive. The partnership of the two is a powerful and meaningful alliance,” Swinton said. “It is my good fortune to work closely with these two families in my own daily practice: the spreading of this good fortune to more and more artists is a cause for real celebration. The Filmmaker Awards will grow this fellowship significantly and the Luminous Gala raises crucial financial support for this indispensable public endeavor. It is my sincere honor to serve this awesome combo initiative in any way possible.”
You can see Swinton next in frequent collaborator Joanna Hogg’s “The Eternal Daughter,” which will screen at both Venice and TIFF this year. She is also starring in the fairy tale “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” set to open in theaters August 31. Swinton’s best-known credits include “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” “Snowpiercer,” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” She won an Academy Award for her supporting turn in “Michael Clayton.”
