UK Film Network

After an already impressive career as a film producer of pictures such as  Children of Men , Dawn of the Dead  and The Family Man,  Marc Abraham makes his directing debut with a classic  ‘David versus Goliath’ tale.

Flash of Genius is the story of Bob Kearns, and engineering professor in Detroit who invents things for the love of engineering, and also to strike it lucky one day for his ever-growing family.

 Kearns hits on an idea to make a windscreen wiper work like an eye. He teams up with a long time friend, and produces a patent which they take to Ford.
Up until this time Ford’s engineers have failed to breakthrough with the invention.
After initial talks with Ford and an agreement reached, production commences on the intermittent windshield wiper. However shortly after this, Ford pulls out of the deal saying they are no longer interested.

Unfortunately for Kearns, he discovers those nasty car moguls pinched his idea and installed the intermittent wiper on all their new models.

 Then begins the fight to get back his invention and to prove that Ford copied the prototypes and force the company to admit that it stole the idea.

This fight has its price. Kearns happy marriage and his relationships with his children are changed irrevocably.

Greg Kinnear as Bob Kearns gives a largely sympathetic portrayal of a man who was widely known as one of the most suspicious and litigious inventors.

In life Bob Kearns was an irascible character sometimes very difficult to deal with.

He got through four lawyers over the period of time he conducted his case against Ford, and at times required his children to help him with paralegal work.

Though his family life suffered, Kearns determination to win against the big guys became an urban legend in inventor circles, in particular for those that  had been stolen from and failed to win their case.

Abraham has been faithful to the story, consulting with Kearn’s himself before his death in 2005 and then with his family.
 
 His poetic licence has been to tell the story over 12 years rather than over 25, the actual time it took to get Ford to court.

It’s an entertaining piece of film making which shows an insight into the lengths to which big car corporations in the 1960s through to the 1980s went to silence their detractors.

The triumph of Kearns win  gives heart to anyone who has had their work stolen, but it also tells the tale of the human cost, especially  when companies do wrong and people must make right.


http://www.flashofgenius.net/

I'm now working with BAFTA on their online activity and the first thing they are keen to let everyone know all about, is their new ACCESS ALL AREAS. It's a new public area of their website and it's not just for professional filmmakers and performers, it's for EVERYONE. 

Join today and start to get more inside news throughout the year. All their fantastic events are held throughout the UK and are open to the public. 

Read more below.

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Access All Areas

BAFTA is the UK’s foremost charity working with the leading lights in film, TV and videogames. Access All Areas is our way of making their expertise available to everyone. 

We work with learners of all ages – from young children who want to find out more about how their TV show, film or game is made; to students wanting to know about working in the industry; to industry professionals who want to learn from the successes of their peers. 

What is learning for BAFTA?

All of BAFTA’s events are part of our learning strategy. 

Our events help to develop an accomplished, vibrant and diverse workforce for the UK’s film, TV and video games industries by sharing expertise and developing relationships within the industries. 

BAFTA is lucky enough to count some of the most successful and talented practitioners as our members and friends. Our events allow them to share the secrets of their success with their peers, the public and with those who are pursuing careers in the industry. 

Examples of BAFTA’s sharing expertise

• A BAFTA Interview – Julie Walters – The acclaimed TV and film actress spoke to an audience of BAFTA members and the public about her career experiences, sharing stories of how she got into the industry, how she approaches her work and her relationship with directors. 
• Short Sighted – BAFTA’s event for short film-makers, demonstrating how they should plan for exhibition and distribution. A day long event including case studies from recent successful short film-makers
• Games Speed Surgeries – over 2 days BAFTA members working in the games industry took part in 15 minute surgeries for young people wanting to get into the industry. 
• BAFTA Families Storyboarding Workshop – an interactive workshop at Leeds Young People’s Film Festival with storyboard artist Temple Clark. Temple showed the audience what his job entails and explained the role of a storyboard artist in the production process. 
• BAFTA Schools Sessions at National Schools Film Week – BAFTA-winner Stephen Frears spoke to an audience of school children about his work before a screening of Dirty Pretty Things. 

What we do

BAFTA is not a training provider but offers expertise-sharing as a complement to training and other forms of learning.

BAFTA’s focus is on production skills – we help the public to deepen their understanding of the production process and also help the industry to define best practice.

Our events encourage creativity, but focus is on professional skills, encouraging people to make the business choices which will help them turn their creativity into a successful career. 

Learning takes place across regional partner venues, at 195 Piccadilly, and online. Online environments will become increasingly important in the 21st century so BAFTA will continue to develop on-line resources from our events. 


To sign up to the BAFTA newsletter visit:-
http://www.bafta.org/newsletter/

http://www.bafta.org/

In this update
- Happy Valentine's
- At the BAFTA's
- Working with BAFTA
- Stephen Fry Follows Me
- Acting at Royal Opera House


Links We Love

http://www.nevisradio.co.uk - click on Tune-In at 12pm-2pm today
http://www.lovetheatre.com/uktheatrenet - Buy West End Tickets
http://www.raindance.co.uk/site/film-training-london-UK - Contact me for discounts


- Happy Valentine's
Happy Valentines Day to you. I hope you got lots of love coming your way, if not, I'm sending some out to you right now. Big UK Theatre hugs from me to you. 

- At the BAFTA's
My heart was alight last week at the BAFTA Film Awards. It was a fantastic night, and I watched the full ceremony this time as a guest, instead of the excitement of last year where I was filming on the red carpet for my first feature documentary, Making It In Hollywood. This time the pace was pleasant as I walked down the red carpet with my daughter. We casually chatted about how I was on the other side last year and looked confidently over at the array of cameras pointing in our direction. We noticed the lovely Fearne Cotton, who was waiting expectantly for some of the A-listers to arrive.


The Royal Opera House is a grand place and Jonathan Ross hosted events nicely and kept the flow going. It was strange seeing Kate Winslet sitting watching events, as you would've seen on TV, with three cameramen and sound technicians rushing around in front of her for the entire 2 hours.


Grosvenor House is where the after awards event is held and it was alive with the energy of those who won their awards as well as those, like me, who were pleased to be part of such an elite company. Mickey Rourke was being filmed at the entrance as we entered, Christian Slater walked passed me at the gents, Kate Winslet was still "gushy" when she walked downstairs to her dinner table, Meryl Streep casually allowed some guests to take her photograph and then it happened. 

As I was getting ready to go and get our car home, I almost walked into an entourage of people coming towards me from the right. I glanced around and became almost fixed to the spot as Penelope Cruz was staring at me. It was a fiery, moody stare, I was clearly in her path. I quickly stepped forward and received a warm smile which made my brain all putty-like. My head turned 360 degrees to follow her and I noticed how slim she was, from the open back of her dress, as she glided in mid-air towards the Lancome stand to get a bit of facial pampering. My head stayed in that state for the next 48 hours. Sigh !

- Working with BAFTA
I also got great news on Tuesday. Following a meeting last year with the Chairman of BAFTA, David Parfitt, and a subsequent follow up chats with a few board members, I will be working with them to help delivering their strategy for 2009. To start with, I'll be producing a report over the next 4 weeks on all things online, social networking, new media, and events. Not just for filmmakers, but audiences as well, around the UK and the world. You can help too, and I will let you know next week where I would appreciate your support and input. I'm excited to be able to help make a difference.

- Stephen Fry Follows Me
It's true, I joined the twittering twits who titter as they twitter all twinkling day. http://twitter.com/ukfilm - one of the good things is that any of our reviewers magazine article on UK Theatre or UK Film, gets automatically uploaded. Spreading the reach even further. It must've prompted that well known twitterer Stephen Fry to click "follow" on my profile. 

- Acting at Royal Opera House
Right, back to reality and there's a great article from Grainne Gillis who shares what it's like to be performing on the very stage where the BAFTA's were held. There's also some new reviewers who have published to the magazine this week.

Have a great week where you are.

Douglas McFarlane
http://www.ukfilm.tv/magazine.html



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Being an actor – in opera
By Gráinne Gillis

It actually came about by chance that I auditioned for the Royal Opera House. One Friday afternoon, I got a call from the assistant chorus manager, Ruth Mulholland, asking me if I would be interested in attending an audition for an obscure (to me) opera called Die tote Stadt

Read on.....
http://www.uktheatre.tv/magazine/read/being-an-actor-�-in-opera_29.html

NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button have each received 11 nominations for the Orange British Academy Film Awards in 2009.

The Dark Knight has 9 nominations and Changeling has 8 nominations.

Frost/Nixon has 6 nominations, The Reader has 5 and In Bruges, Milk and Revolutionary Road all have 4 nominations each.

Slumdog Millionaire has been nominated in the categories Best Film, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Music, Production Design, Sound and Outstanding British Film. Danny Boyle is nominated for Director, Dev Patel is nominated for Leading Actor and Freida Pinto receives a nomination as Supporting Actress.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has been nominated for Best Film, Director for David Fincher, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Editing, Make Up & Hair, Music, Production Design and Special Visual Effects. Brad Pitt is a double nominee: he features in Leading Actor for his role as Benjamin Button and Supporting Actor for Burn After Reading. Tilda Swinton is nominated in the Supporting Actress category for Burn After Reading, and the film also receives an Original Screenplay nomination.

The late Heath Ledger is nominated for Supporting Actor for The Dark Knight. The film’s other nominations are: Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Editing, Make Up & Hair, Music, Sound and Special Visual Effects.

Angelina Jolie has been nominated for her Leading Actress performance in Changeling. The film has also been nominated for Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Editing, Production Design and Sound, with Clint Eastwood receiving a Director nomination.

Ron Howard is nominated for Director for Frost/Nixon. The film is nominated for Best Film, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Make Up & Hair and the film’s Nixon, Frank Langella, receives a nomination for Leading Actor.

The Reader has been nominated for Best Film, Director for Stephen Daldry, Adapted Screenplay and Cinematography. Its star, Kate Winslet, is nominated for Leading Actress. Kate is nominated a second time for Leading Actress for her performance in Revolutionary Road, which is also nominated for Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design and Production Design.

Sean Penn’s performance as Harvey Milk has received a Leading Actor nomination. Milk has also been nominated for Best Film, Original Screenplay and Make Up & Hair.

In Bruges has been nominated for Original Screenplay, Editing, Supporting Actor for Brendan Gleeson and Outstanding British Film.

Also nominated for Outstanding British Film alongside Slumdog Millionaire and In Bruges are Man on Wire and Hunger and Mamma Mia!, which has also been nominated for Music. Judy Craymer, the producer of Mamma Mia!, Simon Chinn the producer of Man on Wire, Steve McQueen, director/writer of Hunger, Solon Papadopoulos and Roy Boulter who produced Of Time and the City and Garth Jennings, writer of Son of Rambow have all been nominated for The Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer for their First Feature Film.

Doubt received three performance nominations: Leading Actress for Meryl Streep, Supporting Actor for Philip Seymour Hoffman and Supporting Actress for Amy Adams. Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei were nominated for Leading Actor and Supporting Actress for The Wrestler. Robert Downey Jr. is nominated for Supporting Actor for Tropic Thunder and Penélope Cruz is nominated for Supporting Actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Wall•E has been nominated for Music, Sound and Animated Film. The other Animated Film nominees, Persepolis and Waltz with Bashir are both nominated for Film Not in the English Language alongside The Baader Meinhof Complex, Gomorrah and I’ve Loved You So Long.

I’ve Loved You So Long also receives nominations for Original Screenplay and for Kristin Scott Thomas for Leading Actress.

The Duchess received nominations for Costume Design and Make Up & Hair.

Nominated for Special Visual Effects alongside The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Dark Knight are: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Iron Man and Quantum of Solace, which also received a Sound nomination.

The nominees for the Orange Rising Star Award, announced earlier this month, are Michael Cera, Noel Clarke, Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Hall and Toby Kebbell. This audience award is voted for by the British public and presented to an actor or actress who has demonstrated exceptional talent and promise.

The Orange British Academy Film Awards take place on Sunday 8 February at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

Orange has sponsored the Film Awards since 1998.

Have you been in a relationship ?  It's fantastic, and it's not at times. Arguments, fall-outs, good times, bad times. Shared visions and then a total breakdown in communications. Fitting in with the mould that the community and society around us shape.  Earning a living in the capitalist world and all the frustrations and joys that may bring. It's not a depressing film, as much as it's a truthful film, and this truth doesn't always make us feel too good. 

Revolutionary Road, is a strong and powerful film, which also addresses a subject constantly debated in American society. It's best to look away from reviews unless you want to know what the plot is. I'll not let it slip, don't worry. It's the magic of most films that they take their audience on a journey which they can identify with and then WHAM, out comes the twist, the conflict, the unexpected shift in the story. You kind of see it coming, but nothing prepares you for the experience. 

Based in the 1950s, a normal American couple (Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio), have ideas to go to Paris. He is doing well in his job, but loves the excitement generated by his wife whenever she discusses getting on a ship for Europe.  Their children are slowly co-erced into thinking that it will be a great idea and they build up the energy levels around their new future. Their neighbours don't like the idea, and think they have lost the plot, but they are determined. 

Richard Yate's novel is brought out nicely on film by Sam Mendes, and is both beautifully shot and nicely complimented by subtle music by Thomas Newman. Mendes and Newman worked together on American Beauty, and it has a similar feel from that perspective. It guides you along and supports the journey with soft piano playing and haunting melodies. I love the shots where every single person on the street and going to the office, wore a hat. A great observation which Mendes plays out to the full.  He's not out for a Hollywood ending though, so don't expect to feel good at the end I'm afraid. Great movie, just hate that awful feeling which surfaces an hour or two after watching it.  It's likely to win awards as there are some incredible performances and great moviemaking.  


Revolutionary Road is out in U.S. cinemas on December 26th.

http://www.revolutionaryroadmovie.com