Sky Film Award
The UK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL partnered with Sky for the 2011 edition of the UKJFF to create the SKY FILM AWARD, which celebrates excellence in international filmmaking on Jewish themes.
The six festival films in competition were:
This Must be The Place (Dir. Paulo Sorrentino)
Footnote (Dir. Joseph Cedar)
The Names of Love (Dir. Michel Leclerc) WINNER
Joanna (Dir. Feliks Falk)
Crime After Crime (Dir. Yoav Potash)
Precious Life (Dir. Shlomi Eldar).
The judging panel for the 2011 Sky Film Award consisted of:
Barry Skolnick, Creative Director at BSkyB,
Maggie Ellis, Head of Production & Talent Development at Film London
Simon Egan, founder of Bedlam Productions (The King’s Speech)
The eventual winner of the 2011 Sky Film Award was The Names of Love (Dir. Michel Leclerc)
The 15th UK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL ended on Sunday November 20th when the winner of this year’s inaugural SKY FILM AWARD was presented by Barry Skolnick, Creative Director at BSkyB to ‘The Names of Love/Le Nom des Gens’, the romantic comedy from French writer/director Michel Leclerc.
Although Michel Leclerc was unable to attend the ceremony due to filming commitments abroad, Barry Skolnick read out a heartfelt statement from the director:
“I am so sorry that I am not able to be with you tonight to receive this award - please do forgive me - but I am delighted and honoured to receive it. We made this film to explore the obsessions of French society and I am impressed that this film, which for me is so very Francophone and French, has resonances that can speak to people outside of my native country. In our multi-cultural world where people come from so many different places, questions of identity and origin become a crucial subject, and no more so of course than in England. Personally, in terms of my own Jewish background, the thing which keeps me attached to this culture is humour. I thank you once again. I am very touched by this prize.”
The award was presented before the screening of ‘Intimate Grammar’ on the final night of the UK Jewish Film Festival, which was held at the Tricycle Cinema in Kilburn. To view pictures from the Closing Night Gala & Awards Ceremony, please click here.
