NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. (January, 2020) – In a star-studded celebration of the best of UK talent from film, television and music, Visit Newport Beach and the Newport Beach Film Festival will kick off BAFTA weekend with the annual Newport Beach Film Festival UK Honours on Wednesday, January 29th at The Langham London.
For 21 years, the Newport Beach Film Festival, one of the largest luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States, has included a dedicated UK showcase during its eight-day program. In 2015, the Film Festival and Visit Newport Beach partnered to elevate the connection to the UK industry by honoring talent via the Newport Beach Film Festival UK Honours. Honour categories include Breakout Talent, Artists of Distinction, Icons and Outstanding Achievement in Cinema.
Past honorees include Benedict Cumberbatch (Imitation Game), Kiera Knightly (Imitation Game), Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey), Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread, All or Nothing), John Llyod (Blackadder, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey, The Trip), Lily Cole (Balls, Snow White and the Huntsman), Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones, Fortitude), Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey, Liar) and Laura Carmichael (Downton Abbey, A United Kingdom).
Additionally, Variety, the entertainment industry bible, has partnered with the Newport Beach Film Festival to present their annual list of 10 Brits to Watch at the UK Honours ceremony.
2020 Newport Beach Film Festival UK Honours Honorees
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMA | BEST UK PICTURE:
1917
ICON:
Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me? Gosford Park)
Sir Ian Holm (The Lord Of The Rings film trilogy, Chariots of Fire)
ARTIST OF DISTINCTION:
Asa Butterfield (Sex Education, Boy With The Striped Pajamas)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave, The Lion King)
Alice Eve (Bombshell, Iron Fist)
Gugu Mbatha Raw (Motherless Brooklyn, Summerland)
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST:
George MacKay (1917, Captain Fantastic)
Erin Doherty (The Crown, Les Miserables)
Bel Powley (The Morning Show, White Boy Rick)
Sophie Cookson (Greed, Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education)
“The Newport Beach Film Festival is proud to recognize such outstanding U.K talent at our 6th annual honors event. For over two decades, the Festival has placed a spotlight on amazing performances from across the United Kingdom. We are excited to continue our incredible partnership with Visit Newport Beach and Variety with this very special evening celebrating the best of British talent. We look forward to honoring these exceptional artists in London and at the Festival in April.”
– Gregg Schwenk, CEO/Co-Founder, Newport Beach Film Festival
“Newport Beach is a picture-perfect destination, boasting a rich cinematic heritage as a movie set since the silent film era and the inspiration for some of pop culture’s greatest TV hits. By bringing a little California sunshine to London this month, we hope the British community is inspired to travel to Newport Beach and experience a vacation like Hollywood royalty.”
– Gary Sherwin, President & CEO, Visit Newport Beach
– more –
Presented by Jenelle Riley, deputy awards and features editor, Variety’s 2020 10 Brits to Watch are as follows:
Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen and Slim, Without Remorse),
Jessica Henwick (Underwater, Matrix 4)
Stormzy (rapper, Paradigm)
Zawe Ashton (Betrayal, Velvet Buzzsaw),
Sheila Atim (Twelfth Night, Sulphur and White)
Dean-Charles Chapman (1917, The King)
Chance Perdomo ( The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)
Honor Swinton Byrne (Souvenir Part I and Part II)
Laura Solon (writer, Let it Snow, Back to Life)
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (For Life, Candyman)
Images from 2020s event will be available via Getty.
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About Newport Beach, California
Located between Los Angeles and San Diego, Newport Beach is the gem of the California Rivera and a popular vacation destination for the global jetsetter. This idyllic chic seaside city is the ultimate destination to relax and unwind among its natural beauty, recreational yacht harbor, eclectic coastal cuisine, wellness offerings and world-class shopping. Comprised of ten distinct neighborhoods, each lend a unique culture, charm, history and local flavor to explore. Connect with us at VisitNewportBeach.com or @VisitNewportBeach on social platforms.
About The Newport Beach Film Festival
Celebrated as one of the leading lifestyle film festivals in the United States, the Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) seeks to bring to Orange County the best of classic and contemporary filmmaking from around the world. Committed to enlightening the public with a first-class international film program, a forum for cultural understanding and enriching educational opportunities, the NBFF focuses on showcasing a diverse collection of studio and independent films from around the globe. The 21th annual Newport Beach Film Festival runs April 23 – April 30, and will spotlight over 300 films from more than 50 different countries.
About Variety
Recognized and respected throughout the world of show business, Variety is the premier source of entertainment news. Since 1905, the most influential leaders in the industry have turned to Variety for timely, credible and straightforward news and analysis — information vital to their professions.
USA MEDIA CONTACT:
Cory Ransom
Director of Public Relations, Newport Beach Film Festival
C: +1.818.497.7750 Cory@QandAmarketing.com
Erin Rose
Senior Director of Communications, Visit Newport Beach
C: (562) 896-8228 E: erose@newportbeachandco.com
UK MEDIA CONTACT:
Frankie Mendola
Account Director, WDW Entertainment
M: 0044 7904 456 840 E: frankie@wdwentertainment.com
RSVP ENQUIRIES:
Ruby Whybrow
Account Assistant, WDW Entertainment
Ruby@wdwentertainment.com