NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. (Feb. 16, 2018) – In a star-studded celebration of the best of UK talent from film, television, and music, the Newport Beach Film Festival kicked off BAFTA weekend with the Newport Beach UK Honours on Feb. 15.
For 19 years, the Newport Beach Film Festival, one of the fasted growing luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States, has included a dedicated UK component during its 10-day program. Starting 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 UK Honours held in London just ahead of the BAFTA Awards. This year’s festivities were held at the Rosewood Hotel in Holburn. Honors categories include Arts Champions, Breakout Talent, Artists of Distinction, Icons, and Outstanding Achievement in Global Cinema.
In addition, starting in 2017, Variety, the entertainment industry bible, partnered to use the opportunity to present their annual list of 10 Brits to Watch.
2018 Newport Beach UK Honours Honorees
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN GLOBAL CINEMA:
Darkest Hour
ICON:
Sir Patrick Stewart, Gurinder Chadha, Celia Imrie, and Andy Serkis
ARTIST OF DISTINCTION:
Simon Pegg, Mark Gatiss, Jason Isaacs, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster
ARTS CHAMPION:
Film 4, Equity UK, and Liverpool Film Office
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST:
Eleanor Tomlinson
Presented by executive editor, Steven Gaydos, Variety’s 10 Brits to Watch included Edward Holcroft, Eileen O’Higgins, Rungano Nyoni, Sophie Skelton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Dancing On Tables, Annes Elwy, Jonathan Entwistle, Jorja Smith, and Suki Waterhouse. Profiles of the talent appear in the magazine’s Feb. 13 issue and on Variety.com.
Images and video available upon request.
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About Newport Beach
Situated between Los Angeles and Sand Diego and nestled among golden stretches of pristine Pacific coastline, Newport Beach epitomizes the casual yet sophisticated lifestyle of Southern California. This idyllic seaside destination is widely celebrated for its natural beauty that sets the scene for a vibrant yachting community alongside stylish accommodations, eclectic coastal cuisine, and world-class shopping. Comprised of ten distinct district neighborhoods, each lend a unique culture, charm, natural beauty, and history to the city. Ranked among the “Top 10 Resort Towns in the U.S.,” Newport Beach is also distinguished as one of the country’s “Top 10 Best Family Beaches.”
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 19th annual Newport Beach Film Festival runs April 26 – May 3 and will spotlight over 350 films from more than 50 different countries.
About Variety
Variety remains the seminal voice of the entertainment industry for 113 years and counting. Featuring award-winning breaking news reporting, insightful awards-season coverage, must-read feature spotlights and intelligent analysis of the industry’s most prominent players, Variety is the trusted source for the business of global entertainment. Read by a highly engaged audience of industry insiders, Variety’s multi-platform content coverage expands across digital, mobile, social, print and branded events and summits.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Sara Gorgon, Newport Beach & Company
C: 949.467.2741 / E: Sara@newportbeachandco.com