Film4-backed 12 Years a Slave nominated for Nine Oscars

16 January 2014

Film4’s third collaboration with acclaimed director Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave,  has been nominated for 9 Oscars, including for; Best Picture, Best Actor in a leading role , both Best Actor and Best Actress in a supporting role and Best Achievement in Directing.

This incredible recognition for 12 Years a Slave comes a few days after the film took the award for Best Picture, Drama at the Golden Globes on Sunday, and was nominated for 10 BAFTAs.

Tessa Ross, Controller of Film and Drama at Channel 4, says:

"This is a very exciting day – Steve is already acclaimed as one of the worlds’ leading contemporary visual artists and is now being recognised as a truly visionary feature film-maker on the international stage. It's also wonderful to see such a range of British talent being recognised in today's nominations. Warmest congratulations from all of us at Film4 – we’re immensely proud of Steve, of the film and of all of our colleagues."

Film4 has worked with Steve McQueen since his first feature Hunger, developing and co-financing the award-winning film, and continued their collaboration on the critically-acclaimed Shame.  The Oscar nominations for 12 Years a Slave – which is co-financed by Film4 and Executive Produced by Tessa Ross – cement Film4’s position as one of the UK’s leading supporters of film and distinctive talent. 

12 Years a Slave is currently on release in the UK through eOne Entertainment and is number 1 at the UK box office. 

The 9 nominations are:

12 Years a Slave – Best Picture

Steve McQueen – Best Achievement in Directing

Chiwetel Ejiofor - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Michael Fassbender - Best Supporting Actor

Lupita Nyong’o – Best Supporting Actress

John Ridley – Best Adapted Screenplay

Patricia Norris – Costume Design

Joe Walker – Film Editing

Adam Stockhausen & Alice Baker – Production Design

Film4, headed by Tessa Ross, is Channel 4 Television’s feature film division.

An impressive slate of completed films  and films in-production films includes  David Mackenzie’s Starred Up, Richard Ayoade’s The Double, Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin, Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner, Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank,  Debbie Tucker-Green’s Second Coming,  Ken Loach’s Jimmy’s Hall,  Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, Yann Demange’s ’71, Anton Corbijn’s A Most Wanted Man,  Lone Scherfig’s Posh,  Kevin Macdonald’s Black Sea, Todd Haynes’ Carol, Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth, and Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette.

Film4 has developed and co-financed many of the most successful UK films of recent years, films like Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours, Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths,  Kevin Macdonald’s The Last King of Scotland, Chris Morris’ Four Lions, Phyllida Lloyd’s The Iron Lady, Steve McQueen’s Shame, Mike Leigh’s Another Year and Ben Palmer’s box-office smash The Inbetweeners Movie.

www.film4.com/productions

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