Film4 celebrates double success at Venice Film Festival

12 September 2011

Film4 is in celebratory mood on learning that the two films that they had premiering in Venice last week have both received major prizes. 

Michael Fassbender has won Best Actor for his courageous portrayal in Steve McQueen's Shame and Robbie Ryan has received Best Cinematography for his exquisite work on Andrea Arnold's re-imagining of the classic Wuthering Heights.

The jury, led by the Oscar-nominated American director Darren Aronofsky, announced the awards at the close of the 68th festival.

 Both Shame and Wuthering Heights will receive their UK premieres at the 55th BFI London International Film Festival next month.

Tessa Ross, Controller of Film and Drama at C4, said: "It is absolutely wonderful to see Michael and Robbie's talent recognised in this way - both have pushed their craft to the limits of excellence to produce work of truly outstanding quality."

 

Notes to editors:

Film4, headed by Tessa Ross, is Channel 4 Television's feature film division. Film4 develops and co-finances films and is known for working with the most innovative talent in the U.K., whether new or established. 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. Steve McQueen's Hunger, Mike Leigh's Another Year, Chris Morris' Four Lions and Peter Mullan's NEDS.

Film4's 2011 releases include Kevin Macdonald's The Eagle, Richard Ayoade's Submarine, Joe Cornish's directorial debut Attack The Block, Ben Palmer's The Inbetweeners Movie which took over £14.7m in its first week of release, Lone Scherfig's One Day and Ben Wheatley's Kill List. Future releases include Paddy Considine's debut feature Tyrannosaur, Miranda July's The Future and Terence Davies' The Deep Blue Sea. 

Film4's current productions include Pawel Pawlikowski's The Woman In The Fifth, Phyllida Lloyd's The Iron Lady, Steve McQueen's Shame, Walter Salles' On The Road, Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights, Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio and Roger Michell's Hyde Park on Hudson.