British Film Institute Fellowship
About the British Film Institute Fellowship Award
The British Film Institute Fellowship is an honourable title that is presented to individuals for “outstanding contribution to film or television culture”. The Fellowship is the highest possible accolade that an individual can receive from BFI. The award ceremony is a part of the London Film Festival but it is not presented every year. The first British Film Institute Fellowship was presented in 1983 when the BFI celebrated its 50th anniversary and its National Archive the 25th anniversary. The first Fellowship title was awarded to six outstanding individuals including Marcel Carne, David Lean, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, Satyajit Ray and Orson Welles.
2012 Recipients of the British Film Institute Fellowship
The 2012 recipients of the British Film Institute Fellowship were Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter. Burton whose film Frankenweenie opened the 2012 Festival was presented the Fellowship by Sir Christopher Lee, while Bonham Carter whose film Great Expectations closed the Festival was presented the award by Sir Trevor Nunn.
About Tim Burton
Tim Burton is an American film director and film producer who also works as an artist and a writer. As of 2012, he has directed 16 and produced 12 films including Beetlejuice (starring Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and Winona Ryder), Edward Scissorhands (starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder), the stop motion horror films The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, Ed Wood (starring Johnny Depp), Sleepy Hollow (starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter), Dark Shadows (starring Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter), Batman (starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger) and the first sequel Batman Returns, Planet of the Apes (starring Mark Wahlberg and Helena Bonham Carter), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (starring Johnny Depp), and the computer animated film Alice in the Wonderland.
Burton has received a number of prestigious awards including Emmy for Beetlejuice, Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, BA for Corpse Bride and Hugo for Edward Scissorhands. His Corpse Bride was also nominated for Academy Award (for Best Animated Feature).
About Helena Bonham Carter
The English actress debuted in K. M. Peyton’s A Pattern of Roses in 1983. Soon thereafter, she got the main role in Trevor Nunn’s film Lady Jane, while her breakthrough was Ismail Merchant’s A Room with a View which was filmed after Lady Jane but released earlier. She also appeared in many Tim Burton’s films including The Planet of the Apes, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Dark Shadows, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Other notable films featuring Bonham Carter include Harry Porter, Fight Club, The Wings of the Dove and The King’s Speech. For her performance in the latter two film, she was nominated for the Academy Award.