By Jill Lawless
LONDON (AP) --Greek director Athina Rachel Tsangari's comedy of manhood "Chevalier" was named best picture at the London Film Festival on Saturday, during a ceremony that honored Cate Blanchett with a major career award.
It was a fitting finale to a festival that sought to showcase the work of talented women both onscreen and behind the camera.
Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski, who headed a prize jury that included actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kristin Scott Thomas, said Tsangari's film about a battle of egos among six men on a yacht was "both a hilarious comedy and a deeply disturbing statement on the condition of Western humanity."
Tsangari — whose film beat much-praised contenders including child-soldier saga "Beasts of No Nation" and searing Holocaust drama "Son of Saul" — thanked "all of the strong women who have inspired me — and all of the strong men."
During a black-tie dinner ceremony at London's 17th-century Banqueting House, Blanchett was awarded the British Film Institute Fellowship by her "Lord of the Rings" co-star Ian McKellen, in recognition of a career that has already netted her two Oscars, for "The Aviator" and "Blue Jasmine."
The award was preceded by a compilation of clips from Blanchett's 20-year film career, interspersed with praise from directors including Peter Jackson, Todd Haynes and Richard Eyre.
"It's a cross between an obituary and a tribute," Blanchett said. "I feel like I've died and gone to heaven."
Blanchett said she'd never thought of her work as career, or even a choice. Acting, she said, "chose me."
Blanchett starred in two films at the festival: Haynes' 1950s-set lesbian romance "Carol" and James Vanderbilt's "Truth," in which she plays TV news producer Mary Mapes, who was fired over a story about former U.S. President George W. Bush's military service.
American director Robert Eggers' Pilgrim horror film "The Witch" won the festival's first-feature prize. Jennifer Peedom's Himalayan study "Sherpa" was named best documentary and "An Old Dog's Diary" by Shai Heredia and Shumona Goel took the short-film trophy.
The 59th annual London festival aimed to put strong women center stage, opening with Sarah Gavron's political drama "Suffragette" and featuring 46 female-directed films among its 240 features.
The 12-day event brought a slew of awards-worthy female performances, including Blanchett and Rooney Mara as clandestine lovers in "Carol," Brie Larson as a mother in an extreme situation in "Room," and Maggie Smith as a redoubtable eccentric in "The Lady in the Van."
Founded in 1957 to show the best of the year's world cinema to a British audience, the London Film Festival has boosted its profile in recent years with bigger movies, more glittering stars and prizes to boost emerging awards-season contenders.
Its prize-winners have a strong track record at the Oscars. The last two London winners, Andrey Zvyagintsev's "Leviathan" and Pawlikowski's "Ida," faced off in this year's foreign-language Academy Award race. "Ida" won.
The festival wraps up Sunday with Danny Boyle's "Steve Jobs," starring Michael Fassbender as the Apple founder.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More