Honorees include Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, Lesley Manville, Rob Brydon, Lily Cole, as well as the film Stan & Ollie, new talent, and more

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 Film Festival UK Honours on Feb. 7 at The Langham London.

For 20 years, the Newport Beach Film Festival, one of the fasted growing luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States, has included a dedicated UK showcase 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 Film Festival UK Honours held in London just ahead of the BAFTA Awards. Honours include Arts Champions, Breakout Talent, Artists of Distinction, Icons, and Outstanding Achievement in 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.

2019 Newport Beach Film Festival UK Honours Honorees

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN BRITISH CINEMA:

Stan & Ollie – Jon S. Baird, Jeff Pope

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN GLOBAL CINEMA:

The Favourite

ICON:

Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey), Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread, All or Nothing), John Llyod (Blackadder, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)

ARTIST OF DISTINCTION:

Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey, The Trip), Lily Cole (Balls, Snow White and the Huntsman), Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones, Fortitude), Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey, Liar), Laura Carmichael (Downton Abbey, A United Kingdom)

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST:

Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth, The Bisexual), Ellie Bamber (Nocturnal Animals, High Resolution), Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ready Player One), Louis Ashbourne Serkis (The Kid Who Would be King, Mowgli)

ARTS CHAMPION:

MediCinema, Women in Film and Television

Presented by Jenelle Riley, deputy awards and features editor, Variety’s 2019 10 Brits to Watch included Rhianne Barreto, Raffey Cassidy, Paapa Essiedu, Jess Glynne, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Billy Howle, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jessica Swale, Joivan Wade, and Fionn Whitehead. Profiles of the talent appear in the magazine’s Feb. 5 issue and on Variety.com.

Images from the event can be found via Getty and here: https://bit.ly/2DTT5nr

Event EPK can be downloaded here (available until Feb. 14, 2019): https://we.tl/t-jOID5q0jrk

Event EPK can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/gettyimagesentertainment/review/316011033/cabfdd2171

By-line: Newport Beach Film Festival UK Honours

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About Newport Beach

Situated between Los Angeles and San 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 20th annual Newport Beach Film Festival runs April 25 – May 2 and will spotlight over 300 films from more than 50 different countries.

 About Variety

Recognized and respected throughout the world of show business, Variety is the premier source of entertainment news. Since 1905, the most influential leaders in the industry have turned to Variety for timely, credible and straightforward news and analysis — information vital to their professions.