16/04/2010

The announcement of the Cannes 2010 programme saw a solid if not spectacular British presence on the fabled Croisette, with eight films with UK involvement part of the line-up.

Leading the way is Cannes veteran Mike Leigh who’s Another Year [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mike Leigh
film profile] is screening In Competition. The film was awarded £1.2m for production from the UK Film Council (UKFC).

Hideo Nakata’s Chatroom, screening in Un Certain Regard is written by Enda Walsh (Hunger [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laura Hastings-Smith Rob…
interview: Steve McQueen
film profile]) produced by Alison Owen and Paul Trijbits at Ruby Films and Laura Hastings-Smith. The UKFC awarded £39,860 (development) and £700,000 (production).

Stephen Frears’ Tamara Drewe [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stephen Frears
film profile], which is screening Out of Competition was awarded £102,625 (development) and £780,000 (production) by the UKFC.

Other films with British involvement are:

Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives [+see also:
trailer
film profile] co-produced by UK company Illuminations Films - In Competition; Doug Liman’s Fair Game, co-produced by British writer/producer Jez Butterworth - In Competition; Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which shot entirely on location in London - Out of Competition; and British director Sophie Fiennes’ Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Special Screenings.

And of course the opening night film is Robin Hood, directed by British director Ridley Scott and filmed at Shepperton Studios and on location around the UK for Universal Pictures.

UKFC CEO John Woodward said, “This year’s Cannes Film Festival is opening with a British film and the competition has selected films that were made in the UK or with British involvement. This is a sign that right now British films, filmmakers and talent are delivering great work that the rest of the world wants to see.”