London 2012 Festival films in awards success

Lynne Ramsay's short film ‘Swimmer’, a poetic journey through the waterways and coastline of the British Isles, won in the Best Short Film category at the 2013 British Academy Film Awards hosted at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden on Sunday 10 February 2013.
 
The film was shown at the London 2012 Festival celebrations as part of four new works co-commissioned between the London 2012 Festival, BBC Films and Film 4 to directors Asif Kapadia, Mike Leigh, Lynne Ramsay, and StreetDance directing duo Max & Dania. 
 
The film received its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 24 June 2012 and London premiere at the Hackney Picturehouse on 25 June, an event which featured a Q&A with the four distinguished directors which was simulcast to Picturehouse Cinemas across the UK. The shorts were also screened on the BBC and Channel 4 during the 2012 summer of cultural and sporting celebrations. The films received funding from the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor and Creative Scotland.
 
Joel Simon's 'Macropolis', a short animated film in which a group of soft toys rebel and escape from a factory to seek a new life among humans in the great outdoors, won Best Animation at the 10th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards at a Gala Awards Ceremony in the Convention Centre Dublin on Saturday 9th February 2013.  Joel Simon said "I'm truly delighted about winning this IFTA award. It was such a fantastic team effort and we're all delighted at Flickerpix Studios, not least because this film was shot in such an unusual, challenging way, stop-motion characters animated on the pavements of Belfast, that we were a little anxious about the final outcome.  But it's all been worth it, and it wouldn't have been possible without the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and London 2012".
 
Commissioned by the Unlimited programme for the London 2012 Festival using funds from the National Lottery awarded by the Olympic Lottery Distributor, Macroplis was shot entirely on the streets of Belfast. It was made using a unique blend of stop motion animation, time lapse photography and CGi. Joel was of 29 disabled artists across the UK commissioned by the Unlimited programme, celebrating the best in disabled and deaf artists across the UK for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
 
Tony Hall, Chair of the Cultural Olympiad Board, said. ' Lynne Ramsay's BAFTA is a great tribute to her genius but also to the partnership of Film 4, BBC Film and London 2012 Festival, who commissioned Lynne together. Joel's Irish Film and Television Award also celebrates not just his huge talent and the partnership of Arts Council Northern Ireland, British Council and London 2012 Festival. I am thrilled for both these great artists and these great films are invited to international festivals as part of the continuing legacy of London 2012 Festival showcasing the UK's creative industries round the World.' 
 
These awards follow the success of The Tate Movie Project, which saw the London 2012 Festival film ‘The Itch of the Golden Nit’ win the BAFTA in the ’Interactive’ category in the 2011 BAFTA Children’s Awards.

LONDON 2012