Patrons and Supporters
Anthony Minghella
Founding patron
The late Anthony Minghella, director of such wonderful films as Cold Mountain; The Talented Mr Ripley; Truly, Madly, Deeply; and the Oscar-winning The English Patient, was one of our first patrons.
He was an incredibly kind and generous man, with a clear and passionate vision. We were deeply saddened to hear of his tragic and untimely death, and will always be indebted to his support and encouragement.
When we first interviewed Anthony in 2005, before the launch of our first festival, he said: “I think it matters in every possible way who is making films, because the perspective and the purpose is determined by all of the constituents of the personality of the director. It’s very alarming and odd that film is currently the preserve largely of white men.”
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Martha Fiennes
Martha directed Onegin starring Liv Tyler and Ralph Fiennes (Best Director, Tokyo International Film Festival 1999), and Chromophobia, starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Penelope Cruz, which debuted at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.
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Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha is most famous for directing the hit films Bhaji on the Beach (1993) that she co-wrote with Meera Syal, Bend It Like Beckham (2002) starring Keira Knightly, Bride and Prejudice (2004) (a Bollywood style adaptation of Pride and Prejudice) and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008) with Alan Davies. Chadha was awarded an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) on 17 June 2006.
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Stephen Woolley
"At a time when there are so many diverse festivals around the world, I think that Birds Eye View is one of the few which actively encourages a more positive attitude within our industry as well as showcasing great world cinema."
Stephen produced such innovative films as The Crying Game, The Company of Wolves, Mona Lisa, and Interview with the Vampire. The Producer's Guild of America awarded him the 1992 Producer of the Year for The Crying Game, for which he also received an Oscar nomination. Woolley went on to produce Backbeat - the story of the fifth Beatle. He subsequently executive produced The Hollow Reed, Fever Pitch, Purely Belter and Little Voice, starring Sir Michael Caine and Jane Horrocks.
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Joanna Lumley
"This is a terrific initiative; and the films are all fresh, unexpected, skilful, professional and make the viewer think and feel new things (a considerable achievement). If this is what being a bird is, I'm proud to be one."
Having earned several BAFTAs for her role as Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous, Joanna Lumley has cemented her role as one of the UK's most-loved & respected actors. She is rarely off UK TV screens (Sensitive Skin, Jam & Jerusalem), and has built a successful film career as a character and voice-over actress.
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Mike Figgis
"I think Birds Eye View goes a long way towards addressing the gender imbalance inherent in the British film industry."
Mike Figgis is one of Britain's most truly innovative and diverse film directors. His work includes Leaving Las Vegas, Timecode and Hotel. He is an Oscar-nominated writer, producer, and director for both film and television.
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Sarah Radclyffe
"At long last! Birds Eye View is a fantastic idea, and I'm delighted to give it my support. It's wonderful to see such a range of talent amongst women filmmakers."
Sarah Radclyffe founded Working Title Films with Tim Bevan in 1984. There she produced films such as My Beautiful Lauderette, Wish You Were Here and A World Apart. In 1993 she left the company to set up Sarah Radclyffe Productions. In the six years since, she has produced and executive produced eight films including Second Best, Les Miserables, The Ratcatcher, The War Zone and There's Only One Jimmy Grimble. Radclyffe received the Simon Olswang Business Woman of the Year award in 2002. She is on the board of directors for the UK Film Council.
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Juliet Stevenson
"Birds Eye View is an amazing initiative. It's a great celebration of talent. Cinema is the most powerful medium of our age, and with the world in the state that it's in we need films that are shaped by women's ways of seeing, women's ways of exploring and resolving conflict, shaped by their own self-images, their own sexuality, humour, and vision. Let’s hope that Birds Eye View is the dawning of a golden age of women's cinema."
Juliet Stevenson is a Birds Eye View Presenter and a BAFTA nominated film and television actor. She has appeared in such films as Truly Madly Deeply, Being Julia and Bend it Like Beckham.
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You can watch some of our patrons talking about Birds Eye View in this short documentary trailer: