Actress Britt Ekland, director Mike Hodges, MoMA’s Larry Kardish and filmmaker Rafi Pitts will join the Michael Powell Jury at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which kicks off tomorrow.

The jury is led by Patrick Stewart, who said: “I am immensely honoured to be presiding over this year’s Michael Powell Jury in Edinburgh, which I’m sure will be a fascinating cinematic journey, exploring the newest offerings from British filmmakers. I’m also thrilled to be in such excellent company in a beautiful city at a great Festival!”

The Michael Powell Award, sponsored by the UK Film Council, gives prize money of £15,000 to recognise the best of British filmmaking. The nominees for 2010’s Michael Powell Award are: Third Star by Hattie Dalton, brilliantlove by Ashley Horner; Cherry Tree Lane by Paul Andrew Williams; Huge by Ben Miller; Jackboots on Whitehall by Edward McHenry & Rory McHenry; The Kid by Nick Moran; Mr Nice by Bernard Rose; Ollie Kepler’s Expanding Purple World by Viv Fongenie; Pelican Blood by Karl Golden; Skeletons by Nick Whitfield; and Soulboy by Shimmy Marcus.

The jury for the Projector.tv Best International Feature Award will be actor Jason Isaacs, comedian/director Ben Miller and producer and ex-EIFF artistic director Lynda Myles.

Moët & Chandon will sponsor the Moët New Directors Award for a first or second time filmmaker. That jury will be comprised of BIFA director Johanna von Fischer, critic/journalist Miles Fielder and EIFF artistic director Hannah McGill.

The Documentary Jury will be producer Simon Chinn, journalist and writer Geoff Dyer and Canadian journalist, actress and director Nelofer Pazira.

The British Shorts Jury will be Jane Giles from the BFI, Jukka-Pekka Laakso from Tampere and Shira Macleod from Riverside Cinema. The International Shorts Jury has recruited sales agent Alexandra Heneka; programmer Philip Ilson; and Damian Spandley from The Works UK Distribution.

The Scottish Short Documentary Jury will be director Alexandre O Philippe, editor Ling Lee and a representative from Baillie Gifford.

EIFF artistic director Hannah McGill said: “We have wonderful juries this year - a mix of international celebrities, respected creators, important industry figures and old Festival friends. It’s a great honour for the filmmakers to have their work assessed by such eminent people, and we hope the juries themselves have a memorable experience immersing themselves in new cinema.”

 

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