Mike Leigh – next president of Berlin Film Festival
British director Mike Leigh has been elected as a president of the jury the main competition program of the 62nd Berlin Film Festival, which runs from 9 to 19 February 2012.
Leigh is working in film industry for almost 40 years and during that time became one of Britain's leading directors, as well as one of the most prominent representatives of copyright movies. Thanks to his approach to directing, actors are free to set at liberty to improvise and to reveal better their characters. Mike Leigh reveals the lives of British society with strict realism, but his films are filled with a kind of humor.
Mike Leigh made his film debut in 1971 with drama "Bleak Moments", which produced the famous British actor Albert Finney. The film won the "Golden Leopard" at Locarno Festival.
Pictures of the director repeatedly received the highest film awards in the world. He has three prizes at the Cannes Festival for the film "Naked" (Best Direction) and "Secrets and Lies" ("Golden Palm" and the Ecumenical Jury Prize). Venice has bestowed Lee with the "Golden Lion" for his film "Vera Drake" and in this year's "Oscar" has been nominated his screenplay melodrama "Another year." A total of seven nominations for the director's "Oscar". In addition, Lee got several awards of British Academy (BAFTA), including for contribution to British cinema.
In Berlin for the last time Leigh arrived with his painting "Carefree", which participated in the contest. Sally Hawkins won the prize for best actress, and later received another award and the "Golden Globe".
Since the sixties, Mike Leigh works in the theater as a director and playwright. On his account there are over 20 performances.