The “GREAT British Film Reception” to honor the British Nominees of the 87th Annual Academy Awards was a fabulous event.
It was another brilliantly British year. At the famed London West Hollywood the GREAT British Film Reception honored the British Nominees of the 87th Annual Academy Awards. The special event hosted by British Consul General Chris O’Connor OBE hosted hundreds of VIP guests who were all on hand to celebrate the record-breaking amount of national nominees this year. The party sponsored by the British Film Commission, Visit Britain, Aston Martin and Virgin Atlantic is always one of the highlights of Oscar weekend.
Guests enjoyed specialty cocktails served by Virgin Atlantic as they joyfully mingled in the hall decorated in colorful and patriotic bursting colors of bright red and blue. Mini fish and chips, Scottish eggs and mini beef wellington was enjoyed by the crowd as Consul General O’Connor toasted the nominees on the stage.
Launched in 2012, the GREAT campaign invites the world to take a fresh look at everything Britain has to offer that makes it a GREAT place to visit, study, invest in and do business with. The campaign is built around key pillars of British excellence: Creativity, Innovation, Technology, Business, Entrepreneurship, Knowledge, Music, Sport, Shopping, Heritage and Countryside. The UK is where culture meets commerce and great success stories begin.
Ben Wilkins won the Oscar for Sound Mixing “Whiplash.”
If you could tell me what inspired you for this project, as much as the acting and directing is brilliant in this film it still would not of been the same without the amazing sound you hear in it.
To me it was just to have the best way to tell the story. The director felt very strongly about the sound, but also about the way we should feel when the drums are being played and when things are happening to the characters. We spent a lot of time making sure that everything was as real as it could possibly sound.
Are you yourself a drummer?
No, I played around a bit when we were doing recordings and when we had to smash up some drums. It is amazing how many people in the business are. It is incredible, especially at these Hollywood events, how people come up to me and say oh, my son is drummer or I was a drummer and I really like this and like that in the film.
How does it feel to have your first nomination?
I have never been to to the Oscars. It will be my first time going and it is very exciting.
Lisa Bruce produced “The Theory of Everything.”
If you could just tell me in your own words what it feels like to be nominated.
I have been making films since my undergrad years, so it is really a thrill to be Oscar nominated. To me we have already won because of that. I just keep saying pinch me. It just has been great.
The British Film Commission is managed by Film London through a public/private partnership funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport through the BFI, it also receives funding from UK Trade and Investment.
–Elizabeth Taylor
