Alan Bennett is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. He was born in Leeds and attended Oxford University, where he studied history and performed with the Oxford Revue. He stayed to teach and research medieval history at the university for several years. His collaboration as writer and performer with Dudley Moore, Jonathan Miller and Peter Cook in the satirical revue Beyond the Fringe at the 1960 Edinburgh Festival brought him instant fame. He gave up academia, and turned to writing full-time, his first stage play, Forty Years On, being produced in 1968.
The Madness of King George is a 1994 British biographical historical comedy-drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner and adapted by Alan Bennett from his own 1991 play The Madness of George III. It tells the true story of George III of Great Britain's deteriorating mental health, and his equally declining relationship with his eldest son, the Prince of Wales, particularly focusing on the period around the Regency Crisis of 1788–89. Two text panels at the end of the film note that the colour of the King's urine suggests that he was suffering from porphyria, adding that the disease is “periodic, unpredictable and hereditary.” Although modern medicine has suggested that the King's symptoms were the result of acute intermittent porphyria, this theory was vigorously challenged by a research project based at St George's, University of London, reported on the BBC in 2013, that concluded that George III did actually suffer from mental illness after all. The Madness of King George won the BAFTA Awards in 1995 for Outstanding British Film and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Nigel Hawthorne, who was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The movie won the Oscar for Best Art Direction; and was also nominated for Oscars for Best Supporting Actress for Mirren, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Helen Mirren also won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and Hytner was nominated for the Palme d'Or.
The 68th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1995 in the United States and took place on March 25, 1996, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards in 24 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by David Salzman and Quincy Jones and directed by Jeff Margolis. Actress Whoopi Goldberg hosted the show for the second time, having previously presided over the 66th ceremony in 1994. Three weeks earlier, in a ceremony held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 2, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Richard Dreyfuss.
The Evening Standard British Film Awards were established in 1973 by London's Evening Standard newspaper. The Standard Awards is the only ceremony "dedicated to British and Irish talent," judged by a panel of "top UK critics." Each ceremony honours films from the previous year.
The 1st Critics' Choice Movie Awards were presented on January 22, 1996, honoring the finest achievements of 1995 filmmaking.
The Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) is a film critic organization founded in 1996. The FFCC comprises 30 film critics from Florida-based print and online publications. At the end of each year, the FFCC members vote on the Florida Film Critics Circle Awards for outstanding achievements in films released that year. The organization also awards the Pauline Kael Breakout Award, named after film critic Pauline Kael, and the Golden Orange Award for Outstanding Contribution to Film. The FFCC membership includes film critics from Miami Herald, Miami New Times, Sun-Sentinel, Folio Weekly, Bloody Disgusting, WJNO Radio, WTVT, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, FlickDirect, and Tampa Bay Times.
The 66th National Board of Review Awards, honoring the best in filmmaking in 1994, were announced on 14 December 1994 and given on 27 February 1995.
The 49th British Film Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts on 23 April 1996, honoured the best films of 1995.
The London Film Critics' Circle is the name by which the Film Section of The Critics' Circle is known internationally.
The 8th Chicago Film Critics Association Awards honored the finest achievements in 1995 filmmaking.
The 22nd London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 2001, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle on 13 February 2002.
The 18th London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 1997, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle on 5 March 1998.
The 20th London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 1999, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle on 2 March 2000.
The 17th London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 1996, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle on 2 March 1997.
The 1st Empire Awards ceremony, presented by the British film magazine Empire, honored the best films of 1995 and took place in 1996. During the ceremony, Empire presented Empire Awards in eight categories as well as one honorary award. The first award ceremony introduced eight award categories for Best Film, Best British Film, Best Actor, Best British Actor, Best Actress, Best British Actress, Best Director and Best Debut as well as the honorary Lifetime Achievement Award.
The 15th London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 1994, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle in 1995.
The 14th London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 1993, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle in 1994.
The 13th London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 1992, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle in 1993.
The 12th London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 1991, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle in 1992.
The 78th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 1 to 11 September 2021. South Korean director Bong Joon-ho was appointed as the President of the Jury, marking the first time a South Korean director has been picked as the festival's top juror. Serena Rossi hosted the opening and closing nights. The Golden Lion was awarded to Happening directed by Audrey Diwan.