Sarah Gavron

Last updated

The Honourable
Sarah Gavron
Born (1970-04-20) 20 April 1970 (age 54)
United Kingdom
Occupation Film director
Years active2000–present
SpouseDavid Katznelson
Children2
Parent(s) Robert Gavron
Nicky Gavron

Sarah Gavron (born 20 April 1970) is a British film director. She has directed four short films, and three feature films. [1] Her first film was This Little Life (2003), later followed by Brick Lane (2007) and Village at the End of the World (2012). Her film, Suffragette (2015) is based in the London of 1912 and tells the story of the Suffragette movement based on realistic historical events. [2] Her most recent film is Rocks (2020) which she directed in a creative collaboration with the team and young cast.

Contents

Biography

Gavron was educated at Camden School for Girls. [3] She graduated from the University of York with a BA in English in 1992 [4] and an MA in film studies from Edinburgh College of Art when it was associated with Heriot-Watt University. [5] Later, she went to the National Film and Television School. Gavron was in a directing class that was taught by Stephen Frears. [1] Frears is one of her influences in filmmaking and directing, as well as Mike Leigh and Terence Davies. [1] She also cites many female filmmakers as having inspired her. Before studying at the National Film School, she worked for the BBC in documentaries for three years.

Gavron is married to cinematographer David Katznelson, and together, they have two children. [6] Gavron has said she "got into filmmaking to make a difference." [1] [7] She has dedicated her career to accurately telling the stories of women. [1] [7] In addition, the scarcity of women filmmakers in the UK is what inspires Gavron with her own filmmaking, and her responsibility as a female director. [1] [7]

Career

Gavron began her film career making documentaries, a field that seemed "more accessible at that point," but kept returning to narrative filmmaking because of her desire to tell stories. [8]

Her first film, This Little Life (2003), is classified as a television drama, with the plot surrounding a couple and their premature born child; [1] Brick Lane (2007) is her second most recognized feature film, that is an adaptation of Monica Ali's novel of the same name, [9] which encapsulates the life of a Bangladeshi, female immigrant living in London, U.K; [1] Village at the End of the World (2012) is a documentary that Gavron directed in a peninsula in Greenland. [1] Her next film, Suffragette (2015), is set in London of 1912 and tells the story of the Suffragette movement, specifically, the lives of three women that take on fictitious names in the film, however represent non-fictional historical figures. [2]

In Brick Lane (2007), Gavron centers on the female protagonist in "one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the United Kingdom." [9]

Suffragette (2015) is "this first major feature film to focus on the fight for women's suffrage”. The film conveys important themes regarding legal and social positions of women, wives and mothers in 1912. [2] Gavron believes that the women's suffrage movement must be regarded as a "multi stranded, and complex story that is still unfolding." [2] Gavron intended Suffragette to be telling of important moments in the past, but also relevant in present day. Suffragette was acquired by Focus Features (originally Relativity) in March 2015. [10] The film premiered at the 2015 Telluride Film Festival.

Her most recent film, Rocks , premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival in the Platform Prize program. [11]

Favourite films

In 2022, Gavron participated in the Sight & Sound film polls of that year. It is held every ten years to select the greatest films of all time, by asking contemporary directors to select ten films of their choice. [12]

Gavron's selections were:

Filmography

Feature films

Short films

Television films

Awards and nominations

Sarah Gavron was nominated for the BAFTA Award and BIFA for best director in 2007 for her film Brick Lane . The film won a Silver Hitchcock and best screenplay at the Dinard Festival of British Cinema. [13] She received the Tangerine Entertainment Juice Award from the Hamptons International Film Festival for directing the movie Suffragette , as well as the Mill Valley Film Festival's Audience Award (Mind the Gap), also for directing that film. [14]

YearAssociationCategoryTitleResultRef.
2003 British Independent Film Awards Douglas Hickox Award This Little Life Nominated [15]
BAFTA TV Awards Best Single Drama Nominated
2004Best New Director (Fiction)Won [16]
2007British Independent Film Awards Best Director Brick Lane Nominated
BFI London Film Festival Alfred Dunhill UK Film Talent Award Won
San Sebastián International Film Festival C.I.C.A.E. AwardWon [17]
2008 BAFTA Film Awards Carl Foreman Award for
Special Achievement by a British Director 		Nominated
London Critics Circle Film Awards British Breakthrough - Filmmaking Nominated
2015 Alliance of Women Film Journalists EDA Female Focus Award - Best Woman Director Suffragette Nominated
Camerimage Golden Frog - Main CompetitionNominated
Hamptons International Film Festival Tangerine Entertainment Juice AwardWon
Mill Valley Film Festival Audience Award - Mind the GapWon
Women Film Critics Circle Courage in Filmmaking AwardWon
Best Movie by a WomanWon
Women's Image Network Awards Outstanding Feature FilmNominated
2016Empire Awards Best British Film Nominated
Athena Film Festival Ensemble AwardWon
European Film Awards Best Production DesignerWon
Turia Awards, SpainAudience Award - Best Foreign FilmWon
WFTV Awards Deluxe Director AwardHerselfWon [18]
2021BAFTA Film AwardsBest Director Rocks Nominated [19]
British Independent Film Awards Best British Independent Film Won [20]
Best DirectorNominated

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Frears</span> British film director and producer (born 1941)

Sir Stephen Arthur Frears is a British director and producer of film and television, often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply-drawn characters. He has received numerous accolades including three BAFTA Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award as well as nominations for two Academy Awards. In 2008, The Daily Telegraph named Frears among the 100 most influential people in British culture. In 2009, he received the Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He received a knighthood in 2023 for his contributions to the film and television industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Harris</span> British actor

Sean Harris is an English actor. He played Ian Curtis in 24 Hour Party People (2002), Micheletto Corella in The Borgias (2011–2013), Fifield in Prometheus (2012), Solomon Lane in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), Philip in Possum (2018), William Gascoigne in The King (2019) and Henry Peter Teague / Peter Morley in The Stranger (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Mackenzie (director)</span> British film director

David Hugh Mackenzie is a Scottish film director and co-founder of the Glasgow-based production company Sigma Films. He has made ten feature films including Young Adam (2003), Hallam Foe (2007), Perfect Sense (2011) and Starred Up (2013). In 2016, Mackenzie's film Hell or High Water premiered at Cannes and was theatrically released in the United States in August. The same year he executive produced Damnation, a TV pilot for Universal and USA Network. Mackenzie also directed Outlaw King (2018), a historical film for Netflix. Mackenzie and his films have been described as not fitting neatly into any particular genre or type.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carey Mulligan</span> English actress (born 1985)

Carey Hannah Mulligan is an English actress. She has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.

Alison Mary Owen is an English film producer. Her credits as a producer include Moonlight and Valentino (1995), Elizabeth (1998), Sylvia (2003), Shaun of the Dead (2004), Proof (2005), The Other Boleyn Girl (2007), Brick Lane (2007), Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Tulip Fever (2017) and Back to Black (2024).

This Little Life is a 2003 TV film drama starring Kate Ashfield, Peter Mullan and Linda Bassett. The story follows the life of a married couple following the premature birth of their son.

<i>Brick Lane</i> (2007 film) 2007 British drama film directed by Sarah Gavron

Brick Lane is a 2007 British drama film directed by Sarah Gavron, at her directorial debut and adapted from the 2003 novel of the same name by the British writer Monica Ali. The screenplay was written by Laura Jones and Abi Morgan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tannishtha Chatterjee</span> Indian film actress and director

Tannishtha Chatterjee is an Indian actress and director who is known for her work in several Hindi and English independent films. For her performance in the film Dekh Indian Circus, she won the National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention . In 2019 she directed her first feature film Roam Rome Mein which screened at Toronto International Film Festival. Chatterjee's performance in the German film Shadows of Time earned her critical acclaim. It took her to international film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loveleen Tandan</span>

Loveleen Tandan is an Indian film and casting director. She is the co-director (India) of Slumdog Millionaire along with Danny Boyle. She has also been the casting director for several other films, including Monsoon Wedding (2001) and Brick Lane (2007). She has been a casting consultant for The Namesake (2007).

Sally El-Hosaini is a Welsh-Egyptian BAFTA nominated film director and screenwriter.

Abigail Louise Morgan is a Welsh playwright and screenwriter known for her works for television, such as Sex Traffic and The Hour, and the films Brick Lane, The Iron Lady, Shame and Suffragette.

<i>Suffragette</i> (film) 2015 British film by Sarah Gavron

Suffragette is a 2015 British historical drama film about women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, directed by Sarah Gavron and written by Abi Morgan. The film stars Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff, Ben Whishaw, and Meryl Streep.

The Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) is an international film festival which takes place annually in York, England, at the beginning of November. Founded in 2011, it is a celebration of independent film from around the world, and an outlet for supporting and championing filmmaking.

Melanie Ann Oliver is a New Zealand film editor. She is best known for her works in the films Anna Karenina (2012), Les Misérables (2012), The Danish Girl (2015) and Victoria & Abdul (2017).

Theresa Ikoko is a British playwright and screenwriter of Nigerian descent. Her play Girls, about three girls abducted by terrorists in northern Nigeria, won the Alfred Fagon Award and other awards.

<i>Rocks</i> (film) 2019 British drama film

Rocks is a 2019 British coming-of-age drama film directed by Sarah Gavron. The film stars Bukky Bakray as Olushola, nicknamed "Rocks", a Black British teenage girl living in Hackney, London, whose single mother abandons her and her younger brother Emmanuel, forcing them to try to avoid being taken into social services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue Bruce-Smith</span> British film producer (died 2020)

Susan Claire Bruce-Smith was a British film producer. Variety described her as an "industry titan". She spent most of her career with Film4, and was serving as its deputy director at the time of her death. She specialised in financial and marketing strategy for distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bukky Bakray</span> British actress

Bukky Bakray is a British actress and writer. She is known for her debut role in the film Rocks (2019). At 18, she became the youngest BAFTA Rising Star Award recipient as well as one of the youngest Best Actress in a Leading Role nominees. She appeared on the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kosar Ali</span> British actress

Kosar Ali is a British actress. Her debut role in the 2019 film Rocks leading her with a nomination at only 17 for Best Supporting Actress at the 74th British Academy Film Awards whilst also being the youngest recipient to win two British Independent Film Awards. She plays Victoire in Dangerous Liaisons on Starz.

Lucy Pardee is a British casting director, who is an exponent of street casting. Pardee used this to great effect in her work on Rocks, for which she was awarded a BAFTA for Casting Direction in 2021. She was the second person to receive the accolade since its introduction in 2019, when it was awarded to Shayna Markowitz. Pardee was nominated for second BAFTA award in 2022 for her work on the film Aftersun. She has spoken out about how the Academy Awards should also introduce an award for casting direction.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Garcia, Maria. "Demanding To Be Heard". Film Journal International. 118.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gwen Seabourne. (2016) Deeds, Words and Drama: A Review of the Film Suffragette (2015). Feminist Legal Studies 24:1, pages 115-119.
  3. ↑ Brown, Maggie (8 December 2003). "Interview: film maker Sarah Gavron". The Guardian– via www.theguardian.com.
  4. ↑ "Brick Lane - The journey from stage to screen". Grapevine (Spring 2008). Alumni Office, University of York: 14.
  5. ↑ "Successes at Heriot-Watt University". The Herald. 12 July 1994. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  6. ↑ Falk, Quentin. "Sarah Gavron: Interview".
  7. 1 2 3 Puchko, Kristy (2015-10-22). IndieWire.
  8. ↑ "Sarah Gavron: On Directing". BAFTA Guru. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  9. 1 2 Murray, J. (2008, Summer). Brick lane. Cineaste, 33, 52-54
  10. ↑ "Focus Features to Release SUFFRAGETTE" . Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  11. ↑ Jeremy Kay, "Sarah Gavron's 'Rocks' to open TIFF Platform". Screen Daily , 7 August 2019.
  12. ↑ "Sarah Gavron | BFI".
  13. ↑ Mowe, Richard (8 October 2007). "Hallam Foe takes top prize at French festival". The Scotsman. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
  14. ↑ "Suffragette (2015) Awards". IMDB.
  15. ↑ "This Little Life · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards". BIFA · British Independent Film Awards. 11 October 2003.
  16. ↑ "2004 Television Craft New Director - Fiction | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
  17. ↑ "San Sebastian Film Festival". sansebastianfestival.
  18. ↑ "Meet the 2017 Women in Film and Television Award Winners". WFTV. 2 December 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  19. ↑ "BAFTA Nominations Analysis: Who Rises and Falls in the Final Days of Oscars Voting". Variety. 9 March 2021.
  20. ↑ "Winners and Nominations: The Awards 2020". British Independent Film Awards . 4 December 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.