Month: September 2015

Oscar-winning film producer Lord David Puttnam is presenting a series of free lectures at the University of Sunderland, designed to inspire people to become involved in the creative industries.

His latest lecture – British Film; That’ll Be The Day to Arctic 30 – will describe his personal journey through British Cinema from the 1970s through to his current project – a new film Arctic 30, based on the true-life experiences of Greenpeace protesters.

Taking place at the David Puttnam Media Centre Cinema, Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s, on Friday, October 2, 11am-1pm, this free lecture is open to all.

Lord Puttnam, who spent time in the 1980s as the head of Columbia Pictures in Hollywood, will explore the evolution of the film industry from his early productions such as That’ll Be The Day and Bugsy Malone to the present day. He’ll also reflect on the influences which impact on his own love of the movie industry. He will deliver the session via live satellite link and will include a number of film clips.

Lord Puttnam is a former politician and was the very first Chancellor of the University of Sunderland. He remains the only British filmmaker to have run a Hollywood studio, Columbia Pictures.

Places must be booked for the lecture in advance by contacting Amy Callaghan on 0191 515 2637 or amy.callaghan@sunderland.ac.uk

Source: University of Sunderland News Archive – September 29, 2015 

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"Film producer Lord Puttnam has warned the demolition of the Kensington Odeon will make the area “the dullest point in London” as he issued an 11th-hour appeal to save the cinema.

The Labour peer, 74, was speaking alongside Bugsy Malone and Midnight Express director Sir Alan Parker at the British Film Institute in Waterloo.

Asked about the future of London’s threatened picture houses, Lord Puttnam said: “The Odeon in Kensington is more than in danger. On Monday [today] part of the building will be pulled down. I don’t like that. 

“As long as there’s breath in me I will shout and scream and try to preserve some semblance of the film industry I have been lucky to work in for 30 years.”

The Odeon closed on August 31 after developers Minerva secured planning permission to demolish most of the 1926 building and replace it with 42 apartments and townhouses above a seven-screen basement cinema complex. Work was set to begin today with scaffolding to be put up outside and internal works to remove asbestos.

Lord Puttnam told the Standard: “The Odeon is an important icon in cinema as it was built in the Twenties. It’s a classic art deco design and happens to be in a part of Kensington that could go either way. Make it an exciting hub in an area that could otherwise be the dullest point in London

“All I’m hoping is the Mayor’s office and the minister for planning [Brandon Lewis MP] will look at it holistically and really look at the impact on that part of Kensington.

“It’s not about the cinema that’s upsetting me, it’s an iconic site which is important to the world of cinema.

“The smaller cinema is just a gesture. There is nothing imaginative about it.”

Minerva plans to retain part of the art deco façade on Kensington High Street. It said it would deliver “a new Picturehouse Cinema with seven screens with a vibrant café, bar and restaurant, and refurbish the historic façade, mosaic threshold and lanterns on the forecourt. The scheme will retain the two London plane trees in front of the cinema and deliver 20 affordable homes.”

More than 26,000 people have signed a petition calling for a public inquiry into the proposal, which was handed in to Boris Johnson at City Hall this morning."

Article from The Evening Standard 

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David Puttam and Alan Parker have been friends since their days in advertsing at Collet Dickenson Pearce in the 70's. 

Last night they met with the BFI's Justin Johnson to resminisce about their experiences making Bugsy Malone and Midnight Express and to reflect on their respective film careers. 

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On 9th September, BFI 'Greening Film' reported on David's return to film production with Arctic 30:

"David Puttnam announced his return to producing earlier this summer to make Arctic 30, a drama based on Ben Stewart’s book Don’t Trust Don’t Fear Don’t Beg. The film, his first for 17 years, will tell the story of the Greenpeace activists who where imprisoned in Russia on charges of piracy as a result of protesting against oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean.

Puttnam, who spent two years chairing the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change, has previously spoken about the importance of individual contributions and the role of creativity in facing the challenges of climate change. Producing this film is clearly his way of underscoring that premise. He commented that it “needs someone to crack one essential problem, which is how you turn the Artic into a character. That is a very interesting creative challenge”. If they succeed, author Stewart who is also Head of Media at Greenpeace acknowledges, they will have made a “profoundly important film”. The film has a planned release date of 2017."

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At the 72 Venice Film Festival, Lord Puttnam talked to Connect4Climate and Green Cross Italy to advance the Film4Climate initiative. He spoke about the film industry's responsibilities in tackling climate change. 

He praised the 'green' initiatives across the entire industry and the fantastic range of doccumentaries which also seek to address the issue. 

Finally, he spoke about his own upcoming movie, 'Arctic 30', which he hopes will engage with young people and encourage them to take action against climate change. 

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