Barbara Broccoli is bridging the pond between British and U.S. cinema, even after relinquishing the James Bond franchise to Amazon. Broccoli and her franchise co-producer and half-brother Michael G. Wilson recently sold the creative control of the Bond property to Amazon MGM for a rumored $1 billion. Now, Broccoli has been announced as one of the BFI Fellows for the newly launched BFI America from the British Film Institute.
BFI America is being billed as a “champion the work of the BFI in the U.S. and internationally, including the vital preservation and restoration work of the BFI National Archive, and maintain the organization’s enduring partnership with U.S. cinema and its vibrant film community.” In addition to Broccoli, other board members include director Terry Gilliam, Varo Money founder Colin Walsh, producer Deborah Schindler, producer Penelope Wong, and UCLA professor Dr. Mali Haled Kinberg.
“The UK and the U.S. share deep and rich connections in cinema,” Ben Roberts, BFI Chief Executive, said in an official statement. “We are excited to celebrate our continued cultural collaboration and present these extraordinary treasures from the BFI National Archive to U.S. audiences.”
BFI America debuted as part of the 90th anniversary of the BFI National Archive. A reception will be held April 23 in Los Angeles ahead of the TCM Classic Film Festival, where six films from the BFI National Archive’s collection will screen. The features include an original British release dye-transfer Technicolor print of “Jaws,” as introduced by BFI Chief Executive Ben Roberts, and a rare 1945 nitrate release print of Michael Curtiz’s “Mildred Pierce.” BFI will also be hosting “From Across the Pond: Sights & Sounds of the British Film Institute,” a Club TCM event at The Roosevelt Hotel with special guest Guillermo Del Toro.
TCM will additionally have the “Salute to the BFI” with two nights of classic British films on the TCM channel in June, ranging from “The Private Life of Henry VIII” to “Gaslight.”
The BFI National Archive has previously collaborated with various U.S.-based organizations, including Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation and the George Eastman Museum. The BFI frequently lends rare archival prints for restorations and screenings including the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, The Museum of Modern Art, SIFF Seattle, and the aforementioned TCM Classic Film Festival, as well.
