As a member of the Guild you will periodically receive 'First Frame', our magazine, produced in association with AMPS.^*

These are some sample articles from the magazine:

Anne Coates Bafta Fellowship

Vera Drake

Lithuanian Diary by John Grover

The greatest honour that the British Academy of Film and Television Arts can award - that of its Fellowship - was bestowed on GBFTE member ANNE COATES at this year's Awards ceremony held at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in February. During its 35year history the recipients of previous fellowships have included Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, David Lean, John Huston, Michael Powell, Emerich Pressburger, Steven Spielberg, Federico Fellini, Ingmar Bergman, John Schlesinger, Woody Allan and Ken Loach. This is the first time that the award has been made to an editor.

In his citation speech David (Lord) Puttnam drew attention to the outstanding contribution that editors make to productions. Calling them "Editor Magicians" he noted, particulary, the work of Jim Clark, Mike Bradsell, Gerry Hambling, Stuart Baird and Terry Rawlings (all of whom are, we are pleased to note, members of this Guild!). Without their expertise and commitment he felt that he would not have received his own Fellowship! "The happiest of all my film memories are locked up in the cutting room", he said. "In the right hands, there, even the most troubled films can be made to look good".

Please click here to read the rest of the article in PDF format

Director Mike Leigh has a reputation for innovative film-making, famously asking his cast to improvise and rehearse for months without a formal script. His most recent film, Vera Drake - winner of three BAFTA awards and nominated for three Academy Awards - relies on this technique to deliver emotionally powerful results. Set in 1950s London, the film tells the story of a working-class wife and mother who also performs discreet abortions for girls who are 'in trouble'. When her secret is revealed, it threatens to break up her family.

For editor Jim Clark, nominated for a BAFTA award for his work on the film and recipient of this year's ACE Career Achievement Award, it was a chance to work with an old friend. "I have known Mike socially for years - we also used to teach together at the London Film School in the 1960s - and although our paths crossed occasionally we had never worked together," he says. "When Vera Drake came up, Mike's regular editor wasn't available, so for a variety of reasons he asked me."

Please click here to read the rest of the article in PDF format

I got home early in the afternoon of Saturday 11 December from doing some Christmas shopping and my wife said that she had taken a call for me from Robertas Urbonas and that he wanted me to call him back about a film that was to be made. He had given her a telephone number. Robertas Urbonas, sounds Italian to me, a picture in Italy next year? Wow, sounds good lets give him a call.

After half an hour on the phone I found out that he was not Italian and that the film was not going to be made in Italy. No, it was going to start shooting on the following Monday in Vilnius, Lithuania, they were going to close down for a week over Christmas and restart in Klaipeda, on the Baltic coast, on the 6^th of January! Was I interested? Should they send me a script?

Please click here to read the rest of the article in PDF format