Noel Clarke will be the 2021 recipient of the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the 74th EE British Academy Film Awards.
The award will be presented on Apr. 10 as part of the EE BAFTA Film Awards opening night ceremony in London.
Clarke wrote and starred in the feature film Hood trilogy, “Kidulthood” (2006), “Adulthood” (2008) and “Brotherhood” (2016), and directed the latter two. The films focused on the lives of troubled teenagers turned adults living in West London. He received the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2009.
In 2007, Clarke co-founded his own production company, Unstoppable Entertainment, later joining with fellow actor/producer Jason Maza. Since then, the company has produced over 10 feature films including Jessica Hynes’ directorial debut “The Fight.” In 2018, the company joined with All3Media and launched Unstoppable Film and Television to expand their remit to include television.
Under this expanded banner, Clarke co-created and stars in Sky One’s hit original drama “Bulletproof” with Ashley Walters, now confirmed for a fourth season.
Clarke can currently be seen in the Sky Cinema original film “SAS: Red Notice,” and will next appear as the lead in the new ITV drama “Viewpoint.”
Marc Samuelson, chair of BAFTA’s film committee, said: “Noel is an inspiration to me and to many others, for his central and much-needed role in supporting and championing diverse voices in the British film industry. He is a multi-hyphenate who early on in his career has managed successfully to cross the line from respected actor to filmmaker. He truly is able to do it all – acting, writing, directing and producing. His authentic portrayal of London life in his critically acclaimed Hood trilogy cemented his place in British cinema and he continues to push boundaries with his work today. He is now building a hugely successful production company, giving opportunities to a wide range of talented people from many different under-represented groups. I cannot think of a more deserving recipient for this year’s award.”
Clarke commented: “Thank you BAFTA for this acknowledgment and recognition of my work over the past two decades. I will endeavor to continue to make ground-breaking work and open doors for underrepresented people that may not often get a chance.”
Previous recipients of the award include Andy Serkis, Ridley and Tony Scott, Film4 Productions, and Working Title Films.
This year, the EE British Academy Film Awards will be celebrated across the weekend of Apr. 10 and 11.