Stars join in with fashion blackout
Many stars heeded a call to wear black to yesterday’s British Academy Film Awards, using the celebration of UK and international cinema to call for an end to sexual harassment, bullying and inequality across society.
Several female stars brought feminist activists as guests to the ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Men showed solidarity with “Time’s Up” lapel pins as tremors from abuse revelations rumble through the movie awards season.
“This is a moment in history,” Jane Lush, chairwoman of the British film academy, said as she opened the ceremony. “It should be a watershed, a catalyst for lasting change.”
Revenge comedy Three Billboards Outside Ebbing
Missouri took the first prize of the evening, outstanding British film. The movie has a US cast and setting, but a British writer-director, Martin McDonagh.
Producer Graham Broadbent said the movie about a bereaved mother seeking justice is “the story of a woman taking on the establishment and status quo”.
“It seems more timely now than we could ever have imagined,” he said.
Allegations of sexual harassment and abuse have been levelled at scores of entertainment figures since women began coming forward to accuse Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein last year.
The issue has crossed the Atlantic, where the Old Vic Theatre has been rocked by allegations against former artistic director Kevin Spacey. London police are also investigating nine claims of sexual assault by Weinstein.
On the red carpet, Kristin Scott Thomas, praised the conversation about misconduct but said a tougher task will be “moving it from conversation to action”.
Actress Andrea Riseborough, who brought UK Black Pride founder Phyll Opoku-Gyimah as her guest,
said she also hoped the industry was on the road to greater diversity.
“It’s more likely we’ll see an alien onscreen than we’ll see an Asian woman at the moment, which is disgraceful,” she said.
Prince William — president of the UK movie academy — and the Duchess of Cambridge were guests of honour at Sunday’s ceremony, hosted by
Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley. Ahead of the ceremony, almost 200 British female entertainment stars called for an international movement to end sexual misconduct.
Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Naomie Harris, Emma Watson and Gemma Arterton were among signatories to a letter saying that 2018 should be “the year that time was up on sexual harassment and abuse”. —