One of the most celebrated figures in world cinema, multiple Oscar-winning Lord David Puttnam, is to deliver a series of seminars for Griffith University.
Lord Puttnam, whose career as an independent producer includes such classic films as Midnight Express, The Killing Fields, Chariots of Fire, Memphis Belle, The Mission, Bugsy Malone and Local Hero, will explore the challenges facing 21st Century film-makersvia 10 seminars beamed from his home in Ireland.
Hosted by the Griffith Film School at its state-of-the-art private cinema in Brisbane’s South Bank precinct, each session of Producing for Screen and Society in the 21st Century will be a live and interactive engagement with Lord Puttnam, whose films have won 10 Academy Awards, 25 BAFTAs and the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
Along with Griffith students, the general public is welcome to register for the series which begins on Monday, August 26, and concludes on Friday, October 25.
The seminars will cover themes such asLord Puttnam’s influences and inspirations, the use of sound and music, movies and money, the evolving roles of the author and producer and the impact of movies on audiences and the world.
As well as special screenings of his films, one-on-one consultative sessions with Lord Puttnam will also be available.
Born in London in 1941, Lord Puttnam entered the British film industry in the 1960s and worked with directors of the calibre of Ken Russell and Alan Parker before launching his own film company, Enigma Productions.
Among his most significant achievements, he produced future Oscar-winning director Ridley Scott’s debut feature, The Duellists (1977), conquered Hollywood to accept the Best Picture Academy Award for 1981’s Chariots of Fire, and featured many of cinema’s finest actors and directors in his productions.
The most memorable moments in his films include the sight of young British Olympians running along a beach to the music of composer Vangelis in Chariots of Fire, the opening sequence of a crucified priest plunging over a waterfall in The Mission and unflinching portrayals of human endurance in Midnight Express and The Killing Fields.
However, now Lord Puttnam is looking ahead to explorewhat is involved in producing filmsin thiscentury.
For information on seminar dates, fees, times and content, go to griffith.edu.au/puttnam-series