Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm and producer of scores of movies, will receive a prestigious BAFTA fellowship, the British Academy’s highest honor, in February.
Across a 40-year career, Kennedy has produced pictures that have garnered 25 Oscars and more than 100 BAFTA nominations and 27 wins. She will be honored with the fellowship at BAFTA’s annual Film Awards, to be held Feb. 2, 2020.
Kennedy has worked with a who’s who of directors, including Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Robert Zemeckis, and JJ Abrams. She stepped down from Kennedy/Marshall to become co-chair of Lucasfilm in 2012 before taking on the role ofpresident.
Kennedy has produced several “Star Wars” movies, including the latest installment, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which comes out later this month. She also produced Disney Plus’ buzzy “The Mandalorian.”
“British filmmaking has always played a significant role in both my life and career,” Kennedy said. “The boundless creative vision of artists such as Tom Stoppard, David Lean, Chris Nolan, Stephen Daldry and Peter Morgan continues to inspire me. The recent ‘Star Wars’ movies – all shot on sound stages and locations across the U.K. – are just the latest opportunities that I’ve had the privilege to work with British crews and filmmakers, which began in 1980 with ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’”
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Kennedy’s contribution to filmmaking “has been exceptional,” BAFTA CEO Amanda Berry said. “She is a trailblazer who has opened the door for many people to join the industry, and the number of iconic cinematic moments she has helped bring to the big screen has enriched the industry and enthralled the cinema–loving public.”
Previous awardees of the fellowship include Spielberg, Scorsese, Elizabeth Taylor, Stanley Kubrick, Laurence Olivier, Judi Dench and Vanessa Redgrave.
“I am deeply honored to receive the fellowship from BAFTA, and am incredibly thankful to have worked with so many talented members of our extended family in the British filmmaking community,” Kennedy said.
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