The 23rd James Bond film "Skyfall" won
the Outstanding British Film category at the 2013 BAFTA awards
ceremony in London
tonight. 007 took the first award of the evening and was roundly
applauded by the star-studded audience. Producers Michael G. Wilson
and Barbara Broccoli, director Sam Mendes and writers Neal Purvis
and Robert Wade took to the stage
to accept the award.
After the customary thank-you's, producer Michael
G Wilson noted that the film had broken the all time box office
record in the
UK. "Skyfall was conceived sixty years ago when Ian Fleming
wrote the first James Bond novel, it was born fifty years ago
when
Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman produced the first film
and since then it's been nurtured by a whole host of directors,
actors
cast and crew so that today James bond is loved throughout
the world. And it is on behalf of those film makers that Barbara
and I accept this award. Thank you."
Director Sam Mendes took the podium next with
a gracious speech:
"1,292 people worked on this movie and I stand here on behalf
of all
of them.
We all
had high
expectations
for
the
film
and
I think it's fair to say that all of them have been exceeded
and this really is the icing on the cake. So thank you very much
BAFTA."
"There are two people want to say a
special thank you to. I want to say thank you to the person whom
we built
this movie around,
and without whom the movie could not have happened and that of
course is Daniel Craig. For his brilliance, his friendship, his
bravery and his sheer bloody-mindedness. And last, but by no
means least, I want to say thank you to someone who's not here
- the
great Ian Fleming who, almost sixty years ago to the day, sat
down and wrote: 'He was a secret agent and still alive thanks
to his exact attention to the detail of his profession.' Here's
to the next fifty years. Thank you very much."
When quizzed about whether he would return
to helm the next 007 outing, Mendes told reporters: "I've
had a great time, it's been a huge learning curve and we would
want to make a better
movie next time around, and if we thought we could do that they
might let me have another go again."
In the back-stage interview, the producers made it quite clear
that they want the "Skyfall" director back for Bond
24.
Later in the night, composer Thomas Newman picked up the award
for Original Music for "Skyfall". Back stage, Newman
said: "You think it's just music, and I've done
music before, but then there's James Bond staring at you - and
you can't help but remember that."
