The 2013 British Academy Games Awards

Monday 11 March 2013 at 10pm on Challenge

Tune into the 2013 British Academy Games Awards: The Winners on Monday 11 March at 10pm on Challenge where a host of celebrities and industry professionals celebrate a landmark year in the British gaming industry.

The British Academy Games Awards will take place on Tuesday 5 March at the London Hilton, Park Lane, and will be hosted for the fifth consecutive year by comedian and gamer, Dara O Briain. The ceremony will be streamed live on Twitch, supported by Alienware performance PC gaming laptop and desktop computers and supported by our Official Partner GAME.

The nominations for this year’s Awards span 53 different games, showcasing some of the most popular and ground-breaking games of the last 12 months.

For the first time ever, the Awards will also include the new category of ‘British Game’, honouring the phenomenal level of home-grown creativity from UK development teams.

Challenge is on Sky channel 125, Freeview channel 46 and Virgin Media channel 139.

Stitches DVD and Blu-ray Release Short Review

This is a comedy horror film, directed by Colin McMahon (Zombie Bashers, Dead Meat) and funded by the Irish film board.

It stars Ross Noble and tells the story of a clown who comes back to life to wreak revenge on the children responsible for the fatal party mishap which prevented him from completing his show.

A clown who doesn't finish the party can never rest in peace.

Read our full review over at Road Rash Reviews

SKYFALL LEADS THE WAY IN THE 18th JAMESON EMPIRE AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Sam Mendes’ Skyfall, recently crowned the biggest-ever UK box-office hit, leads the pack with six nominations for the Jameson Empire Awards 2013, it is announced today.

Joss Whedon’s Avengers Assemble and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey follow closely behind with five nominations apiece, while British indie hit Sightseers keeps pace with Hollywood with four nominations.

Now in its 18th year, the Jameson Empire Awards has come of age and is firmly established in the ‘Awards Season’ calendar as an antidote to more formal, industry-voted awards. The Jameson Empire Awards are voted for entirely by the cinemagoing public, who have been voting in their thousands for their favourite films and performances of the past year. The public can now vote on the final shortlisted nominees and acknowledge films that may have missed out at other awards ceremonies. Film fans across the globe can vote at: www.empireonline.com/awards2013

Skyfall tops off its huge box-office success, in James Bond’s 50th anniversary year, with nominations across six categories: Best Thriller, Best British Film, Best Director, Jameson Best Actor (Daniel Craig), Best Actress presented by Citroën (Dame Judi Dench), and Best Film presented by Sky Movies.

Avengers Assemble and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey go head-to-head in five categories: Best Science-Fiction/Fantasy (with strong competition from Looper, Prometheus and Dredd 3D), The Art Of 3D presented by RealD (up against Life Of Pi, Dredd 3D and Prometheus), Best Director and Best Film. Lead actors Robert Downey Jr. and Martin Freeman will fight it out in the Jameson Best Actor category against Daniel Craig, plus Oscar-winners Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) and Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained).

Sightseers picks up four nominations: one each for lead actors and co-writers Steve Oram and Alice Lowe in the Best Male Newcomer presented by Entertainment Tonight and Best Female Newcomer categories, plus nods for Best British Film and Best Horror presented by Café de Paris. Also competing for Best Horror are Sinister, The Woman In Black, Dark Shadows and The Cabin In The Woods.

The Jameson Empire Awards also recognises emerging talent. Best Male Newcomer includes two nominations for Life Of Pi, with Suraj Sharma and Rafe Spall up against Domhnall Gleeson (Anna Karenina), Steve Oram (Sightseers) and Tom Holland (The Impossible). Best Female Newcomer has Sightseers’ Alice Lowe joined by Alicia Vikander (Anna Karenina), Samantha Barks (Les Misérables), Holliday Grainger (Great Expectations) and Quvenzhané Wallis, the youngest-ever Best Actress Oscar nominee, for Beasts Of The Southern Wild.

Best Actress presented by Citroën sees Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence nominated for performances in different films from those for which they won their Oscars: Hathaway for her role in The Dark Knight Rises and Lawrence for The Hunger Games. They will compete against Dame Judi Dench (Skyfall), Golden Globe-winner Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) and Naomi Watts (The Impossible).

Best Thriller sees the might of Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscar-winner Argo take on Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty, plus popular foreign-language hits Jo Nesbo’s Headhunters and The Raid. Best Comedy presented by Magic 105.4 will be hard-fought, with the multi-award-winning Silver Linings Playbook competing with Ted, Moonrise Kingdom, 21 Jump Street and The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists!.

The best of the UK’s film talent will vie for the coveted title of Best British Film, with Skyfall up against Les Misérables, Sightseers, Dredd 3D and The Woman In Black.

Five of the biggest directors in the world will compete for the prize of Best Director and Best Film presented by Sky Movies, with Sam Mendes (Skyfall) taking on Joss Whedon (Avengers Assemble), Peter Jackson (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises) and Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained).

The Jameson Empire Awards 2013 Nominations

Best Male Newcomer presented by Entertainment Tonight

• Domhnall Gleeson (Anna Karenina)
• Rafe Spall (Life Of Pi)
• Steve Oram (Sightseers)
• Suraj Sharma (Life Of Pi)
• Tom Holland (The Impossible)

Best Female Newcomer

• Alice Lowe (Sightseers)
• Alicia Vikander (Anna Karenina)
• Holliday Grainger (Great Expectations)
• Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts Of The Southern Wild)
• Samantha Barks (Les Misérables)

Best Comedy presented by Magic 105.4

• 21 Jump Street
• Moonrise Kingdom
• The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists!
• Silver Linings Playbook
• Ted

Best Science-Fiction/Fantasy

• Dredd 3D
• Looper
• Avengers Assemble
• Prometheus
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Best Thriller

• Argo
• Jo Nesbo’s Headhunters
• Skyfall
• The Raid
• Zero Dark Thirty

Best Horror presented by Café de Paris

• Dark Shadows
• Sightseers
• Sinister
• The Cabin In The Woods
• The Woman In Black

The Art Of 3D presented by RealD

• Dredd 3D
• Life Of Pi
• Avengers Assemble
• Prometheus
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Best British Film

• Dredd 3D
• Les Misérables
• Sightseers
• Skyfall
• The Woman In Black

Best Director

• Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises)
• Joss Whedon (Avengers Assemble)
• Peter Jackson (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
• Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
• Sam Mendes (Skyfall)

Jameson Best Actor

• Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)
• Daniel Craig (Skyfall)
• Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
• Martin Freeman (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
• Robert Downey Jr. (Avengers Assemble)

Best Actress presented by Citroën

• Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises)
• Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)
• Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
• Dame Judi Dench (Skyfall)
• Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

Best Film presented by Sky Movies

• Django Unchained
• Avengers Assemble
• Skyfall
• The Dark Knight Rises
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Love Bite DVD Blu-ray the short review, release 4 March 2013

Four mates live in the backwater of Rainmouth-on-sea, they have the thoughts of young men, girls and their future prospects of working in the local square pie factory and the thrills of riding the bin wagon and showing off in the local chippy.

Then along comes the lovely Juliana who enthrals our main character Jamie, until Sid turns up and announces that she is a Werewolf.

Let the bodies hit the floor.

Find out more over at Road Rash Reviews.

The Sapphires DVD Release Short Review

It's 1968, and four young, talented Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertain the troops in Vietnam.

The Sapphires began as a stage play of the same name in 2004, and is based on a true story. A most enjoyable film.

Read the full review over at Road Rash Reviews

UK CINEMA STAFF REWARDED FOR KEEPING FILMS SAFE

London, 1 March 2013 --- Cash rewards of thousands of pounds have been presented to 13 staff members from cinemas across the UK who intervened successfully to prevent illegal recordings of films including SKYFALL, TED, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES and THE HOBBIT.

The 13 vigilant staff members were active in 12 separate incidents in UK cinemas during the autumn/winter season, six of which involved attempts to record SKYFALL from the screen. All 12 incidents were reported to local police, resulting in two arrests.

The rewards scheme is part of a wide-ranging theatrical protection programme, funded by UK film distributors via Film Distributors’ Association (FDA) since 2006. It also provides vital extra resources for the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) to support cinema exhibitors’ staff training; an on-going supply of night vision devices to help cinema staff deter recording attempts in situ; and an education campaign including school resources on copyright.

The impact of this programme may be measured by the fact that no pirated recordings were sourced to a UK cinema release in 2012. Yet worldwide, illegal recordings from cinemas remain the single biggest source of both counterfeit DVDs and unauthorised copies online. All it takes is one digital copy which can be duplicated swiftly at minimal cost.

Callum McDougall, Executive Producer of SKYFALL, said, “The success of a film such as Skyfall is due to all those who worked on it and whose jobs depend on there being continued investment in new films. On behalf of all the cast and crew we are delighted with the outstanding efforts made by cinema staff in tackling the criminal activity of recording films illegally.”

Kieron Sharp, FACT Director General, added, “Cinema staff are the frontline in protecting films from being pirated and I am always pleased to be able to recognise their work. FACT’s strategy funded by the film distributors seeks to prevent pirate copies being made, distributed and accessed and that is why we continue to work together with UK cinema operators to ensure recordings do not get made and to support the success of the cinema experience.”

Mark Batey, Chief Executive of the FDA, said, “Cinema is fantastically buoyant and maintains its position as the powerhouse of the film industry in the UK. The big screen experience continues to offer the public a really attractive night out with a wide diversity of films on offer as more than 600 titles were released last year. The success of FACT’s content protection programme working with distributors supports the success of great films from ARGO and LIFE OF PI to SKYFALL and THE HOBBIT to achieve their full potential to engage with cinema audiences across the UK.”

The film industry contributes to ‘UK plc’ in many ways including supporting 117,000 jobs, while films depicting the UK generate approximately 10% of the revenues from overseas tourism. Overall, the film industry contributes over £4.6 billion to UK GDP and more than £1.3 billion to the Exchequer according to independent research by Oxford Economics in 2012.

One of the world’s most important markets for film, the UK accounted for 7% of global cinema box-office receipts in 2012. This enduring success is underpinned by FDA/FACT’s content protection programme, which aims to make the UK as safe and secure an environment in which to release films as possible. Distributors brought 646 feature films to UK cinemas last year, more than ever before. Ultimately the sector can only be safeguarded through the co-operation and diligence of cinema staff on the front line and today the UK is one of the best protected countries.

Awards summary

• 13 cinema employees received awards for their actions.
• 6 of the 12 incidents involved attempts to record SKYFALL
• All incidents were reported to the Police
• 2 incidents led to arrests
• 2 incidents led to cautions in police custody
• 3 led to exclusion orders and 1 prohibited access order

Since 2006 the Federation Against Copyright Theft (‘FACT’) and the Film Distributors’ Association (‘FDA’) have operated a training, prevention and reward scheme across all UK cinemas. FACT works closely with cinema operators to ensure that staff are trained to detect and prevent recordings, as well as assisting in raising awareness with police on this issue so they are able to assist when called to an incident.

The FACT/FDA programme has engaged the support of exhibitors UK-wide. It has achieved great success in reducing the number of recordings taken from UK cinemas, making the UK one of the best protected countries.

Each individual receiving a reward - in many cases matched by a similar amount from their employing company - did so as a result of the FDA-funded scheme available to any member of cinema staff involved in the successful apprehension of film thieves.

Further details on the scheme - and more information on the fight against film theft - can be found at www.fightfilmtheft.org.uk

The Federation Against Copyright Theft is the UK’s leading trade organisation established to protect and represent the interests of audio-visual and sports rights owners against copyright and trademark infringements.

Established in 1983, FACT works closely with statutory law enforcement agencies to combat the growth of online/internet based piracy of film and other forms of broadcast material as well as the continuing threat from pirate DVDs.
More information: www.fact-uk.org.uk

Film Distributors’ Association is the trade body promoting the generic interests of UK theatrical film distributors. FDA’s membership of 22 companies accounts for 97% of UK cinemagoing.
More information: www.launchingfilms.com

WICKED UK & IRELAND TOUR CONFIRMS 5 FURTHER DATES

AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL TOUR BOOKED THROUGH 2014

WICKED, the global musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, is pleased to confirm 5 further cities in addition to the previously announced engagements in Manchester and Dublin. The award-winning musical will visit Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds and Birmingham:

Manchester Palace Theatre (12 September to 16 November 2013) – Tickets now on sale
Dublin Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (27 November 2013 to 18 January 2014) – Tickets now on sale
Milton Keynes Theatre (4 February to 8 March 2014) – Public Booking opens 6 March 2013
Wales Millennium Centre (12 March to 26 April 2014) – Public Booking opens 12 April 2013
Glasgow King’s Theatre (6 May to 31 May 2014) – Public Booking opens 8 March 2013
Leeds Grand Theatre (10 June to 5 July 2014) – Public Booking opens 24 April 2013
Birmingham Hippodrome (9 July to 6 September 2014) – Public Booking opens 10 June 2013

Further cities and dates into 2015 will be announced at a later date.

Recently acclaimed as “one of the most popular West End musicals ever” (London Evening Standard), the record-breaking London production continues its open-ended run at the Apollo Victoria Theatre where tickets are currently on sale until 26 April 2014. Wicked is eligible for this year’s Olivier Award for the BBC Radio 2 'Audience Award', the only Olivier Award voted for by the public. Voting, which closes on 18 March 2013, is via the following link www.olivierawards.com/vote

Wicked has already been seen by over 36 million people around the world and has 6 productions running concurrently. The original Broadway production remains “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” (The New York Times) where it is now in its 10th Anniversary year. The West End production is now in its 7th year at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre, where it is already the 16th longest-running West End musical of all time.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire that ingeniously re-imagines the stories and characters created by L. Frank Baum in ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two girls who first meet as sorcery students. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked has music and lyrics by multi GRAMMY® and Academy Award® winner Stephen Schwartz, a book by Winnie Holzman, musical staging by Wayne Cilento and is directed by two-time Tony Award® winner and Olivier Award nominee Joe Mantello. Wicked is based on the acclaimed novel, ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, by Gregory Maguire.

Wicked is produced by: Marc Platt, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK & Ireland): Michael McCabe.

Find out more at the Official website, On Facebook or Twitter

UK & IRELAND TOUR

MANCHESTER: THURSDAY 12 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2013
Palace Theatre, 97 Oxford Street, Manchester, Lancashire M1 6FT
Online booking: www.atgtickets.com/manchester Telephone: 0844 871 3019

DUBLIN: WEDNESDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2013 – SATURDAY 18 JANUARY 2014
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Grand Canal Square, Docklands, Dublin 2
Online booking: www.bordgaisenergy.ie Telephone bookings: 0818 719 377 (Ireland) / 0844 847 2455 (UK and Northern Ireland)

MILTON KEYNES: TUESDAY 4 FEBRUARY - SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014
Milton Keynes Theatre, 500 Marlborough Gate, Buckinghamshire MK9 3NZ
PUBLIC BOOKING OPENS 6 MARCH 2013
Online booking: www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes Telephone bookings: 0844 871 7652

WALES: WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH - SATURDAY 26 APRIL 2014
Wales Millennium Centre, Bute Place, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF10 5AL
PUBLIC BOOKING OPENS 12 APRIL 2013
Online booking: www.wmc.org.uk Telephone bookings: 029 2063 6464

GLASGOW: TUESDAY 6 MAY - SATURDAY 31 MAY 2014
King’s Theatre, 297 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JN
PUBLIC BOOKING OPENS 8 MARCH 2013
Online booking: www.atgtickets.com/kings-theatre Telephone bookings: 0844 871 7648

LEEDS: TUESDAY 10 JUNE TO SATURDAY 5 JULY 2014
Grand Theatre, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS1 6NZ
PUBLIC BOOKING OPENS 24 APRIL 2013
Online booking: www.leedsgrandtheatre.com Telephone bookings: 0844 848 2700

BIRMINGHAM: WEDNESDAY 9 JULY TO SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2014
Birmingham Hippodrome, Hurst St, Southside, Birmingham, West Midlands B5 4TB
PUBLIC BOOKING OPENS 10 JUNE 2013 ONLINE ONLY (11 JUNE 2013 TELEPHONE BOOKINGS AND PERSONAL CALLERS AT THE BOX OFFICE)
Online booking: www.birminghamhippodrome.com Telephone bookings: 0844 338 5000

Booking fees and/or transaction fees apply


The musical runs approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes (including an interval) and is recommended for children aged 7+. Children under the age of 3 will not be admitted into the theatre. All persons entering the theatre, regardless of age, must have a ticket.


Gregory Maguire’s ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’ is published by Headline. The book is recommended for readers aged 16+

The GRAMMY® award-winning Original Broadway Cast recording is available on DECCA BROADWAY

Malmaison is the Official Hotel Partner of the Wicked UK and Ireland Tour