Auction prizes revealed for the BFI’s LUMINOUS fundraising gala

Credit: ASAC

The BFI today reveals the unique prizes now available to bidders across the globe via an online auction. The prizes are exclusive, bespoke and truly money-can’t-buy experiences – but through its first-ever online auction, open now and closing on 6 October, the BFI is giving you the opportunity to win them.

The auction lots are offered as part of the BFI’s LUMINOUS fundraising gala, in partnership with IWC Schaffhausen, presented by Jonathan Ross in the Gothic splendor of the Guildhall in London on 6 October. All funds raised through the online auction and the Gala itself will kick-start an ambitious new campaign, Film Is Fragile, which aims to raise over £1 million to help protect the UK’s precious national film collection.

The BFI can also today reveal the names of leading lights from around the world who have come out in support of the LUMINOUS Gala and Film Is Fragile campaign, with names including Tom Hiddleston, Dame Judi Dench, Martin Scorsese, Emma Watson, Dame Maggie Smith, Colin & Livia Firth, David Oyelowo, John Hurt, Paul Greengrass and many others named LUMINOUS Gala Champions and proudly supporting the work of the BFI.

British actress, Dame Judi Dench comments:

“National cultural collections help to tell us who we are by showing us where we have come from. The BFI’s National Archive is full of memory, imagination, inspiration and knowledge, and their meticulous care keeps these great works safe on behalf of the nation. So much of this work has inspired me throughout my career, I’m delighted to lend my support to the BFI’s Film Is Fragile campaign.”

Dame Maggie Smith comments:

“The National Film Collection is priceless. And if it wasn’t for the BFI, we would have lost so much! Supporting film preservation is not just about securing the survival of our history on film, it’s also about preserving our cultural DNA which is the backbone of creativity, innovation and understanding.”

Martin Scorsese
Credit: Brigitte Lacombe

The BFI National Archive looks after the UK’s national film collection, which includes priceless and irreplaceable items including the original negatives and materials of some of the greatest British films ever made, from Hitchcock’s silent films to Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting (1996) via Brief Encounter (1945), A Hard Day’s Night (1964) and Chariots of Fire (1981).

The BFI National Archive also cares for a wide range of non-fiction films, from documentaries to home movies, helping to bring the past to life on screen through immensely popular projects including 2015’s Britain on Film, which has already garnered over 3.5 million views of archive material just ten weeks after launching – a clear demonstration that this material is as popular and culturally vital as ever. But film is a fragile medium, restoring and preserving it is expensive, and as a charity the BFI relies heavily on the generosity and support of donors and sponsors to enable it to continue this culturally important work on behalf of the nation. Through Film Is Fragile, all donations up to £400,000 will be matched by a generous supporter – making your money go twice as far to protect the UK’s film heritage.

Oscar®-winning actor, Colin Firth comments:

“I wouldn’t want to contemplate life without the BFI. Old films would be lost, many new films wouldn’t be seen and some wouldn’t be made. Its film collection is a national treasure, as is the institution itself. The BFI is driven more by commitment than money, yet it has survived for more than 80 years. If we care at all about the health of film in this country, it’s critical we support it.”

Oscar®-winning director, Martin Scorsese comments:

“I’ve frequently heard the question: ‘Why preserve movies?’ And my answer is always the same: how can we not preserve movies? The cinema is more than our culture – the cinema is us. And that’s why it’s so vitally important that you support and contribute to the British Film Institute’s Film Is Fragile campaign. We’ve already lost thousands of titles, and we simply can’t afford to lose one more.”

Director Paul Greengrass (Bourne, Captain Phillips) comments:

“The BFI National Film Collection is one of the great jewels of our culture — an extraordinary and unique archive of material stretching back to the earliest days of film production, reflecting our dramatic history, our rich island diversity, and our unique contribution to world cinema. Preserving and enhancing the archive — and making it available to an ever growing audience — is an immense challenge. But it is without doubt a vital one. I wholeheartedly support the Film Is Fragile campaign!”

Amanzo’e resort

LUMINOUS’s charity auction is led by renowned Sotheby’s auctioneer Lord Dalmeny. The online auction contains over 37 extraordinary items and is open to bidders all over the world. Lots include:

• Your own private film screening with comedy legend, Mel Brooks at BFI Southbank.
• A unique and one-of-one IWC Schaffhausen timepiece: the Portugieser Annual Calendar Edition ‘BFI London Film Festival 2015’.
• Martin Scorsese’s signed director’s chair and HUGO script.
• A chance to enjoy the 2016 Emirates FA Cup Final from the comfort of the Royal Box and as the guest of Greg Dyke, Chairman of the BFI and the Football Association.
• An unforgettable night of glamour as a VIP guest at the Opening Gala of the 2016 Venice International Film Festival, including a private boat tour of the city with TV. presenter and best-selling author Francesco da Mosto.
• The opportunity to join renowned British filmmaker, Ken Loach (The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Kes)in the edit suite as he and long-time editor Jonathan Morris cut Ken’s new film.
• The opportunity to walk the red carpet alongside a host of Oscar®-winning stars at the UK premiere of Tom Hooper’s (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables) hotly-anticipated new film, The Danish Girl starring Eddie Redmayne.
• Exclusive use of BFI IMAX, Britain’s biggest screen, to screen a film of your choice in a private screening just for you and your guests.
• Limited edition photographic prints from the BFI National Archive’s extraordinary collection of film stills, including prints from Doctor Zhivago, featuring Julie Christie, and The Prince and the Showgirl, featuring Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier.
• A villa holiday at the exclusive resort of Amanzo’e in Southern Greece for up to ten people.

As British film enjoys unprecedented success at home and around the world, the BFI’s commitment to supporting this success is stronger than ever. Understanding, accessing and enjoying the UK’s rich film and television heritage is essential to inspire the filmmakers and audiences of the future. As the funding environment for arts organisations remains challenging, LUMINOUS and the Film Is Fragile campaign, alongside continued support from government, are key to ensuring the UK’s rich heritage of film and television is protected and made available for the enjoyment of audiences everywhere.

BFI CEO, Amanda Nevill, comments:

“It is difficult to find adequate words to express sufficient gratitude and wonder at the way in which the so many who love film from across the globe have come out in force to help us protect one of this country’s most precious heritage collections. It’s a fierce and passionate tribute to this great art form, which for me is unquestionably the zenith of humankind’s artistic achievement.”

LUMINOUS 2015 follows the hugely successful and star-studded inaugural LUMINOUS gala in 2013, which raised over £250,000 towards the BFI National Archive and saw stars including Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Helen McCrory, Damien Lewis, Romola Garai, Olivia Colman, Richard E. Grant, Julian Fellowes, Ray Winstone, Michael Gambon, Emilia Fox and David Morrissey turn out in force to celebrate UK film.

IWC Schaffhausen CEO, Georges Kern comments:

“LUMINOUS offers a unique platform to give back to this extraordinary industry. As a global luxury brand, IWC Schaffhausen takes Corporate Social Responsibility seriously and we regard it as a duty to embrace social commitment and support those initiatives that will truly make a difference to the lives of future generations. We share the BFI’s vision to offer the world better access to — and understanding of – the art and history of film. Sharing a strong passion for cinema, we are proud to support the BFI in their exceptional work to preserve and restore vast collections of film and television footage that allows future generations to enjoy film and the art of filmmaking, while also investing in new film talent.”