Nik Powell

When in 1970 Nik Powell set up Virgin Records together with Richard Branson, nobody could expect that a small record operation would turn into a multi-million pound conglomerate. In 1982 Nik Powell went into partnership with Stephen Woolley, proprietor of the Scala Cinema. Together they formed Palace Video, followed by Palace Pictures, and then Palace Productions, soon establishing each as highly regarded entities within the film distribution and production industry. Nik Powell has acted as Executive Producer on all of Palace‘s productions. Nik Powell has produced 44 films in the period of 20 years. These results perfectly show the intensity of his work in the film industry. His filmography includes adaptations of Charles Dickens, Graham Swift, Nick Hornby, Elisabeth Bowen novels, original stories, biographical films, genre films, powerful features as well as low budget, but high quality art productions. Nik Powell has worked with outstanding British directors such as Nail Jordan, Stephan Elliott, Shane Meadows, Terence Devis and many others. He also produced films of Jimmy Murakami, Ilakka Jarvi-Laturi, Julian Farino and Fred Schepisi. Prominent British actors such as Michael Cane, Bob Hoskins, Jane Birkin, Helen Mirren, Brenda Blethyn, Rupert Everett, Jeremy Irons star in his films, not to mention other outstanding actors from all over the world such as Asia Argento, Forest Whitaker, Judy Davis, Melanie Griffith, Sam Shepard and Dennis Hopper. The awards that Powell‘s films got are: Cannes Palme d‘Or for Mona Lisa, 1986; Golden Globe for Little Voice, 1998; Oscar nominated and award winning The Crying Game, 1992, Little Voice, 1998 and Leo 2002; British BAFTA awards for Mona Lisa, 1986. European Film Academy and FIPRESCI Awards for Twenty Four: Seven. The geography of films produced by Nick Powell stretches from London to Asia and Africa. Hardware, a film created at the beginning of Nik Powell‘s career, was hailed at the time as the most accomplished low-budget horror movie. Some of his films reached outstanding results: The Crying Game, 1992 was one of the biggest British independent films at the box office taking over 65 million dollars at the US box-office alone. The film was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture and won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Little Voice, 1998, won the Best Actor Golden Globe for Michael Cane, Jane Harrocks was nominated for Best Actress and Brenda Blethyn was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the same awards. Mark Herman, the director of Little Voice, won the Best British Film at the British BAFTA Awards. It went on to become the highest grossing British film of 1999 in the UK. The list of Nik Powell‘s various positions and occupations is simply amazing. Nik Powell is Vice Chairman of the Board of the European Film Academy and previously for 9 years the Chairman of EFA and host of the European Film Awards. He is also: Vice Chairman of the BAFTA Film Board and member of the BAFTA Board of Trustees. Member of the US Academy AMPAS (Association of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). Director of the Board of the Northern Ireland Film and TV Commission and Chairman of its Film Investment Fund Committee 2003-2007. Member of the Council of PACT (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television). Member of British Screen Advisory Council. Member of European Producers Club. Member of the Academy of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Chevalier dans l‘ordre des arts et lettres. Since 2005 Nick has been a director of the National Film and Television School, although he remains as non-executive chairman of Scala Productions. Nik Powell is Vice President of the National Society for Epilepsy. Distinctive features of witty British humour is one of Nik Powell‘s characteristics. His master classes are not only cinema lessons for would be producers, but also a well-balanced dose of witty humour and irony for those who forget that talking seriously does not mean talking boringly – jokes could be told about anything.