Ibiza pays homage to filmmaker during the second Film Festival

May 2008

   Sir Alan William Parker, CBE (born 14th February, 1944) is a British film director, producer, writer, and actor. He has been active in both the British film industry as well as in Hollywood. He is a founding member of the Director's Guild of Great Britain.

   Parker was born into a working class family in Islington, North London, the son of Elsie Ellen, a dressmaker, and William Leslie Parker, a house painter. Parker started out as a copywriter for advertising agencies in the 1960s and 1970s and later began to write his own television commercial scripts. His most celebrated and enduring advertising work was when he worked for famed London agency Collett Dickenson Pearce where he directed many award winning commercials, including the famous Cinzano vermouth advertisement, starring Leonard Rossiter and Joan Collins, shown in the UK.

   His start in film came through his association with producer David Puttnam, now Lord Puttnam, when he wrote the screenplay for the 1971 feature Melody. Puttnam would later produce a number of Parker's films including 'Midnight Express' (1978). This, his breakthrough, was a gritty film
set in a Turkish prison that was lauded by critics and ended up earning Parker a number of Oscar nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture. He was later nominated for Best Director with 'Mississippi Burning' (1988).

   Parker has directed a number of off-beat musicals including 'Bugsy Malone' (1976), 'Fame' (1980), 'Pink Floyd THE WALL' (1982), 'The Commitments' (1991) and the 1996 film 'Evita'. Parkers latest films are 'Angelas Ashes' (1999) and 'The live of David Gale' (2003).

   He was knighted in the New Year's Honours for 2002. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Sunderland in 2005 of which his long time associate Lord Puttnam is chancellor.

AWARDS WON :

BAFTA Awards : Best Single Play in 1976 for 'The Evacuees', Best Screenplay in 1977 for 'Bugsy Malone', Best Direction in 1979 for 'Midnight Express'.

CANNES : Grand jury prize in 1985 for 'Birdy' and in 1992 for 'The Commitments', Best Film in 1992 for 'The Commitments'.

Other Awards :
WARSAW INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
- 1984, Audience Award for 'Birdy'
DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA
- 1988, Best Director for 'Mississippi Burning'
KARLOVY VARY
- 1999, Audience Award for 'Angelas Ashes'
Tokyo International Film Festival
- Best Director
London Critics Circle Film Awards
- 1992, Best British Director for 'The Commitments'
NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW USA
- 1988, Best Director for 'Mississippi Burning'
SATELLITE AWARDS
- 1997, Best Motion Picture for 'Evita'