Congratulations to GBCT member, Remi Adefarasin OBE BSC on receiving the 2026 BSC Lifetime Achievement Award

Remi Adefarasin OBE, BSC accepts his Lifetime Achievement Award.

On Saturday 7 February, GBCT member Remi Adefarasin humbly accepted the BSC Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony hosted by Edith Bowman, which took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

Congratulations Remi.. The GBCT is privileged to have your support as a member.

Extract below taken from Cinematography World (November 2025)

Remi’s journey in the field of Cinematography began in 1968 when he was accepted as a trainee for the BBC’s film department at Ealing Studios. His first summer in the job saw him assisting cinematographer Alan Jonas on the BBC project “The Borderers” an almost-Western set between the frontiers of Scotland and England in the sixteenth century.

Remi became hooked and spent over eleven years as a camera assistant working on documentaries, music programmes and of course his favourite, dramas. During that time he spent five years with Brian Tufano BSC (Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, 2020) who Remi credits as teaching him a great deal.

In 1979 Remi was promoted to cinematographer and stayed working for the BBC until 1995. During his time as an in-house BBC cinematographer, he worked with directors ranging from Mike Leigh, Anthony Minghella, Adrian Shergold and Angela Pope on projects as wide-ranging as “Doctor Who” and “Hi-Di-Hi”, to critically acclaimed Plays- of-the-Week including “Memento Mori” (for which he was nominated for a BAFTA in 1993) and Mike Leigh’s “Home Sweet Home”.

In 1997 Remi shot the BAFTA-nominated “Sliding Doors” and it was this film that brought him to the attention of director Shekhar Kapur who asked if he would shoot “Elizabeth”. “Elizabeth” would go on to win the BAFTA for Best Cinematography, as well as the BSC Cinematography in A Feature Film Award, however it would be his nomination for Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards that would add him to the history books as he became the first black cinematographer to be nominated in the category.

Since “Elizabeth” Remi has continued to build an extraordinary body of work working with some of the biggest directors and stars in our industry including “Band of Brothers” (for which he was Emmy-nominated): “Match Point”; “Onegin”, “About A Boy”; “The House of Mirth” and most recently the BAFTA-winning TV Series “Mr Loverman”.

In 2012 Remi was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Remi Adefarasin with Woody Allen on Match Point from 1:30:52

Watch Remi Adefarasin accept the BSC Lifetime Achievement Award with intro from Lenny James (from 1:30:32)

Universal International Studios and Hatch Films launch UK Future Cinematographers Programme

Members of the Future Cinematographers Programme (Credit: Kate Darkins)

Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, has partnered with Hatch Films CIC to launch the Future Cinematographers Programme, a new year-long training course designed for the next generation of directors of photography working in the United Kingdom. 

The programme aims to provide participants with a practical understanding of a cinematographer’s on-set responsibilities as well as opportunities for hands-on training, shadow experience and mentorship. 

Participants kick off the programme with a four-day intensive workshop in which they receive a comprehensive overview of the role and simulate real-life scenarios on set. 

Workshop activities range from preparing second unit production workflows and scene blocking to learning how to navigate set dynamics and communicate effectively with a crew.

The inaugural class of Future Cinematographers includes Toufique Ali, Arushi Chugh, Sabina Claici, Ash Connaughton, Joshua Ighodaro, Ricardo McLeary-Campbell, Louise Murphy and Mari Yamamura.

“Our partnership with Hatch Films is an extension of UIS’ ongoing commitment to create meaningful opportunities for the next generation of behind-the-camera talent across the UK,” said Rob Howard, executive vice president, Universal International Studios. 

“This class of Future Cinematographers has a chance to learn from world-class experts and gain invaluable experience that will prepare them for long-term success in this industry.”

The objective of the programme is to “equip emerging cinematographers with the necessary knowledge, skillset and real-life experience to be considered for potential crew opportunities on a future NBCU production shooting in the UK”, said a press release. 

Though placements are not guaranteed as part of the programme, participants are eligible to pursue paid work experience on UIS-produced series. 

“At Hatch Films, our mission has always been to open doors for emerging talent who are ready to take the next step in their careers,” said Robert Douglas, co-founder, Hatch Films. 

“Partnering with Universal International Studios to launch the Future Cinematographers Programme allows us to support a group of cinematographers who are making the leap to head of department, a pivotal and exciting stage in their journey. 

“This inaugural cohort is full of talent and ambition, and we’re proud to champion them as they grow into the next generation of cinematographers.”

In addition to its collaboration with Hatch Films, UIS also partnered with Directors UK and ScreenSkills through ongoing training schemes to place a director and six below-the-line trainees, respectively, on the set of The Capture, creating additional workforce opportunities for UK-based crew members.