Director and Producer Ridley Scott is one of our most prestigious and successful Alumni students. Ridley and his brother Tony (was also a film Director until his death) both studied at our Hartlepool campus from 1954 to 1958 and Ridley went on to create some of the greatest films of our time including, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, American Gangster and Alien (which was inspired by the North East’s Steelworks).

On Sunday evening, Ridley Scott is to accept a Fellowship Honour presented by BAFTA for ‘an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television’. This is an incredible award and he will be following the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Sean Connery and Elizabeth Taylor who have also previously been honoured.

Speaking about the honour, Scott said: “It is a privilege to have been able to make a career for myself in this industry and to be honoured for my body of work is indeed very gratifying.”

BAFTA’s chief executive Amanda Berry OBE said: “Ridley Scott is a visionary director, one of the great British filmmakers whose work has made an indelible mark on the history of cinema. His passion and unrelenting pursuit of excellence have provided cinema goers with a tantalising range of films, including Alien, Gladiator, Thelma and Louise and Blade Runner. 40 years since his directorial debut, his films continue to cross the boundaries of style and genre, engaging audiences and inspiring the next generation of film talent.”

This year’s BAFTAs take place on Sunday 18th February at the Royal Albert Hall. It will be broadcast exclusively on BBC One and BBC One HD.