Keswick Film Festival

John Hurt

We are delighted to welcome John back again this year. A prolific actor, John has completed several more films and been on stage in the US since we saw him last year. Among other awards, John has a Golden Globe, numerous BAFTAs including last year's Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award plus several Academy Award nominations. He is known to both young and old from his wide range of film, voice-over and television work.

This year we have Patron's Choice, where he will be introducing a film he has chosen, plus a Q&A and appearances at other events during the weekend.

John provides the narration for Benjamin Britten - Peace And Conflict and will be presenting the prizes at the Osprey Short Film Awards.

Last year John was interviewed by Tom Fallows at the Lonsdale Alhambra Cinema in Penrith:

Tony Britten

Last year he introduced our opening film and this year he is back with Peace and Conflict, a new film celebrating Benjamin Britten.

Tony is a composer and arranger of film, opera and theatre music.

Don Boyd

Sometimes those who exert the most influence within the arts are the least well known. We are delighted to welcome Don, about whom the BFI says 'Described by Alexander Walker as "a one man film industry" Don Boyd has significantly influenced the face of British film since his first feature in the mid-1970s.' They then go on to praise Boyd as 'unquestionably committed to indigenous British cinema.' Among many and varied roles in film and television over the years, Don has worked with Derek Jarman and produced War Requiem.

Lucy Mathen

From becoming the BBC's first female Asian reporter - when she joined John Craven's Newsround in 1976 - to her work as an opthamologist and doctor, Lucy Mathen has always paved her own way. In 2000, she founded Second Sight, a charity which works to eradicate cataract blindness in rural India, saying "I couldn't change the world as a journalist". We are pleased to welcome Lucy and show Junction for Having Fun, a film about how a love of football helped change the lives of women in rural India. Lucy will be selling and signing her book.

Anwen Rees-Myers

Former actress and classical pianist, turned TV producer and advertisement director Anwen was here as producer of our opening film last year In Love with Alma Cogan. This year she is back as the producer of Benjamin Britten - Peace and Conflict. Another film based on music and directed by Tony Britten, it celebrates the early life of Britten and the relationship of his pacifism and his music.

This year's chosen themes by the Group are Palestine and the plight of the Chagossians and they have selected films and speakers for these topics.

There are a number of other films in the festival with a human rights interest, in particular Nostalgia for the Light, War Requiem, Back to the Square, Junction for Having Fun, and La Pirogue.

Bernard Nourrice

Bernard Nourrice, 53, a former Diego Garcia resident who ended up in Britain in search of a better life, and member of the Chagossian Refugee Support Group. He says "The Americans will never leave Diego Garcia.. .. as I was born on that island, it's still in me that one day I will be buried in the place where I was born." He will be accompanied by Gianny Stevens Augustin.

Mohammed Mukhaimar

Mohammed Mukhaimar, a Gazan now residing in the UK. He is a psychotherapist who worked for 10 years with Palestinian victims of the military occupation in Gaza and now is the chairman of a small UK based charity promoting mental health sector and human rights in Palestine.