Olympics Opening Ceremony director Danny Boyle handed special award by Critics' Circle
The Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire film-maker was honoured for his services to the arts alongside theatre director Max Stafford Clark and late conductor Sir Colin Davis
By all standards, Danny Boyle's had a pretty good year. Fresh from his acclaimed artistic direction of the Olympics Opening Ceremony, the 56-year-old filmmaker's latest cinema venture Trance was a hit with both fans and critics.
And to mark his contribution to the industry during his 30-year career, the Trainspotting director has been honoured with a special centenary award for services to the arts to mark the 100th anniversary of the UK Critics' Circle.
The Oscar-winning director, who also helmed Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later and The Beach, was one of five recipients of the prize - a prestigious group which included theatre director Max Stafford Clark, choreographer Sir Peter Wright, and absent honorees Sir Nicholas Serota (director of the Tate) and the late conductor Sir Colin Davis.
Established in 1913, the Critics' Circle currently comprises of 400 critics, spanning drama, visual arts, film, music and dance. As Boyle collected his award at Tuesday night's ceremony at London's Barbican Centre, he thanked Stafford Clark who helped nurture his career when he worked as an assistant director at the Royal Court theatre:
"It goes to show, I think... that the decisions about who should prosper and who should not should be left in the arms of the people who run the theatres, rather than the people who provide them with the money."
