Nik Powell
In the early 1970’s Nik Powell set up Virgin Records with Richard Branson. In the space of ten years they turned a small mail-order record operation into a multi-million pound conglomerate. In 1982 Powell formed Palace Video with Stephen Woolley, proprietor of the Scala Cinema, followed by Palace Video, Palace Pictures, and then Palace Productions, soon establishing each as highly regarded entities within the film distribution and production industry.
Powell has acted as Executive Producer on all of Palace’s productions including Neil Jordan’s Company of Wolves; Oscar nominated and award-winning Mona Lisa, which introduced Neil Jordan and Bob Hoskins to the international market; and Michael Caton-Jones’ Scandal, starring John Hurt. Other productions included Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game for which Powell was the sole executive producer. This was one of the biggest British independent films at the box office, taking over $65 million at the US box office alone. Nominated for six Oscars, including ‘Best Picture’,
Neil Jordan won the Oscar for ‘Best Original Screenplay’. Powell and Woolley’s new company Scala produced Backbeat, The Neon Bible, Fever Pitch, B Monkey, Welcome to Woop Woop, and Twenty Four: Seven, which won the international critics FIPRESCI prize as well as a ‘Pierrot’ Award at the Venice Film Festival. Little Voice, starring Michael Caine, Ewan McGregor, Jane Horrocks and Brenda Blethyn, won the ‘Best Actor’ Golden Globe, was nominated for the ‘Best Actress’ and ‘Best Supporting Actress’, and went on to become the highest grossing British film of 1999 in the UK. Other productions include Last Orders, which premiered at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival, and Scala’s first animated feature, Christmas Carol—The Movie. He executive produced Calendar Girls, and Stoned. Nik’s last production was Ladies in Lavender.
Nik Powell is Director of the National Film and Television School, Chairman of Scala Productions, Vice Chairman of the board of the European Film Academy, previous Chairman of EFA and host of the European Film Awards. He is Vice Chairman of the BAFTA Film Board, member of the BAFTA Board of Trustees; Council Member of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts); member of BAFTA Film Committee; Member of the US academy AMPAS (Association of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences); Director of the board of the Northern Ireland Film and TV Commission, Member of the council of PACT (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television); Member of British Screen Advisory Council; Member of European Producers Club; and Vice Chairman of the GEECT Board.
Roles
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and emerging. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.