Harry Shearer Hosting the 17th Annual 2008 BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards Presented by Bombardier business aircraft Ben Affleck, Annette Bening, Jack Black, Patricia Clarkson, Anjelica Huston, Hugh Laurie and Paul Thomas Anderson are presenting awards to honorees.
Los Angeles, CA, October 22, 2008

Harry Shearer, actor, writer, director and voice to a stable of characters on The Simpsons, will take to the stage as host of the 17th Annual British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA/LA) Britannia Awards Presented by Bombardier Business Aircraft on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. "We are truly delighted that Harry has accepted our invitation to host this highly anticipated event in the entertainment community, and he is sure to make it a memorable evening. His ability to entertain audiences on stage, screen, television and radio has established him as one of the great comedic talents of his generation," says BAFTA/LA Chairman Peter Morris.

Ben Affleck, Annette Bening, Jack Black, Patricia Clarkson, Anjelica Huston, Hugh Laurie and Paul Thomas Anderson will be among the presenters at this year's event.

As previously announced, Sean Penn will be receiving the highly prestigious Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film; actor and producer Don Cheadle will be honored with the BAFTA/LA Humanitarian Award Presented by Volvo; BAFTA and Academy Award-winning actress Tilda Swinton with the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year; and BAFTA award-winning television and film director Stephen Frears with the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence in Directing.

BAFTA/LA's outreach programs benefit members and other professionals working within the entertainment industry, as well as the Los Angeles community at large. BAFTA/LA provides exclusive access to screenings, Q&A's with talent and filmmakers, conversations with leading UK-based film and television executives, and the Heritage Archive, featuring broadcast-quality interviews with distinguished British members of the film and television industries. Educational outreach for students and the Los Angeles community includes an after-school screening program for inner-city youth at the Helen Keller Park Recreation Center, and a recent partnership with FilmAid to mentor young filmmakers. Additional programs include seminars in association with local universities and festivals, scholarships for post-graduate programs, and recognizing professional and student talent with awards at film festivals throughout the U.S.

Maintaining a long tradition of recognizing the finest filmmaking and television talent, BAFTA/LA hosts a series of social networking events, including the Annual BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards Brunch, the Annual Garden Party, the BAFTA/LA Comedy Awards, and the Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties in January and September. BAFTA/LA is affiliated with BAFTA in London, and members vote annually for the prestigious BAFTA Film Awards. BAFTA/LA also presents its annual Britannia Awards every November, where it has honored such luminaries as Denzel Washington, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, and Martin Scorsese with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film.

For more information on BAFTA/LA, visit www.baftala.org

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The BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards 2008 is Presented by Bombardier Business Aircraft. Britannia Awards Sponsors
American Airlines, British Airways, DIAGEO, VOLVO, Waterford Wedgwood, Mikimoto, Mandarin Oriental, Tiffany, Hartmann, Armand de Brignac.

Entertainment Market Place, LLC are the exclusive marketing and sponsorship consultants for BAFTA/LA, and brokered all the sponsorship agreements. For more information on BAFTA/LA partnerships please contact 1 310 463 1936.