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Alan Parker Biography

Birth Name:Alan William Parker

Birth Place:London, England, United Kingdom

Profession Director, Writer, Actor, Producer, Soundtrack, Music department

Fast Facts

One of the founding members of Great Britain's Directors' Guild
A 2013 recipient of the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, the highest honor given to a filmmaker by the British Film Academy
Quote: "My mentor was the great director, Fred Zinnemann․․․He said something to me that I always try to keep in my head every time I decide on what film to do next․ He told me that making a film was a great privilege, and you should never waste it․ I think that's true․"
Quote: "I am difficult! When I was being very difficult once I was described by one of my critics as an aesthetic fascist․ But I'm not difficult for ego reasons or for desire of awards - but for the work․"
Quote: "I'm always afraid someone's going to tap me on the sholder one day and say, 'Back to North London you go․'"
Spent the first decade of his career as a copywriter and director for commercials in England before graduating to film in the early 1970s
After almost a decade of melodramatic films, he would choose to switch gears in 1980 with the direction of "Fame", one of his biggest box office successes to date
Awarded C․B․E․ qualifications by Queen Elizabeth II in 1995
Was forced to mortgage his own house in order to fund his first film project, "No Hard Feelings", as he could not secure financing from studios due to his lack of experience in the film world

Awards

1976BAFTA TV Award-Best Single Play: winner
1976Palme d'Or-: nominated
1977BAFTA Film Award-Best Direction: nominated
1977BAFTA Film Award-Best Screenplay: winner
1978Palme d'Or-: nominated
1978LAFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
1979Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1979BAFTA Film Award-Best Direction: winner
1979DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1979Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: nominated
1981BAFTA Film Award-Best Direction: nominated
1981César-Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger): nominated
1982Palme d'Or-: nominated
1982Guild Film Award - Gold-Foreign Film (Ausländischer Film): winner
1984Audience Award-Best Foreign Film (Melhor Filme Estrangeiro): winner
1985Palme d'Or-: nominated
1985Grand Prize of the Jury-: winner
1987Audience Award-: winner
1988Saturn Award-Best Writing: nominated
1988Jupiter Award-Best International Film: nominated
1988NBR Award-Best Director: winner
1989Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1989Golden Berlin Bear-Best Film: nominated
1989David-Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero): nominated
1989DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1989Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: nominated
1990BAFTA Film Award-Best Direction: nominated
1990Palme d'Or-: nominated
1991Tokyo Grand Prix-: nominated
1991Best Director Award-: winner
1992BAFTA Film Award-Best Direction: winner
1992BAFTA Film Award-Best Film: winner
1992European Silver Ribbon-: nominated
1992ALFS Award-British Director of the Year: winner
1994Tokyo Grand Prix-: nominated
1997Amanda-Best Foreign Feature Film (Årets utenlandske spillefilm): nominated
1997BAFTA Film Award-Best Screenplay - Adapted: nominated
1997Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: nominated
1997Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero): nominated
1997European Silver Ribbon-: winner
1997OFTA Film Award-Best Picture: nominated
1997OFTA Film Award-Best Drama Picture: nominated
1997OFTA Film Award-Best Comedy/Musical Picture: nominated
1997OFTA Film Award-Best Director: winner
1997OFTA Film Award-Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium: nominated
1997Golden Satellite Award-Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical: winner
1998Premio Guarani-Best Foreign Film: winner
2000Audience Award-: winner
2003Golden Berlin Bear-: nominated