British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) to honor Sean Penn with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film
Los Angeles, CA, September 24, 2008

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles® (BAFTA/LA) will honor Academy Award® winning and BAFTA nominated actor and director Sean Penn with its most prestigious film award, the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film, at the 2008 BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel.

"As a celebrated actor, director and producer, Sean has become a film icon over the past three decades,” says BAFTA/LA Chairman Peter Morris. “The roles and subject matter he chooses to tackle as a filmmaker are both challenging and inspiring to audiences worldwide."

Penn will next portray gay-rights icon Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant’s biographical drama “Milk,” which is slated for a November release. He has been nominated four times for the Academy Award® as Best Actor for "Dead Man Walking," "Sweet and Lowdown," "I Am Sam" and won the Oscar in 2003 for his searing performance in Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River." He was also nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for his leading role in “Mystic River” and “21 Grams.” Penn has appeared in over thirty films including "Taps," "Fast Times At Ridgemont High," "Carlito's Way," "The Thin Red Line," "Dead Man Walking" (Winner Best Actor, 1995 Berlin Film Festival), "She's So Lovely" (Winner Best Actor, 1997 Cannes Film Festival), "Hurlyburly" (Winner Best Actor, 1998 Venice Film Festival), "21 Grams" (Winner Best Actor , 2003 Venice Film Festival), "The Interpreter" and "All The Kings Men."

Penn's feature film directorial debut came with 1991's "The Indian Runner," which he also wrote and produced. In 1995, he directed, wrote and produced "The Crossing Guard," and then directed 2001's "The Pledge" starring Jack Nicholson, which was named in the Top Ten Films of 2001 by The National Board of Review. Penn wrote and directed the United States’ contribution to the compilation film "11'09’01." This important project gathered 11 acclaimed directors from around the world to create short films in response to the horrific events of September 11, 2001 and was nominated for a French Cesar. As writer, producer and director, "Into the Wild," based on the Jon Krakauer novel, marked Penn's fourth feature film and opened to rave reviews in September 2007, appearing on many lists of top ten films for that year.

In 2002, he was presented with the Modern Master Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and in 2003, became the youngest ever recipient of the Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Sebastian Film Festival. In 2004, he received the John Steinbeck Award for outspoken torch-bearers in the creative arts. Most recently, Penn earned the 'Director of the Year' award from the Palm Springs Film Festival for his work on "Into the Wild,” and served as President of the Jury for the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

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.