BAFTA-winning games director will be presented with the award Sunday 12 June in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, 24 May: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is pleased to announce that it will honour award-winning video game director and script writer, Amy Hennig with a BAFTA Special Award. The award will be presented at an event in Los Angeles on Sunday 12 June. The event is part of BAFTA’s renewed commitment to growing its global games membership and celebrating the games industry in the USA. BAFTA members are vital in supporting the charity’s work identifying and nurturing talent, and sharing creative knowledge within the moving image arts.

Hennig is best-known as the writer and creative director behind the bestselling Uncharted video game series, which received four BAFTAs in 2010 in the Action, Use of Audio, Original Score and Story categories for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. During her 26 years working in games development she has received two awards from the Writers Guild of America, numerous other industry accolades and has been cited as one of the most influential women in the game industry.

Hennig recently joined Electronic Arts as the creative director and lead writer on Visceral Games’ upcoming Star Wars title. She joined EA after a decade at Naughty Dog as the creative director and writer of Sony Computer Entertainment’s acclaimed Uncharted game series. Prior to joining Naughty Dog in 2003, she served as the writer and director of the Soul Reaver / Legacy of Kain series over eight years at Crystal Dynamics. After earning a B.A. in English Literature from U.C. Berkeley, she pursued an M.A. in Film Theory and Production at San Francisco State University before shifting focus to join the emerging interactive entertainment industry.

Harvey Elliot, Chairman of BAFTA’s Games Committee, said: “Amy is one of the industry’s most successful and respected creative leaders, and we are thrilled to recognise her outstanding contribution through this special award – one of BAFTA’s highest accolades. Her work in the games industry spans nearly three decades, and throughout this illustrious career she has championed the importance of a game’s script, with this creative vision pervading all her work. We look forward to celebrating this much-deserved award with her on 12 June.”

This event will be supported by The GREAT Britain Campaign and Best Practices Lab.

Event details:

Sunday 12 June at Raleigh Studios, Chaplin Theater, 5300 Melrose Ave, Hollywood, CA 90038, USA

19.00 Welcome Reception

19.30 Event begins, Special Award Presentation

21.00 Drinks and Canapes

For further information:

Elyse Weissman at SLATE PR (US)

T 310-461-0114

E [email protected]

Lucy Toms at Stature PR (UK)

T 020 7100 0856

E [email protected]

About BAFTA and BAFTA Los Angeles The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is an independent charity that supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – featuring workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes – in the UK, USA and Asia; it offers unique access to the world’s most inspiring talent and connects with a global audience of all ages and backgrounds. BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work. To access the best creative minds in film, television and games production, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org. Founded in 1987, BAFTA Los Angeles serves as a bridge between the Hollywood and British production and entertainment business communities. Its commitment to professional and community education is at the heart of all activity, including an award-winning community outreach programme, screenings, seminars, Behind Closed Doors series, Q&As, scholarships for British students studying in the US, a Newcomers Program for emerging British talents working in the US, and a Heritage Archive project that preserves in-depth interviews with the industry's leading talents for future generations. BAFTA Los Angeles celebrates and promotes excellence through its annual Britannia Awards, Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties and the Student Film Awards. BAFTA Los Angeles is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Corporation and relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing work. www.bafta.org/losangeles About The GREAT Britain campaign The GREAT Britain campaign showcases the best of what the UK has to offer to inspire the world and encourage people to do business with, invest in, visit and study in the UK and unites the efforts of the public and private sector to generate jobs and growth for Britain. https://www.gov.uk/britainisgreat About UKTI UKTI works with UK based businesses to ensure their success in international markets through exports. We encourage and support overseas companies to look at the UK as the best place to set up or expand their business. The UK is the number one destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Europe. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-trade-investment/about