British filmmaker Ken Russell – the perpetual enfant terrible of British cinema -- will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Asheville Film Festival presented by The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa on Saturday, October 29.

We are pleased to present seven of Ken Russell's great films. For synopses and scheduling information please go to our Feature films category.

Russell’s career has spanned five decades with many crowning achievements. Outrageous, controversial and probably the most inventive filmmaker ever produced by British Cinema, Ken Russell became an overnight sensation in the international world in 1969 with the release of his film based on the D.H. Lawrence novel, Women in Love. It was a huge success putting Russell on the map and earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Director and snagging an Oscar win for the film’s star, Glenda Jackson.

In 1975, Russell was tapped to write and direct the film version of the Who’s rock opera Tommy. Tommy introduced an entirely new audience –a younger audience—to Russell’s work and earned Oscar nominations for Ann-Margaret and musical director Pete Townsend. This was quickly followed by what is probably considered his most outrageous film, Lisztomania. He continued with such films as the sci-fi horror thriller Altered States, which marked the film debut of William Hurt, and Crimes of Passion, which earned Kathleen Turner the best reviews of her career and afforded Anthony Perkins his most indelible role next to Psycho.

Russell has gone on to produce many additional films, documentaries, television productions and other recognized works, particularly with the BBC. Russell’s work has never been far from heated debate but it’s never been called dull and has been the subject of at least five books on his films. His body of work has been celebrated by retrospectives from Los Angeles to Telluride to Tokyo. At the age of 78 that work continues.

More Ken Russell films showing at this years Festival include:
Crimes of Passion
The Lair of the White Worm
Mahler
The Music Lovers

Produced by Asheville Parks and Recreation
828-259-5800, 828-259-5606 (fax)
mporter@ashevillenc.gov