Newport Beach Film Festival Hosts UK and IE Honours Event in London

For the past 25 years, the Newport Beach Film Festival – one of the largest luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States – has included a dedicated UK film showcase during its eight-day program, as well as an Honors Award event that celebrates cinematic achievements.

And for the past 10 years, the Newport Beach Film Festival and Visit Newport Beach have traveled across the pond to host a UK and IE Honours Event prior to the BAFTA Awards (the British equivalent of the Academy Awards).

Earlier this month, Gary Sherwin, President and CEO of Visit Newport Beach, Gregg Schwenk, Founder and CEO of Newport Film Festival, and Mayor of Newport Beach Joe Stapleton journeyed to London for this year’s UK and IE Honours, held on February 13 at Raffles London at The OWO, a five star luxury hotel In London.

“The Newport Beach Film Festival Honors Program began in 2015 as a way to take the film festival and the Newport Beach brand to our most important international audience, the United Kingdom,” Sherwin told the NB Indy. “It has succeeded beyond our imagination as the unofficial kick-off to the prestigious BAFTA awards each year and attracts some of the most prestigious film and television talent in the country. It also provides Newport Beach with a glamorous backdrop to tell our story and generates millions of dollars in valuable digital and broadcast publicity. This year, Newport Beach Mayor Joe Stapleton became the first Mayor to attend the event in London and he also met with the Deputy Mayor of London.”

The glamorous ceremony was hosted by Edith Bowman (a Scottish radio DJ and television presenter) and Cat Deeley (actress and producer), and featured speeches by Sherwin, Schwenk, Mayor Stapleton, and Anna Higgs, producer and managing director of Character 7, an award-winning television production company.

According to information from the Newport Beach Film Festival, more than two dozen awards were bestowed that evening. The highest accolade of the evening, the prestigious Icon Award, was presented to Sir Stephen Fry, in recognition of his remarkable contribution to the UK and Ireland entertainment industries, with a long and varied career spanning more than 25 years.

In accepting the award, Fry talked about the extraordinary power of storytelling, and praised the strength of talent honored this year.

“To see the talent coming up on this stage… the wit and fire and diversity of these young people… I hope in 20 to 30 years, they will win one of these Icon awards,” said Fry.

Emma Corrin (“Nosferatu, “Deadpool & Wolverine”), Felicity Jones (“The Brutalist”) and Sharon Horgan (“Bad Sisters”) were each honored as an Artist of Distinction, in recognition of their extensive portfolios of high-caliber work, which have helped to shape the creative landscape of the UK and Ireland.

In her acceptance speech, Horgan commented: “I took this year off writing to live a little and get inspired and genuinely I’ve been so inspired by everyone who has been honored tonight. From the most ambitious to those made on a shoestring, it makes me work harder. Your work is brilliant.”

Ambika Mod (“One Day”) was recognized in the Spotlight category, a new award which honors talent who are at a pivotal moment in their career, following an outstanding contribution to a particularly talked about project.

In her acceptance speech, Mod said: “’One Day’ has been the gift that keeps on giving. I want to see more brown women on TV – I hope this is the start of that.”

Others honored in this category were Jessica Gunning (“Baby Reindeer”), Joe Alwyn (“The Brutalist”) and Will Sharpe (“A Real Pain”).

This year’s Breakout honorees were Adam Pearson (“A Different Man”), Joe Locke (“Heartstopper” and “Agatha All Along”), Marisa Abela (“Back to Black”) and Mia Threapleton (“The Buccaneers”).

As he accepted his award, Pearson commented “I am acutely aware that I am so lucky to do what I do, and I am acutely aware that I need to use my platform to throw a ladder down to prospective talent coming up. I want to separate disability and inability. Storytelling is all about risk.”

Variety’s 10 Brits to Watch for 2025 were also honored at the event, a list which celebrates talent from across the entertainment industry who are about to have a significant breakthrough moment.

This year the list included Abigail Thorn, Ava Wong-Davies, Erin Kellyman, Mia Tharia, Michelle de Swarte, Nabhaan Rizwan, Rich Peppiatt, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Varada Sethu and Xander Parish.

Other notable names in attendance included Ripley Parker (“Everything Now”), Gemma Whelan (“Game of Thrones”), and Harriet Cains (“Bridgerton”).

“We had an incredible lineup of young and established talent this year, and the excitement during the ceremony was palpable,” said Sherwin. “If you told me 10 years ago that we would be where we are today, I wouldn’t have believed it. It is almost a story made for a movie!”

Recognized as one of the largest luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States, the Newport Beach Film Festival brings an international curated collection of films and vibrant cultural gatherings to the Southern California coast. Committed to championing the work of original storytellers from around the globe, the Festival celebrates contemporary screen culture, cinematic excellence and engages the community in compelling conversations with filmmakers and artists.

The 26th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival runs October 16-23, 2025, and will spotlight over 300 films from around the world—including many from the UK.

Visit www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com.