Our Patrons
The Purbeck Film Festival is proud to have four distinguished patrons with long and varied careers in the film industry.
We’d like to thank them for their continued support of the Festival.
Olivia Hetreed
Sir Sam Mendes
Andy Paterson
Sir Mark Rylance
Olivia Hetreed
Olivia Hetreed is the award-winning screenwriter of Girl with a Pearl Earring, starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth, a critically acclaimed adaptation of Wuthering Heights directed by Andrea Arnold, and Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, the global box office hit starring Lesley Manville.
Her international films include Bosnia’s first animated feature, Birds Like Us, Iraq’s Oscar entry The Journey, and Spanish-UK co-pro Finding Altamira, directed by Hugh Hudson and starring Antonio Banderas.
Olivia is a very experienced international mentor of new writing talent from Eastern Europe to Southern India, and has a particular interest in encouraging writers from minority or disadvantaged backgrounds. As the former President of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, the union which represents over 2,000 professional writers in the UK, she led campaigns on bullying and harassment, gender equality and greater visibility for screenwriters.
“Why do I love the Purbeck Film Festival? Let me count the ways. The dedicated, possibly fanatical, people who make it all happen; the remarkable selection of films they share with us; the glorious range of venues for showing the films; the attentive, inspiring audiences who make it all worthwhile.”
Olivia Hetreed
Sir Sam Mendes
Sam Mendes is an Academy Award winning film director and theatre maker who’s work spans nearly 40 years. His films include American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead, Revolutionary Road, Away We Go, Skyfall, Spectre, 1917 and Empire of Light. Film awards include the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture, three further Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA Awards, and two Directors Guild of America Awards. In theatre, he has won five Olivier Awards, the Olivier Special Award, six Tony Awards, and the Directors Guild Award for lifetime achievement. He is an Honorary Fellow of the National Film and Television School, and a Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge.
He was made a CBE in 2000 and knighted in 2020 for services to drama.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be part of the brilliant Purbeck Film Festival this year. Festivals like this are vital for fostering the magic of cinema and creating shared experiences.
The warm reception and the passion for film I’ve seen here tonight are truly inspiring.”
Sir Sam Mendes speaking at Purbeck Film Festival in 2024
Andy Paterson
Andy Paterson is a film producer whose past projects include the Oscar and BAFTA-nominated Hilary and Jackie, starring Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths, the Oscar-winning Restoration, starring Robert Downey Jr, Hugh Grant and Meg Ryan, and The Railway Man starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. He also produced Girl With A Pearl Earring, with Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth, written by his wife and business partner, Olivia Hetreed.
Andy also campaigns tirelessly to promote the British Film industry. His recent work behind the scenes resulted in the introduction of the Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC) – vitally important incentives for the independent film sector.
Sir Mark Rylance
Sir Mark Rylance is an actor, director, and playwright, winning an Academy Award, three BAFTAs, two Olivier Awards and three Tony Awards to date. As passionate advocate of Shakespeare, he was artistic direction of Shakespeare’s Globe between 1995 and 2005 and performed in a number of parts over the years including as Olivia in Twelfth Night, which earned him a Tony Award. His film career includes parts in many notable films like Bridge of Spies and Dunkirk, showcasing his exceptional range.
“I am so delighted to be part of a community that loves film, loves watching films together, loves the emerging or forgotten or unusual films as well as the very popular. Three cheers for the Purbeck Film Festival.”
Sir Mark Rylance