NESTA Fellowship granted to East London filmmaker

A National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) Fellowship of £50,750 has been granted to film-maker Ron Peck, from Shoreditch Road in East London, in order to broaden his technical knowledge and extend his experience of exploring improvisation-based performance techniques on camera.
Ron's 1978 film 'Nighthawks' was a landmark in British cinema, not least for its innovative improvisational techniques. Selected for the Cannes Directors' Festival, the film about a gay schoolteacher catapulted Ron into the international film scene.
His company, Team Pictures, went on to make 'Fighters' (1991), about the real-life experiences of young boxers from the East End of London, and 'Real Money' (1995), an improvised drama exploring the world in which the characters from Fighters operated.
Almost 25 years since Nighthawks was first screened, Ron still feels his best work is ahead of him.
He said: "Now at 54, it feels important to get back to what I think I do best and to what I most enjoy."
The two-year Fellowship will enable Ron to re-create his presence in the film world. He will experiment with new technologies and travel to the 'untapped territory' of Russia, where several of his films have recently been well received.
The funding comes at a particularly fortuitous time. Team's cutting-edge film production centre is going from strength to strength, allowing him the time at last to step back from the day-to-day administration.
Ron is the fifth filmmaker to be supported through a NESTA Fellowship. It is hoped that Ron will not only go on to produce groundbreaking new work, but also, that he will make a valuable contribution to the debate about the future of film-making and production.
NESTA's Fellowship programme supports exceptionally talented and innovative people, and enables them to pursue a tailor-made programme of personal creative development. Awardees come from all branches of the sciences, arts and technology. Many work where different disciplines meet and where some of the most exciting developments are happening. All are linked by a desire to explore new ideas, take a fresh perspective or develop innovative ways of working.
(GB)