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Sir Alan Parker is one of the most distinguished and celebrated figures in contemporary British cinema with a remarkable body of work, made both in the UK and the USA over 30-plus years. His work includes the controversial Midnight Express, Fame, Angel Heart, Mississippi Burning, Bugsy Malone, The Commitments, Evita and Angela’s Ashes.

Sir Alan was born in North London and started work as a copywriter in the vibrant world of 1960s advertising, soon graduating to writing and directing commercials. These included the unforgettable series of Cinzano advertisements with Joan Collins and Leonard Rossiter. Sir Alan was nominated for best director Oscar for both Midnight Express and Mississippi Burning, and he has received numerous other international awards. He has been chairman of both the British Film Institute and the UK Film Council and has been a persistent observer and critic of the British film establishment. He is also celebrated for his incisive and hilarious cartoons.

Sir Alan will be in conversation with Graham Benson, a trustee of the Oxford Literary Festival and its film, television and theatre consultant. During a 35-year career,  Benson has produced Fox, Ruth Rendell’s TV mysteries, Mike Leigh’s Meantime and Jon Amiel’s Queen of Hearts. He is a former chairman of both BAFTA and PACT and currently chairs Screen South.