BFI and IWC Schaffhausen celebrate new London Film Festival partnership with VIP gala dinner

Emily Blunt and Christoph Waltz attend the BFI London Film Festival IWC Gala Dinner
Credit: PHOTOPRESS/IWC

In the enchanting surroundings of London’s Battersea Park, a lush green urban escape on the banks of the River Thames, the BFI and IWC Schaffhausen welcomed a host of stars to gala event in honour of the BFI.

VIP guests attending included actors Emily Blunt and Christoph Waltz, as well as Mick Jagger, Stephen Fry, Julie Walters, Thomas Kretschmann and Moritz Bleibtreu.

Actor Charlotte Riley attends the BFI London Film Festival IWC Gala Dinner
Credit: PHOTOPRESS/IWC/David M. Benett/Getty Images

The event, hosted by BFI CEO Amanda Nevill and IWC CEO Georges Kern, was presided over by Master of Cere­monies Rob Brydon, who ensured an effortlessly fluid evening of entertainment and comedy, the latter of which was a major theme of the night.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Honorary Award in Recognition for Outstanding Contribution to Comedy to British comic legends Julie Walters and Stephen Fry. “Over the years, Julie and Stephen have established themselves as icons of British comedy, not just in the UK but across the globe,” explained IWC CEO Georges Kern. “It is therefore fitting that we celebrate their huge influence not only on the comedy industry of today, but also on generations of comedians to come.”

During the evening, a compilation of BFI National Archive material devised specially from more than a century of comedy in film and television, was shown exclusively to audiences on the night. In 2015 IWC will be a headline sponsor of the BFI’s fundraising gala LUMINOUS; a celebration of British film and British film talent which raises funds for the BFI National Archive.