May Miles Thomas
Encyclopedia
May Miles Thomas is a multi award-winning Scottish
film director, screenwriter and pioneer of digital cinema. In 2000 she made the UK's first end-to-end digital feature film One Life Stand.
It won the awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Writer, and Best Performance at the BAFTA New Talent Awards and won Best Achievement in Production at the British Independent Film Awards.
May Miles Thomas won the prestigious Scottish Screen Outstanding Achievement Award for the film.
She was also one of the first recipients of a NESTA
Fellowship for the contribution the film made to the artistic and technical development of Digital Cinema. In 2003 the H.M. Queen Elizabeth II
of the United Kingdom honoured her as a Pioneer to the Life of the Nation for her services to British Cinema.
where she studied design and photography, May Miles Thomas worked as production designer, writer, editor, director of photography, producer and director. Her career as a filmmaker began in the mid 80s at BBC Television, where she made the transition from production design to directing music and arts documentaries and music videos. She then moved on to concentrate on writing and directing feature films. In 1995, she formed the company Elemental Films with Owen Thomas.
She followed up the success of One Life Stand with a second feature film Solid Air in 2003. Starring Maurice Roëves
and Brian McCardie
, the film received plaudits for its 'elegant craftsmanship'.
She won the Creative Scotland Award in 2007 to create The Devil's Plantation an interactive website and multi-media project which examines the secret geometry and ancient paths of Glasgow. The project won the Best Interactive category at the BAFTA New Talent Awards in 2010.
Shorts & documentaries
Palm Springs International Short Film Festival
, 1997
The Beauty of the Common Tool
shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination in the Short Live Action Category.
awarded by Nipkow Programm, Berlin, 1997
BAFTA New Talent Awards, 2000
for One Life Stand
Scottish Screen
, 2000
for One Life Stand
British Independent Film Awards
, 2000
for One Life Stand
Sundance Institute
/NHK International Filmmakers Awards, 2001
for the feature screenplay Ringing the True
Festroia Festival Internacional de Cinema
, Portugal, 2003
for Solid Air
awarded by National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
, 2000–02
May Miles Thomas honoured for her services to British Cinema
by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, 2003
Scottish Arts Council
, 2007
BAFTA New Talent Awards, 2010
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
film director, screenwriter and pioneer of digital cinema. In 2000 she made the UK's first end-to-end digital feature film One Life Stand.
"One Life Stand"
The ground-breaking full-length feature film, One Life Stand, was shot on miniDV in black and white on a micro-budget. It was written, directed and edited by May Miles Thomas and won acclaim for its script, performances and production.It won the awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Writer, and Best Performance at the BAFTA New Talent Awards and won Best Achievement in Production at the British Independent Film Awards.
May Miles Thomas won the prestigious Scottish Screen Outstanding Achievement Award for the film.
She was also one of the first recipients of a NESTA
NESTA
The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts is an independent endowment in the United Kingdom established by an Act of Parliament in 1998....
Fellowship for the contribution the film made to the artistic and technical development of Digital Cinema. In 2003 the H.M. Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
of the United Kingdom honoured her as a Pioneer to the Life of the Nation for her services to British Cinema.
Biographical details
Born in Glasgow and a graduate of Glasgow School of ArtGlasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.-History:It was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. In 1853, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram...
where she studied design and photography, May Miles Thomas worked as production designer, writer, editor, director of photography, producer and director. Her career as a filmmaker began in the mid 80s at BBC Television, where she made the transition from production design to directing music and arts documentaries and music videos. She then moved on to concentrate on writing and directing feature films. In 1995, she formed the company Elemental Films with Owen Thomas.
She followed up the success of One Life Stand with a second feature film Solid Air in 2003. Starring Maurice Roëves
Maurice Roëves
Maurice Roëves is a British actor, born in Sunderland, County Durham on 19 March 1937.His television roles include Danger UXB , The Nightmare Man , the 1984 Doctor Who serial The Caves of Androzani, Days of our Lives , Tutti Frutti , Rab C...
and Brian McCardie
Brian McCardie
Brian McCardie is a Scottish actor. He has appeared in several movies, including Speed 2: Cruise Control , playing the role as Merced. He also appeared in the mini series of Titanic.-Early life:...
, the film received plaudits for its 'elegant craftsmanship'.
She won the Creative Scotland Award in 2007 to create The Devil's Plantation an interactive website and multi-media project which examines the secret geometry and ancient paths of Glasgow. The project won the Best Interactive category at the BAFTA New Talent Awards in 2010.
Films
Feature films- 2000 One Life Stand
- 2003 Solid Air
- 2009 The Devil's Plantation
Shorts & documentaries
- 1997 The Beauty of the Common Tool
- 1999 Colentina (doc)
Awards
- Best Film
Palm Springs International Short Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
, 1997
The Beauty of the Common Tool
shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination in the Short Live Action Category.
- Nipkow Fellowship
awarded by Nipkow Programm, Berlin, 1997
- Best Film, Best Director, Best Writer, Best Actress
BAFTA New Talent Awards, 2000
for One Life Stand
- Outstanding Achievement Award
Scottish Screen
Scottish Screen
Scottish Screen is the national body for film and television in Scotland, established in April 1997. It took on the functions of the Scottish Film Council, the Scottish Film Production Fund, Scottish Screen Locations and Scottish Broadcast and Film Training, forming a unitary organisation.Scottish...
, 2000
for One Life Stand
- Best Achievement in Production
British Independent Film Awards
British Independent Film Awards
The Moët British Independent Film Awards is an annual award ceremony celebrating achievement in independently funded British film and cinema. Nominations and jury are announced at the beginning of November with the award ceremony taking place in late November or early December.-History:The British...
, 2000
for One Life Stand
- European Finalist
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981 that actively advances the work of filmmakers and storytellers worldwide...
/NHK International Filmmakers Awards, 2001
for the feature screenplay Ringing the True
- Best Director and Best Cinematography
Festroia Festival Internacional de Cinema
Festroia International Film Festival
The Festróia Festival Internacional de Cinema de Tróia is an annual film festival that takes place in Setúbal, Portugal since 1985.The festival's competitive section is open to films from countries producing less than 30 features per year...
, Portugal, 2003
for Solid Air
- NESTA Fellowship
awarded by National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
NESTA
The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts is an independent endowment in the United Kingdom established by an Act of Parliament in 1998....
, 2000–02
- Pioneer to the Life of the Nation
May Miles Thomas honoured for her services to British Cinema
by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, 2003
- Creative Scotland Award
Scottish Arts Council
Scottish Arts Council
The Scottish Arts Council is a Scottish public body that distributes funding from the Scottish Government, and is the leading national organisation for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland...
, 2007
- Best Interactive Project - The Devil's Plantation
BAFTA New Talent Awards, 2010