Local wine producer sponsors the BIFAs

Thursday, 27 November, 2008
Magna Carta
Local wine producer Leopards Leap will be sponsoring the prestigious 11th annual BIFA awards where some of Britain's best-known actors have been nominated for awards in London next week.
Amongst the oh-so photogenic celebrities that will be sipping on the fashionable local wine brand are such star studded names as Keira Knightly, Kristin Scott Thomas and Sienna Miller with the likes of Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes hotting it up for the ladies.

Although produced in the Cape winelands, Leopard's Leap is a global brand sold in over 20 countries worldwide. This is the second year that the Leopards leap will be sponsoring the event, which is set to take place at the Old Billingsgate market on Lower Thames Street and promises to be a real red carpet show down.

The films receiving the most nominations are Hunger and In Bruges tied with seven nominations each. Slumdog Millionaire follows with six, Shifty one of the first from the Film London Microwave slate receives five nominations, Somers Town, Son of Rambow and The Duchess hold four nominations each. Other films with multiple nominations are The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Happy-Go-Lucky both receiving three, and Man on Wire, The Daisy Chain, Eden Lake and The Escapist receiving two each. There is an unprecedented number of twenty-three other nominated films throughout the categories.

First time BIFA actor nominees include Colin Farrell, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sienna Miller, Vera Farmiga, Asa Butterfield, Alexis Zegerman, Sally Hawkins, Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, Brendan Gleeson, Riz Ahmed, Daniel Mays, Dev Patel, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Bill Milner, Hayley Atwell, Will Poulter and past Variety Award recipient Keira Knightley.

"Leopard's Leap is very pleased to sponsoring the British Independent Film Awards again. Making a great movie is much like crafting a fine wine: equal parts science and magic. We are very pleased that the cream of British acting will again be recognized whilst enjoying fine South African wine," says Marius Kotze, marketing and sales director Leopards Leap.

Leopards leap is also a major sponsor of arts and culture in South Africa with a major focus on the literary world. It is fast becoming the wine to serve at book launches and author reading events countrywide.