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´óÏó´«Ã½ Films' An Education, directed by Lone Scherfig, has had its hugely successful World Premiere at the Sundance Festival underlined by two major prizes there – the Audience Prize and the Best Cinematography (John de Borman) Prize in the World Cinema section.

Sold during Sundance to Sony Pictures Classics, the film has been attracting lavish praise including this from Kenneth Turan of the LA Times: "Probably the jewel of all the festival's dramatic films, and sure to be one of the best films of the year, is An Education, the new work from Denmark's accomplished Lone Scherfig...working here with top screenwriter Nick Hornby and actors Peter Sarsgaard and, in a breakout performance, Carey Mulligan, Scherfig has created an effortlessly involving film about a British high school girl, circa 1961, who meets an older man. This is one not to be missed."

Todd McCarthy of Variety called An Education "a wonderful film...Carey Mulligan shines in a captivating performance. Lone Scherfig's emotionally pulsing, culturally observant picture simply bursts with life..."

An Education stars Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Cara Seymour, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams and Emma Thompson.

Nick Hornby wrote the script about a 17-year-old girl who meets an older man in Sixties London. Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey produce, with Odyssey Entertainment handling worldwide sales.

Executive Producers Jamie Laurenson of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films and David Thompson of Origin Films commented: "We could not be more delighted. The Audience Prize in particular is another major boost to what has been a very successful international launch of the film.

"Nick Hornby wrote a wonderfully funny, touching script which has a real emotional pull and a resonance for anybody who has experienced falling in love for the first time! Lone Scherfig did a brilliant job directing the film with such wit and delicacy – and clearly a new star is born in Carey Mulligan."

The other ´óÏó´«Ã½ Film launched in Sundance to both critical and public acclaim was Armando Iannucci's razor-sharp political comedy In The Loop, sold to US distributor IFC during the Festival.

In The Loop stars Tom Hollander, James Gandolfini, Chris Addison, Peter Capaldi, Gina McKee and Steve Coogan, and is produced by Kevin Loader and Adam Tandy. The US President and UK Prime Minister suddenly fancy a war. But it'll be quick this time. Promise! The US General Miller doesn't think so and the British Secretary of State for International Development, Simon Foster agrees with him. But, after Simon accidentally backs military action on prime-time TV, he suddenly has a lot of friends in Washington, DC.

Optimum will release the film in the UK, and Protagonist are handling international sales.

Notes to Editors

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ is committed to the development and production of feature films. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films, the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s feature film making arm, is an integral part of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Fiction.

The day-to-day management of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films and decision-making is the responsibility of the Films Board, comprising Jane Wright (Board Chair, General Manager and Executive Producer, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films), Christine Langan (Commissioning Editor, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films), Jamie Laurenson (Executive Producer, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films) and Joe Oppenheimer (Executive Producer, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films).

´óÏó´«Ã½ Films' recent productions include: Saul Dibb's The Duchess; Mark Herman's The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas; Julian Jarrold's Brideshead Revisited; John Maybury's The Edge Of Love; Justin Chadwick's The Other Bolelyn Girl; David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises, Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road.

Forthcoming titles include Jane Campion's Bright Star, Tom Hooper's The Damned United, Lone Scherfig's An Education and Armando Iannucci's In The Loop.

David Thompson left ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films in June 2008 to set up Origin Pictures. Origin Pictures have a first look deal with ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films and David is continuing as an executive producer on behalf of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films on many of the projects which he originally commissioned.

An Education: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films presents a Finola Dwyer/Wildgaze Films Production in association with EndgameEntertainment.

In the Loop: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Films and UK Film Council present in association with Aramid Entertainment an Armando Iannucci film.

CM3