1 September 2021 | 27 minutes
Jeffrey Young is joined by Joel Hopkins, a film director and screenwriter best known for his films Jump Tomorrow, Last Chance Harvey, and Hampstead. They discuss his life, his works, and the story behind Hampstead, a film based on the life of Harry Hallowes who successfully claimed ownership of a half-acre plot of Hampstead Heath. The film stars Diane Keaton, Brendan Gleeson, James Norton, Lesley Manvilles, Jason Watkins, Hugh Skinner, and Simon Callow. In this insightful episode, Joel shares his thoughts on the industry, providing advice for young people hoping to succeed, and importantly, why he thinks Camden is such a special place.
Joel Hopkins grew up in London and after a BA in Fine Art, he entered the MFA Graduate Film Programme at New York University, graduating in 1998. His thesis film, JORGE, won First Prize at the NYU Wasserman Awards, the BBC Prize at the British Short Film Festival, and the inaugural $100,000 Richard Vague Production Award which went towards the production budget for Jump Tomorrow. Hopkins was nominated for two British Independent Film Awards for his work on the film: The Douglas Hickox Award for debuting filmmakers and the Best Screenplay Award. He won 2002’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer, as well as a number of other awards at film festivals where the film was screened.