Mike Leigh, born in 1957, UK, is one of the Britain's most renowned filmmakers. He began his career as a stage director and playwright. His work focuses on ordinary people, their struggles and determination. Leigh's work has been awarded by some of the most prestigious festivals on the international circuit, including the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival for his first feature, Bleak Moments, in 1971, the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1996 for Secrets & Lies, and the Golden Lion for Vera Drake at the Venice Film Festival in 2004, where this year his latest feature, Peterloo, premiered in the Official Competition.