I always say to anybody who's going over to America for the first time, 'Whatever you do, go and see a popular mainstream film with a big audience.' Because people shout out. You never get that in Britain. Everybody's so quiet, scared to laugh. It's like being in church.

Wroe's Virgins. ”


Television
In 1982 Boyle started working in television as a producer for BBC Northern Ireland where he produced amongst other TV films Alan Clarke's controversial Elephant before becoming a director on shows such as Arise And Go Now Not Even God Is Wise Enough For The Greater Good Scout and two episodes of Inspector Morse. They're all about someone facing impossible odds and overcoming them.

Boyle won numerous awards for his 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire including the Academy Award for Best Director. Boyle was presented with the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award at the 2008 Austin Film Festival where he also introduced that year's AFF Audience Award Winner Slumdog Millionaire.