London's Oscar-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis will be accepting a hometown honour today on screen at Fanshawe College, the place he discovered his love of filmmaking.

Fanshawe is presenting an honorary diploma to Hollywood writer, director and producer Haggis, a student at the college during the 1970s.

The London native, who has already won Oscars, as well as BAFTA, Writers' Guild, Critics' Choice, Gemini, and Emmy awards, will be recognized at two graduation ceremonies today.

"Paul Haggis is a great example of what is possible when you believe in yourself, work hard, and never give up," said Fanshawe president Howard Rundle. "We are pleased to have his name associated with Fanshawe, and very proud to present him with a well-deserved honorary diploma. I have no doubt that his message to our graduates will inspire them to achieve their personal and professional goals."

Haggis is in France for screenings of his film In the Valley of Elah, which has attracted Oscar buzz for its star Tommy Lee Jones. Haggis wrote and directed the film.

He has just been in Italy and Abu Dhabi, where the Iraq-war themed Elah closed a major film festival.

Such commitments prevent him from coming to Fanshawe. So Haggis will be seen in a brief film, a mixture of casual and official remarks, as the honoured graduate.

Last year, as part of a day honouring Haggis in his hometown, he was back at Fanshawe.

"I was an incredibly bad student so no one should follow in my footsteps," Haggis told students at Fanshawe's broadcast centre during the day. "It was here that I learned about film editing, usually messing it up. But I also discovered my love for filmmaking."

Footage of Haggis's comments for the 2007 ceremonies will also be seen as part of the college's 40th anniversary celebration on Nov. 18 at the London Convention Centre at 2 p.m.

Haggis becomes a Fanshawe alumni member with today's ceremonies, in effect completing the diploma he started in the 1970s.

Haggis studied film at Fanshawe before chasing his dreams to Los Angeles at age 22, hoping to become a Hollywood screenwriter.

When that goal was derailed, he launched a long, successful career as a TV writer-producer-director. He then made a career decision to pursue his first love: making movies.

His other recent writing credits include Letters from Iwo Jima, Flags of Our Fathers and the James Bond film Casino Royale.

He's also writing the next Bond film, as yet untitled.

Haggis is also active in environmental and social causes. He is the co-founder of Artists for Peace and Justice; a member of the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project board of directors; a founding member of the President's Council of the Defenders of Wildlife; and an advisory board member of Centre for the Advancement of Non-Violence.

Today's ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. are by invitation to grads and guests. They are at Fanshawe's J-Gymnasium.

About 1,050 graduates will receive their diplomas on Friday. They join more than 3,300 students who graduated in June as members of Fanshawe's 40th anniversary class.

The 2 p.m. ceremony will include the first graduates from Fanshawe's advanced filmmaking program.


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