Screen International’s UK Stars of Tomorrow and behind the scenes looks at Under the Skin and 12 Years a Slave proved popular with readers.

As we edge toward the finish line of another eventful year in the film industry, Team Screen has taken a look back at the most-read features on ScreenDaily.com over the past 12 months.

Topping the list was our annual UK Stars of Tomorrow line-up, profiling rising actors, writers, directors, producers and heads of department, proving the industry is keeping its eye on fresh, upcoming talent.

In-depth case studies on Jonathan Glazer’s haunting sci-fi Under the Skin (also see our Top 10 films of 2014) and Steve McQueen’s Oscar-winning 12 Years A Slave also proved among the most read features.

An interview with the founder of Secret Cinema and its production based around The Grand Budapest Hotel drew significant interest as did our examination of the French film industry and how it faced a challenging year.

In the run-up to the major awards ceremonies, features to generate major traffic so far include an interview with Eddie Redmayne, who plays Professor Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, and an analysis of the potential contenders for the Best Picture Oscar. Other ‘awards’ features will pick up further steam as buzz increases around titles in the coming months.

Other features that proved popular included a look at genre cinema, an interview with The Raid 2 director Gareth Evans and a focus on the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Screen’s top 10 features of 2014

1. Screen International UK Stars of Tomorrow 2014

2. Under The Skin: at any cost

3. 12 Years a Slave: freedom fighters

4. Secret Cinema’s Grand ambitions

5. French cinema in crisis

6. Oscars: The hunt for Best Picture

7. Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

8. Genre bares its teeth

9. Gareth Evans, The Raid 2

10. Tokyo plays it cool