By the 1960s, he had virtually given up acting to concentrate on a directing career, and another of his earlier directorial efforts, the British Transport Films' documentary "Terminus" (1961), gained a Venice Film Festival Gold Lion and a British Academy Award. His first two fiction films, "A Kind of Loving" (1962) and "Billy Liar" (1963) were set in the North of England. "A Kind of Loving" won the Golden Bear award at the 12th Berlin International Film Festival in 1962. His third feature film, "Darling" (1965), tartly described the modern way of life in London and was one of the first films about 'swinging London'. Schlesinger's next film was the period drama "Far from the Madding Crowd" (1967), an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's popular novel accentuated by beautiful English country locations. Both films (and "Billy Liar") featured Julie Christie as the female lead.