The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) on Monday announced a new talent initiative that will celebrate and support up to five talents working in film, games, or TV in India.
The ‘Breakthrough Initiative’, which is a part of BAFTA’s year-round work to back new talent, is a step to develop relationships between British talent and India’s homegrown creatives. It is supported by Netflix.
“Some of the best practitioners in the world work in Indian film, games, and television – and practitioners from around the world have much to learn from them,” BAFTA said in a statement.
The participants will be selected by a jury and will be offered a year-long sponsorship programme from BAFTA and be showcased across India and the UK.
BAFTA’s Breakthrough Initiative, which has been running in the UK since 2013, China since 2019 and has launched in the USA this year, has supported over 130 emerging talents to date.
The programme has supported stars such as Tom Holland, Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Jessie Buckley, Josh O’Connor, and Callum Turner.
Industry supporters of the initiative in recent years also include actors Oliva Colman, Naomi Harris, Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Brad Pitt, Sharon Horgan, Amy Schumer, directors Tom Harper and Barry Jenkins, game designers Brenda Romero and Tim Schafer.
