With an expert industry membership of nearly 6,500 individuals, globally, the Academy focus attention on the highest achievements of films, video games and television programmes shown in the UK each year in order to motivate and inspire those who make them, and to educate and develop the taste of those who watch them.
The promotion of excellence extends far beyond the Academy’s Awards ceremonies. As a charitable organisation, the Academy plays an equally powerful role at its headquarters at 195 Piccadilly, across the nations and regions, in cinemas, schools and communities in the UK and US.
Giving its members, the industry and the public the opportunity to learn first-hand from leading practitioners is one of the key services that the Academy provides. By showcasing the crafts of film, television and video games production, it provides a forum for knowledge to be shared across disciplines, which in turn stimulates higher standards across the board.
BAFTA’s Learning and Events programme
BAFTA’s work on its London and regional events ranges from major industry debates to pre-release screenings of film and TV productions, which are often followed by discussions with cast and crew. The Academy also offers practical workshops, networking events, retrospectives and much more. A selection of events during 2006/2007 which have raised the profile of multicultural issues include:
A series of prestigious events celebrating and exploring contemporary Bollywood cinema, including masterclasses, interviews, film screenings and rare UK appearances from producer/director Yash Chopra, actor/producer Shah Rukh Khan, actor/producer Aamir Khan, filmmaker Karan Johar and actress Preity Zinta.
BAFTA GOES BOLLYWOOD ON TOUR was a 3 day event at the NEC in Birmingham hosting Q&A interviews with Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan, Ajay Devgan and Kajol in front of a live audience of 15,000 over the three days.
Following the success of this event in both cities, in June 2007 BAFTA hosted a weekend dedicated to Amitabh Bachchan, including an on-stage interview and the screening of several of his films.
Organised by Zenith Foundation and hosted by the Academy, this event offered a showcase of the best recent films from across the Arab world, including Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Algeria and Morocco.
A four-day series of events exploring contemporary Mexican Cinema, featuring masterclasses, interviews, film screenings and a range of rare UK appearances. These included an onstage interview with award-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Y Tu Mamá También) and a masterclass with the BAFTA-nominated, Oscar-winning cinematographer Guillermo Navarro (Pan’s Labyrinth).
A weekend of events to inspire young black talent and to celebrate black achievement in film and television. Supported by the BBC, BFI, Channel 4 and the Cultural Leadership Programme, and organised by Cinnamon Films in association with BAFTA, the programme of events included an opportunity for young people to meet high-profile industry speakers.
Now in its 13th year, Bite the Mango focuses on Black and Asian film and provides a platform to educate audiences of different cultures through film. In association with O2, BAFTA hosted the opening night gala screening of Partition, followed by an interview with the filmmakers as part of the festival’s 2007 focus on the 60th Anniversary of the partition of India and Pakistan.
To find out more about BAFTA’s programme of events, please visit www.bafta.org/whats-on/.
BAFTA’s membership
BAFTA is comprised of nearly 6,500 members in the UK and around the world and has, in recent years, developed a broader, more inclusive, more engaged membership that better reflects the way in which the industries are evolving.
If the Academy is to remain relevant to the industries that are represented by its members, and the audiences they serve, then the membership must reflect the community within which we work and live. The Academy currently surveys its members to ascertain gender and ethnic background as part of its member recruitment process. Of the 3,144 members who submitted this information in 2006, 5% classified themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority group. Working with the CDN partners, BAFTA anticipates increasing this percentage in line with the industry.
To find out more about BAFTA’s membership, please visit www.bafta.org/the-academy/membership/.
Diverse faces at BAFTA’s awards ceremonies
BAFTA presents a diverse range of recognised and distinguished people from the sectors of the industry to present awards at BAFTA’s five annual Awards ceremonies – Film, Television, Craft, Video Games and Children’s. Between 2005 and 2007, the Academy has worked with Colin Salmon, Forest Whitaker, Konnie Huq, Naomi Harris, Aamir Khan, Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Ziyi Zhang, Freema Agyeman, Moira Stuart, Sacha Dhawan, and Benedict Wong. ITV’s recent Happy Birthday BAFTA tribute to the Academy’s 60th anniversary saw it collaborate with the very best film and television talent, which included the stars from the Asian-family sitcom The Kumars.
The Academy also offers the public ways to become involved, through competitions such as the BBC’s Me and My Movie (linked to the Children’s Awards), 60 Seconds of Fame (linked to the Film Awards) and Dare to Be Digital (linked to the Video Games Awards).
To find out more about BAFTA’s Awards, please visit www.bafta.org/awards/.
Staff recruitment at BAFTA
BAFTA has a team of approximately 40 staff. BAFTA staff recruitment is through but not limited to recruitment agencies, BAFTA’s website and other online services, employment sections of national newspapers including The Guardian and specialised industry press including Screen International.
In the past, BAFTA has not used ethnic monitoring for applicants, nor specifically targeted applicants through advertisements in the ethnic press or online services. This will be addressed in upcoming amendments to our recruitment procedures in order for us to effectively measure how best to ensure applicants represent the wider community.
To find out about the latest job opportunities at BAFTA, please visit www.bafta.org/the-academy/key-personnel/.
BAFTA’s Policy on Diversity
BAFTA is a member of the Equalities Charter for Film, pioneered by the UK Film Council. In 2005, 21 UK film industry organisations signed up to 6 Pledges, creating the first ever Equalities Charter for Film. This shared initiative provides a unique opportunity for film industry organisations to work productively through sharing best practice, industry initiatives, events and workshops in order to achieve equality and diversity improvements across the film value chain.
The Academy’s own Staff Handbook includes its Equal Opportunities Statement, the Disability Code of Good Practice and its Harassment Policy.
To find out more about the Equalities Charter for Film, please visit www.diversitytoolkit.org.uk/industry/equalitiescharterforfilm/
