BFI FLARE x BAFTA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 2024 COHORT ANNOUNCEDOFFICIAL PRESS RELEASENEWS PROVIDED BY British Film Institute BAFTA and BFI announce the cohort of the 2024 BFI Flare x BAFTA professional development programme, run in partnership with BFI NETWORK, six emerging LGBTQIA+ creatives working towards their debuts in film and television have been selected for the prestigious talent initiative, now in its 10th year. BFI FLARE x BAFTA, made possible thanks to National Lottery funding from BFI NETWORK, supports emerging talent to develop their LGBTQIA+ stories for the screen in the UK and internationally. Participants benefit from industry mentorship, bespoke events and workshops at BAFTA and BFI, networking opportunities during BFI FLARE: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival (13-24 March), wellbeing and career coaching, and access to BAFTA Connect, the academy’s membership programme for emerging and mid-level talent. This year saw a record number of applicants with an increase of 40% on last year. This year’s cohort was selected based on the quality of their existing work and the potential of the exciting, challenging and original work they are developing. The 2024 cohort comprises: Travis Alabanza, Isabella Bassett, Zak Ghazi-Torbati, Cherish Oteka, Miles Sloman and Charlie Tidmas. BFI and BAFTA have been working together for close to a decade and counting to champion talented LGBTQIA+ creatives through the initiative, many of whom have gone on to establish successful careers in the film and television industries. Writer/director Amrou Al-Kadhi and producer Savannah James-Bayly of Layla, BFI Flare 2024’s Opening Night Gala film (on Wednesday 13 March) met on the programme in 2017, while the film also features two other BFI Flare x BAFTA alumni in actor Matthew Jacobs Morgan and associate producer Emily Everdee. Savannah James-Bayly, 2017 alumna and producer of Layla, said: "The BFI Flare x BAFTA mentorship had a profound impact on my career and, honestly, my life! The scheme and continued relationship FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE to the festival has birthed innumerous friendships, a business venture, and was where I first met writer/director Amrou Al-Kadhi, forming a longstanding collaboration that led to our debut feature Layla, which we’re delighted to bring home to open this year's festival. The BFI Flare x BAFTA mentorship was the perfect incubator to hatch that relationship. Over the course of the programme we watched the latest queer cinema had to offer and realised we had similar tastes and ambitions for our own work; in between industry meetings we discussed the change we wanted to see and be in the industry; and on the dance floor we cemented a friendship which has become the backbone of our partnership. I could not recommend the experience more highly.” Other alumni include Dionne Edwards, writer/director of Pretty Red Dress (2022); Joy GharoroAkpojotor, producer of Blue Story (2019) and Champion (2023); Kayleigh Llewellyn, BAFTA-winning writer of In My Skin (2018-2021); Aleem Khan, BAFTA-nominated director and writer of After Love (2020); Georgia Oakley, BAFTA-nominated director of Blue Jean (2022); Georgi Banks-Davies, BAFTA-nominated director of I Hate Suzie (2020); Paris Zarcilla, director of Raging Grace (2023). Four past participants collaborated on the 2024 BFI Flare Festival’s opening night Gala film, Layla (2024) - writer and director Amrou Al-Kadhi, producer Savannah James-Bayly, actor Matthew Jacobs Morgan, and associate producer Emily Everdee. BFI FLARE x BAFTA has also received valued support from a host of senior industry figures including filmmaker Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers); screenwriter and television producer Russell T Davies (It’s a Sin); television creator, showrunner, director and writer Joey Soloway (Transparent); director Kate Herron (Loki), filmmaker Ben Wheatley (Free Fire); film director and producer Luca Guadagnino (Bones and All); installation artist and filmmaker Sir Isaac Julien CBE RA (Young Soul Rebels); playwright and screenwriter Abi Morgan (The Split); film and television producer Iain Canning (The Power of the Dog); and film producer Andrew Macdonald (Ex Machina). Cassandra Neal, New Talent and Industry Manager at BAFTA, said: “Congratulations to the six creatives selected for this year’s programme, we’re truly delighted to be supporting them in partnership with BFI Flare and BFI NETWORK, offering a year-round programme of support to help build their professional networks as they work towards their debuts in film and television. Once again, this year's group brings a wealth of exciting experience in theatre, radio, short film and short form. We invite the industry to take note of and work with these talented creatives and the future stories they will tell.” Alice Cabañas, Head of BFI NETWORK, said: “With 210 applications, we are seeing the level of interest increase year on year, and I think much of that is down to the career trajectory of our alumni speaking to the value of the programme. Bringing together BAFTA and BFI Flare creates a very powerful offer to help support and nurture the filmmakers selected to take part. With another fantastic cohort for 2024, with a solid track record and demonstrating they have potential to shift gears and move forward in their filmmaking careers, I am really excited to see what they do next.” BFI FLARE x BAFTA MENTORING 2024 PARTICIPANTS (in alphabetical order): Travis Alabanza, Writer (they/them) Isabella Bassett, Producer (they/she) Zak Ghazi-Torbati, Writer (he/him) Cherish Oteka, Writer, Producer, Director (they/them) Miles Sloman, Writer (he/him) Charlie Tidmas, Writer, Director (he/him)
Source British Film Institute
March 13, 2024 3:00am ET by Newsdesk |