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BAFTA Launches International Scholarships for Chinese and British Students

20 January 2016

Applications open to study film, television or games in the UK or China as an overseas student

London, 20 January 2016: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has today opened applications for the BAFTA Scholarship Programme in China, a new initiative that supports UK-China cross-cultural exchange by enabling talented Chinese and British nationals to study film, television, or games as an international student in the UK or China respectively.

Chinese nationals can apply for up to £20,000 towards course fees at an industry-recognised UK institution, plus up to £10,000 for living expenses. British citizens can apply for up to £10,000 for a course in mainland China or Hong Kong, and up to £10,000 for living expenses. The scholarship recipients will also be mentored by industry professionals, and have free access to BAFTA events.

The BAFTA Scholarship Programme in China is the latest expansion of BAFTA’s global scholarship activity, which saw scholarships awarded in Hong Kong in 2014. The new programme expands the offer across mainland China for the first time. The plans were revealed during BAFTA’s first ever visit to mainland China in March 2015. HRH The Duke of Cambridge, who is President of BAFTA, said at the time: “The film, television and games industries in the United Kingdom and China have much to learn from one another, and there is no-one better placed to help facilitate that than BAFTA.”

Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said of the call for applications: “We are incredibly excited to be offering talented Chinese and British individuals the opportunity to apply for the BAFTA Scholarship Programme. Our scholarships support those who couldn’t otherwise afford to continue their studies, and also offer them the chance to learn from industry experts and collaborate with other BAFTA scholars. Our pilot scheme in Hong Kong proved a great success, adding to the ranks of high achieving recent BAFTA Scholars, who include a BAFTA winner and Oscar nominee. We encourage applicants from across China and the UK to apply for this unique opportunity.”

In 2014 Hong Kong resident Wan Pin Chu received a scholarship towards the Master of Composition (MComp) in Composition for Screen at the Royal College of Music in London, and British student Tian Macleod Ji was awarded a scholarship to study a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Media at City University of Hong Kong. Both scholarships were supported by the Yip Foundation. Since receiving their scholarships, Wan has co-scored a BBC documentary and worked on music for commercials, Tian has won several international awards for his short films, and the two have worked together on a number of projects.

In 2015, British BAFTA Scholar Daisy Jacobs, who studied at the UK’s National Film and Television School, won a BAFTA and gained an Oscar nomination for her short animation The Bigger Picture.

Candidates for the BAFTA Scholarship programme in China can apply at: http://bit.ly/1Exfa4G. The deadline for applications is Friday 1 April for British students wishing to study in Hong Kong, and Friday 3 June for all other applicants.

Scholarship applications for British citizens to study in the UK or the US will open in the coming weeks. For more information about BAFTA’s global scholarship activity, go to: http://bit.ly/1BkQUSx.


For further information, please contact:

Hollie Rendall at Kindred (UK)
T +44 (0)207 010 0829
E [email protected]

Tim Fung at FleishmanHillard (Hong Kong)
T +852 2586 7892
E [email protected]

Lei Hu at FleishmanHillard (Hong Kong)
T +852 2586 7893
E [email protected]

About BAFTA

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is an independent charity that supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – featuring workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes – in the UK, USA and Asia; it offers unique access to the world’s most inspiring talent and connects with a global audience of all ages and backgrounds. BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work. To access the best creative minds in film, television and games production, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.

About BAFTA in Asia
Since 2013, BAFTA has worked with partners in mainland China and Hong Kong to deliver masterclasses and international scholarships and engaging world-renowned, award-winning filmmakers, actors and craftspeople to take part, including Johnnie To, Zhang Yimou, Duncan Kenworthy, Eddie Redmayne and Lois Burwell. Through such events and initiatives, BAFTA promotes a spirit of open, creative collaboration between the UK and China and encourages cross-cultural exchange.

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