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BAFTA Scholarship Recipients Announced

19 September 2017
Event: BAFTA Scholars Welcome ReceptionDate: 19 September 2017 Venue: BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London-Area: Group Shot BAFTA/Jamie Simonds

BAFTA’s global scholarship activity awards students from the UK, China and the US

Three Prince William Scholarship recipients named

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the names of all 39 students in financial need who will receive scholarships to study in the UK or US in the new academic year.

At a reception at BAFTA’s headquarters, 195 Piccadilly, yesterday industry supporters welcomed 15 new scholarship recipients in the UK, of which 10 are British and five are from China. They join six returning scholars from both countries who are studying for a second year in the UK, as well as further 18 BAFTA Scholars studying in the US. In addition to financial support, the BAFTA Scholars will gain free access to BAFTA events and receive one-to-one mentoring from BAFTA members, award-winners and nominees.

For a fifth year, three of these students will receive the Prince William Scholarships in Film, Games and Television, supported by BAFTA and Warner Bros. These scholarships – an integral element of Warner Bros. Creative Talent, Warner Bros.’ investment in UK creative industries’ skills and training – are awarded in the name of HRH The Duke of Cambridge in his role as President of BAFTA. Their fees will be funded by Warner Bros., and they each will receive a short funded work placement with the Warner Bros. group of companies in the UK, access to a Warner Bros. mentor, and invitations to Warner Bros.’ series of industry masterclasses.

The Chinese BAFTA Scholars will funding towards tuition fees and, in some cases, a bursary for living expenses, to study at British institutions, as part of BAFTA’s aim to encourage UK-China cross-cultural exchange. To find out more about BAFTA Scholarships in China and this year’s recipients, visit here

The BAFTA Scholarship Programme is overseen in the UK by BAFTA’s Learning and New Talent Committee, chaired by Sara Putt, and made possible by the generous support of a number of individuals, foundations and partnerships. For more information on the BAFTA Scholarship Programme in the UK and this year’s scholars, visit here.

In the US, 18 students have been awarded scholarships. This year 10 students have been supported to study in New York institutions through the BAFTA New York Media Studies Scholarship Program. For more information on the New York scholarships programme and the 2017 recipients visit here.

As announced in March this year, eight British students have been awarded scholarships through BAFTA Los Angeles, to support their studies at film schools in the US. For more information, visit here

Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said: “BAFTA is dedicated to making sure that talented individuals are given every possible opportunity to succeed in the film, games and television industries. We are thrilled to be providing this international community of students with not only the financial means necessary to launch their careers, but the chance to build lasting relationships with leading industry figures, whose contribution to supporting the next generation is invaluable.”

Speaking about the Prince William Scholarships, Josh Berger CBE, President & Managing Director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland & Spain, said: “We are delighted to continue both our partnership with BAFTA and our support of young people taking the first steps in their careers. It remains crucial that our creative industries are invigorated by new talent coming through and these Prince William Scholarships are such an important part of that process. We congratulate Daisy, Hannah and Hazel and wish them all the very best.”

BAFTA Scholars in 2017

^Denotes individuals awarded a scholarship for a second year.

Prince William Scholars

  • Daisy Fernandez: Games Design and Development (MA) at the National Film and Television School (NFTS)
  • Hannah Cole: Production Management (Dip) at the NFTS
  • Hazel Allan: Screenwriting (MA) at Edinburgh Napier University

Other British Scholars in the UK

  • Adam Jones: Sound Design for Film and Television (MA) at the NFTS^
  • Angus Nicholson: Composition for Screen (MComp) at the Royal College of Music
  • Chanitra Limpiroj: Sound for Film and Television (Dip) at the NFTS
  • Eloise Millard: Broadcast Journalism (MA) at the University of Sheffield
  • Emily Dring: Producing (MA) at the NFTS^
  • Georgia Roberts: Broadcast Journalism (MA) at City University, London
  • Joel Marshall: Games Design and Development (MA) at the NFTS
  • Jonny Lavelle: Acting (MA) at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama^
  • Kalungi Ssebandeke: Acting (MA) at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
  • Sade Malone: Acting (BA) at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA)
  • Tom Dexter: Producing (MA) at the NFTS^

Scholars from China

  • Edward Lun: Composition for Screen (MComp) at the Royal College of Music
  • Haolu Wang: Directing Fiction (MA) at the NFTS
  • Li Gong: Film Directing (MA/MFA) at the University of Edinburgh^
  • Robert Chen: Production Sound for Film and Television (Dip) at the NFTS
  • Qingling Zhang:  Production Design (MA) at the NFTS^
  • Yanling Wang: Producing (MA) at the NFTS
  • Zhizi Hao: Filmmaking (MA) at the London Film School

BAFTA New York Scholars

  • Anqi Wang (Taffner Family Trust Scholar): Film (MFA) at the City College of New York
  • Erika Gregorio (DLT Entertainment Scholar): Television Production (MFA) at Brooklyn College
  • Julia Fitzgerald (BBC America Scholar): Television Production (MFA) at Brooklyn College
  • Karina Robledo (Dreamworks Animation Scholar): Television Production (MFA) at Brooklyn College
  • Kevin Wilson, Jr. (HBO Scholar): Film (MFA) at New York University
  • Khaula Malik (John Grist Documentary Scholar): Cinema Arts – Creative Producing (MFA) at Brooklyn College Film
  • Shannan Shaughnessy (Woman of her Word Disabilities Scholar): Screenwriting (MFA) at Brooklyn College
  • Shannon Ryan (Woman of her Word Disabilities Scholar): Producing (MFA) at Brooklyn College
  • Tukei Peter Muhumuza (BBC America Scholar): Film and Television (MFA) at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University
  • Xiaoyu Yang (Discovery Communications Scholar): Filmmaking (MFA) at the City College of New York

BAFTA Los Angeles Scholars

  • Carol Brown: Peter Stark Producing Programme (MFA) at the University of Southern California
  • Charlotte Wells (Pigott/BAFTA Scholar): Film (MFA) at NYU Tisch
  • Edward Hancox (Pigott/BAFTA Scholar): Film and Media Production (MA) at University of Texas in Austin
  • Jack Dudley (Pigott/BAFTA Scholar): Peter Stark Producing Programme (MFA) at the University of Southern California
  • Joseph Barker: Global Media (MA) at the University of Southern California
  • Katharine Stocker: Cinema and Media Studies (MA) at the University of Southern California
  • Leo McGann (Nigel Lythgoe Television Scholarship): Playwriting (MFA) at Boston University
  • Rhys Jones (Access for All Scholar): Filmmaking (MFA) at NYU Tisch

Notes to Editors:

Full biographies of all the UK and China scholars can be downloaded here.

The BAFTA scholarship programme in New York is made possible through the generous support of its sponsors, including lifelong patron of the arts Michele Spitz (Woman of her Word Scholarship) and Caroline Grist and Charles Tremayne, who have funded a new scholarship in 2017, the John Grist Documentary Scholarship.  

The Pigott/BAFTA Scholarship is supported by a $1 million endowment established by Mark Pigott, KBE. Additional BAFTA Los Angeles scholarship funds are provided thanks to Nigel Lythgoe, Burberry, Howard and Tatiana Lipson and funds raised via the Access For All campaign.

The Bigger Picture, directed and written by 2012 BAFTA scholarship recipient Daisy Jacobs, was named best British Short Animation at the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2015, and was nominated in the Short Film (Animated) category at the Oscars in the same year.

Ian Forbes, BAFTA Scholarship recipient in 2013, was the DoP for Edmond which won the BAFTA for British Short Animation at the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2016.

Two other BAFTA Scholars have worked as DoPs on BAFTA-nominated shorts: Steven Ferguson, also a BAFTA Scholarship recipient in 2013, for short animation Manoman in 2016, and Craig Dean Devine, a BAFTA Scholarship recipient in 2012, for short film Three Brothers in 2015.

Gordon Napier, who was named a Prince William Scholar in 2014, will see his short film 1745 screen at this year’s BFI London Film Festival.

The BAFTA LA Scholarship Program has proved highly successful, with virtually every scholarship recipient graduating to become a working professional in the film and television industries. Previous scholars include filmmakers Sacha Gervasi (Terminal, Anvil! The Story of Anvil), Joby Harold (Edge of Tomorrow, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) and Gil Kenan (Monster House, City of Ember).

For further information, please contact:

In the UK:
Eleanor Pickering / Niyi Akeju at BAFTA
T: 020 7292 5863 / 5865
E: [email protected] / [email protected]

About BAFTA

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For advice and inspiration from the best creative minds in working in film, games and television, 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.