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About BAFTA

We may be best known for our prestigious awards, but there is a vast spectrum of activity at BAFTA you may be less familiar with.

As a world-leading independent arts charity for the screen industries, we exist to champion talent, recognise exceptional storytelling and make the creative industries  a fairer and more sustainable place.

There is no other charitable organisation in the world that brings together 11,500 extraordinary creative minds across film, games and TV. Our global membership is the very heart of BAFTA. Through this unparalleled professional network and our influence, honed over 75 years as a leading force in UK culture, we convene the screen industries, and drive the progress that is needed on accessibility, inclusion and sustainability in the screen arts.

Behind the scenes, we are doing everything in our power to remove barriers to opportunity so that all talented people have the chance for their work to be seen and recognised for its artistic merit. We encourage talented creatives and practitioners from underrepresented groups to join BAFTA, vote in our awards and become leaders in our industry. From BAFTA bursaries and career development initiatives to our screening and events programme, our year-round activities support and showcase the diverse range of talent in film, games and TV. Our programmes share industry expertise democratically, so that everyone can access the insights they need to progress their career. With global headquarters in London and offices in Cardiff, Glasgow, New York and Los Angeles, we champion and inspire talent wherever it resides.

Our awards are an essential part of what we do. They recognise and celebrate the outstanding storytellers of our time, and the craft that goes into making the films, games and TV shows that enrich our culture. BAFTA members select the nominees and vote for the winners, which means the awards are selected by industry peers.  We work tirelessly to ensure the voting  and campaigning rules for all our awards are fair because we know that a BAFTA nomination or win can be life-changing for those involved. Our awards inspire audiences and game players to discover more, they drive creatives and practitioners to excel, and to tell the stories and design the games that reflect and relate to the lives of everyone.

Our Purpose

Enrich the cultural landscape. Level the playing field. Be progressive. Inspire and celebrate.

Our Mission

We champion creatives and practitioners in film, games and TV, regardless of their background  or life experience. We provide community for our members, and we strive for progressive industry  and cultural practices. We recognise exceptional storytelling through our awards.

Our Vision

People from all backgrounds will have opportunity to thrive in the screen industries, bringing rich and diverse stories for us to celebrate.

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BAFTA's Royal Connections

HRH The Prince of Wales with Uma ThurmanThe Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh made the decision to gift the royalties from Richard Cawston's documentary Royal Family to the SFTA in the early 1970s, enabling the organisation take up residence at 195 Piccadilly.The Queen inspects a steenbeck in one of the viewing rooms at 195 Picadilly at the 1976 opening.The Duke of Edinburgh was the organisation’s first president in 1959, a year after The Society of Film and Television Arts was formed.The Earl Mountbatten of Burma, The Duke of Edinburgh’s uncle, was BAFTA’s president from 1966 to 1972.HRH Princess Anne was Academy president between 1972 – 2001.HRH The Princess Royal presented Lord Grade with the BAFTA Fellowship in 1979.Richard Attenborough and Timothy Burrill, Academy Chair with HRH The Princess Royal, Academy President having received the fellowshiop at the Film and Television Awards in 1983. Sarah, Duchess of York with Prince Andrew, Duke of York at BAFTA Los Angeles' Royal Gala in 1988.HRH The Prince of Wales walks the Orange British Academy Film Awards red carpet before his confirmation as the Academy's fifth President (BAFTA/Richard Kendal).HRH The Prince of Wales arrives on the Orange British Academy Film Awards in 2010 before his confirmation as the Academy's fifth President (BAFTA/Dave Dettman).HRH The Prince of Wales talks to film fans on the Orange British Academy Film Awards red carpet (BAFTA/Richard Kendal).HRH The Prince of Wales says a few words about the British Academy Film Awards Fellowship (BAFTA/Brian Ritchie).The Prince of Wales says a few words about the British Academy Film Awards Fellowship (BAFTA/Brian Ritchie). Uma Thurman warmly welcomes to the stage 2010's British Film Academy Fellow, Vanessa Redgrave (BAFTA/Brian Ritchie).The Royal couple on the BAFTA red carpet in Los Angeles with Amanda Berry