Now in its 10th year, the program fosters new global collaborations by supporting rising UK practitioners who have recently moved to Los Angeles to further their development and career.
The Newcomers Program is a key component to BAFTA’s international activity. The program recognizes the long and fruitful legacy of UK talents moving to the US to expand their knowledge, develop their skills, and expand their network of peers. BAFTA Los Angeles sees its Newcomers as the next wave of film, games, and television professionals who will go on to continue the tradition of successful collaborations between the US and UK industries.
“We are thrilled to be recognizing such a diverse cross-section of talent among this year’s Newcomers,” said Chantal Rickards, CEO of BAFTA Los Angeles. “Today’s industry is built upon many years of successful, international collaborations and so BAFTA is proud to support this year’s talented group and look forward to seeing everything that they have to offer.”
A two-year initiative, this year’s group contains 31 participants, including 8 Actors, 7 Directors, 6 Producers, 3 Composers, 2 Art Directors, 2 Screenwriters, 1 Agent, 1 Executive and 1 Publicist. These recipients are divided into two groups – one group that is entering their first year in the program, and the other entering its second.
Below is the full list of Newcomers:
NEWCOMER – FIRST YEAR GROUP
- Abby Ajayi, Screenwriter
- Sicily Cronin, Film Publicist
- Nicholas Horton, Development Producer
- Louise Houghton, TV Presenter, Journalist, Actress
- Kitty Kaletsky, Producer
- Sohm Kapila, Actress
- Wing Hang (Peter) Lam, Composer
- Adam Linzey, Writer/Director/Cinematographer
- Luca Malacrino, Actor
- James McNamara, Screenwriter
- James McWilliam, Composer & Orchestral Arranger
- Alicia Sadler, TV Producer, Shooter, Stylist
- Fagun Thakrar, Actress/Producer
- Iesh Thapar, Writer/Director
- Emma Weston, Student – USC, MFA in Film/TV Production, Art Direction
NEWCOMERS – SECOND YEAR GROUP
- Carina Birrell, Actor
- Andy Blackburn, Director
- Marcus Chan, Screenwriter/Director
- Menik Gooneratne, Actor
- Ben Gutteridge, Screenwriter/Director
- Heather Harris, Director
- Guy Hepworth, Product Manager – Hulu
- Ruaraidh Hunter, Agent
- Anna Jones, Screenwriter/Director
- Gavin Laing, Producer
- James Longman, Producer
- Gary McMonnies, Art Director
- Alex Polunin, Producer
- Nicola Posener, Actor
- Emily Rice, Composer
- Emma West, Actor
Full details are available online at: https://www.bafta.org/los-angeles/events-initiatives/supporting-talent/meet-the-newcomers
This initiative bolsters BAFTA Los Angeles’ work within the Access for All campaign, a commitment to ensuring that talented individuals are offered a clear pathway to careers in the entertainment industry, uninhibited by background, demographics or personal circumstance. The campaign also includes scholarship, education and community initiatives, allowing the organization to discover, support and nurture talented professionals.
For further information:
Elyse Weissman at SLATE PR
310-461-0114
[email protected]
