BAFTA/Rowben Lantion - Netflix partnership with BAFTA Breakthrough celebrated as applications for 2023 US cohort enters final weeks
- Attendees included BAFTA Nominee Tim Renkow (Writer/Performer, Jerk) BAFTA Winners Abigail Dankwa (Multi Camera Director, Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast) and Aisha Bywaters (Casting Director, We Are Lady Parts)
- Breakthrough US is open for applications until 5 August
- Photography is available HERE
Today, BAFTA welcomed Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer of Netflix to its headquarters at 195 Piccadilly to meet with past and present participants of BAFTA Breakthrough: a flagship programme, generously supported by Netflix, that spotlights and nurtures the next generation of creative talent in film, games and television.
Sarandos took part in a discussion with BAFTA Chair Krishnendu Majumdar and BAFTA Breakthroughs including BAFTA Nominee Tim Renkow and BAFTA Winners Abigail Dankwa and Aisha Bywaters – a full list of attendees can be found below.
The programme, which celebrates its 10th anniversary next year, cements BAFTA’s mission to support the growth of creative talent across the film, games and TV industries. The scheme expanded globally in 2020 to the US and India, alongside the UK, after its initial national launch in 2013 as Breakthrough Brits.
BAFTA and Netflix are currently seeking the next US cohort, with applications closing on 5 August. BAFTA Breakthrough offers access to unique career development, networking opportunities and bespoke support at a critical ‘breakthrough’ career moment, enabling emerging creatives to build on their success and ensure continued development in their chosen field.
Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer for Netflix said: “It’s always been really important to us at Netflix to support the next generation of upcoming talent, so it’s great to be part of the BAFTA Breakthrough initiative. Supporting hundreds of talented creatives, this programme provides unparalleled access to career development, industry experts and networks that serve as a catalyst for them to get to the next level. It was great to hear first-hand today from UK participants on the impact and we look forward to seeing the next cohort come through.”
Krishnendu Majumdar, Chair of BAFTA added: “Supporting the next generation of creatives through initiatives such as Breakthrough are essential to BAFTA’s mission as an arts charity. Today we had the pleasure of hosting Ted Sarandos and his Netflix team at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly. This was a great opportunity for him to meet UK participants and alumni as part of their programme of bespoke support. We are hugely thankful to Netflix for their generous support and shared values, ensuring that the next generation of talent are inspired, supported, and celebrated in their respective fields and crafts.”
Breakthrough US applications close on Tuesday, 5 August. Breakthrough UK applications have now closed. Participant announcements for the BAFTA Breakthrough 2022 will take place in autumn 2022. For more information about BAFTA Breakthrough in partnership with Netflix, including information about submitting applications: http://www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/breakthrough
ENDS
Notes to Editors
A full list of attendees is below:
2021
Aaron Reid, Cinematographer
Aisha Bywaters, Casting Director - BAFTA winner 2022
Ashley Francis-Roy, Director
Elle Osili-Wood, Presenter Helen Jones, Producer Joanna Haslam, Games Design Director Lyttanya Shannon, Director Rajita Shah, Producer
2020
Abigail Dankwa, Multi Camera Director - BAFTA winner 2021 Rubika Shah, Writer/Director Tim Renkow, Writer/Performer – BAFTA Nominee 2022
2019
Abubakar Salim, Performer
Jen Kenwood, Producer Gemma Langford, Writer/Indie Games Studio Manager
About BAFTA
BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts - 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 more, visit www.bafta.org. BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 216726).
About NETFLIX
Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with 222 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries, feature films and mobile games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.
