The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is taking its first steps in India with the global expansion of the Breakthrough Initiative, supported by Netflix. This flagship new talent initiative is part of BAFTA’s year-round work to support new talent, operating alongside their Awards ceremonies worldwide. BAFTA Breakthrough India will help facilitate the development of relationships between British talent and India’s homegrown creatives.
BAFTA Breakthrough India is a new international iteration of the highly successful Breakthrough initiative, which has been running in the UK since 2013, China since 2019 and has launched in the USA this year, supporting over 130 emerging talents to date. Encouraging creative and cultural exchange between some of the major centres of film, games, and television in these countries, the programme has supported individuals such as Tom Holland,
Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Jessie Buckley, Josh O’Connor, and Callum Turner. Industry supporters of the initiative in recent years also include actors Oliva Colman, Naomi Harris, Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton, actor-producer Brad Pitt, directors Tom Harper and Barry Jenkins, game designers Brenda Romero and Tim Schafer, and actor-writers Sharon Horgan and Amy Schumer.
In 2020, BAFTA will identify, celebrate, and support up to five exceptional talents working in film, games, or television in India, through this first-of-its-kind program in the country. By showcasing talent globally, BAFTA Breakthrough aims to turbocharge their career success by offering a bespoke programme of support – helping them to learn more about the industry, overcome barriers to progression, and network globally with people who can influence their careers.
Netflix is the official supporting partner for BAFTA Breakthrough, in the UK, USA and India, providing integral support in the global expansion. BAFTA and Netflix share a joint vision to celebrate and provide opportunities for emerging talent across the world, bringing together international communities across global networks, in order to develop and support stories and voices from different cultures.
“BAFTA is uniquely placed to facilitate creative partnerships across the moving arts, being one of the only art charities to work across film, games, and television and on a global scale,” said Tim Hunter, Director of Learning and New Talent, BAFTA. “India is one of the most prolific and accomplished industries and a fascinating centre for the screen arts with lots of creative diversity, which extends far beyond the world-famous ‘Bollywood’. Some of the best practitioners in the world work in Indian film, games, and television – and practitioners from around the world have much to learn from them.”