The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has extended the deadline for submission of applications for BAFTA Breakthrough India by one week, from November 30, 2021, to December 6, 2021.

 

The initiative, supported by Netflix generated a consistently high flow of applications from all across India, leading to an extension of the application deadline by two weeks. The BAFTA Breakthrough India initiative marks BAFTA’s arrival in India, showcasing and propelling the upcoming generation of creative talent in film, games and television globally alongside talent selected from the UK, USA and China.

 

‘BAFTA Breakthrough India’ is the international version of the highly successful Breakthrough initiative, which has been running in the UK since 2013, China since 2019 and launched in the USA and India in 2020, supporting over 160 emerging talents to date.

 

Encouraging creative and cultural exchange between some of the major centres of film, games, and television in these countries, and (now) India; the programme has supported individuals such as Tom Holland, Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Jessie Buckley, Josh O’Connor, and Callum Turner. Supporters of the initiative in recent years also include actors Olivia Colman 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, the company said in a statement.

 

The candidates who will eventually be hand-picked by BAFTA Breakthrough India will receive the opportunity to take part in a year-long mentoring and guidance program.

 

The chosen participants will receive one-to-one mentoring, global networking opportunities, free access to BAFTA events and screenings for 12 months, and full voting BAFTA membership.

 

The chosen talent will also connect with and learn from some of the best in the British and Indian creative industries, share their expertise with peers around the world, gain access to opportunities beyond geographical borders, and be promoted as BAFTA Breakthrough artists globally. 

 

The eligibility criteria state that applicants must be over 18 years of age at the time of submission, primary residents of India for at least 2 years, and conversationally fluent in English.

 

To encourage cross-cultural dialogue in film, games, and television, this programme is looking for candidates who would be willing to collaborate and share their expertise with UK practitioners and/or produce content for UK audiences.

 

AR Rahman, BAFTA Breakthrough India Ambassador, said, “India has so much potential for rising talent owing to its diversity. We are delighted to extend the application deadline for BAFTA Breakthrough India by a week, which will allow our country’s rising talent from film, games and television an extended chance to avail of this opportunity and apply for the programme.”

 

“We encourage everyone who’s been thinking to sign up, even if they applied in the previous year, to get on board and apply. This programme would not only help new talent explore new avenues and enable them to network with experts across the globe, but also discover themselves and identify their strengths and weaknesses,” Rahman added.

 

Tim Hunter, Executive Director of Learning & Talent said, “As India is such a melting pot of talent, it’s the perfect place to foster the creative and cultural exchange which BAFTA Breakthrough is designed to foster. We’re so pleased to see the high standard of exceptional talent coming forward from every corner of the country, and are extending the application deadline by a week to December 6, to encourage even more people to put themselves forward for this exciting opportunity to network and learn from our global network of Breakthroughs.”