The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced new rules for films competing for the BAFTA Film Awards’ Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. Per Variety, “Films submitted must meet two of the BFI’s quartet of core diversity standards. These cover on-screen representation, project leadership, work experience, and audience access.”
“We want to encourage, educate, and support the industry to embed the diversity standards across all decision-making, which will bring real and lasting change needed to allow the UK’s screen industries to benefit from the cultural and commercial benefits that real inclusion brings,” said Amanda Nevill, CEO of the BFI.
BAFTA originally unveiled this plan in 2016. The organization was most likely motivated to lock down its details after this year’s Film Awards, which drew criticism for their lack of diversity. Only two of the 20 acting nominations went to non-white actors, and women were shut out of the best director category for the fifth consecutive year.
Rungano Nyoni won 2018’s Outstanding Debut BAFTA for “I Am Not a Witch.” Outstanding British Film went to Frances McDormand-starrer “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”
While the new criteria will help ensure diversity “at an industrial level,” they aren’t a fool-proof guarantee for more inclusive nominations, the source reports. At the end of the day the nominees are chosen by BAFTA members. Marc Samuelson, chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee, also pointed out that applying these diversity standards to other award categories would be difficult since many movies up for consideration are produced outside the UK.
Although the new diversity standards won’t completely fix the film industry’s systemic bias against women and people of color, they’re a start, and hopefully a promise of things to come. Earlier this year BAFTA and BFI jointly introduced the Eight Principles & Guidelines, recommendations to help combat on-set sexual harassment and misconduct and bullying.
