Tuesday 7th January 2020, the EE BAFTA nominations are announced …
Actors Ella Balinska (Charlie’s Angels) and Asa Butterfield (Sex Education) followed CEO of BAFTA Amanda Barry who introduced proceedings. Unfortunately in regard to diversity and representation, this will be a very short article.
Vote for Micheal Ward star of Top Boy and Blue Story in the EE Rising Star category here.
Other than that, no recognition for Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Nor Shola Amoo’s The Last Tree, or Rapman’s Blue Story. No mention of Cynthia Erivo for Harriet or Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Farming (which is being horrendously overlooked for reasons I can’t fathom). Arguably, of the films mentioned, Chiwetel and Adewale’s films are the strongest contenders when you consider the type of films BAFTA recognises. If we really look at this super critically, Damson Idris as lead character Enitan in Farming pulls off a performance you’d be hard-pressed not to commend.
Also, this year is the first time Casting gets its own recognition, where possibly Aisha Bywaters could have been given a nod for all her hard casting work over the years and brilliant casting with The Last Tree… but no.
Usually, I call out the UK film industry for not doing enough to get diverse stories to the big screen. They still deserve to be told off, but BAFTA members, all 6700 of you, really? The only films made by, and with an ethnically diverse narrative recognised at this year’s BAFTA’s are Parasite and For Sama.
I repeat vote for Micheal Ward star of Top Boy and Blue Story in the EE Rising Star category here