BAFTA Breakthrough is celebrating its ten-year anniversary this year … and we speak to some of the UK Breakthroughs …
BAFTA has revealed the 32 creatives from across the UK and US selected for BAFTA Breakthrough 2023 . BAFTA Breakthrough is the arts charity’s flagship talent initiative that provides a springboard to creatives in film, games and TV, Breakthrough participants receive unique professional development support from BAFTA – from coaching and mentoring to networking opportunities with BAFTA’s global membership of key industry figures.
The programme has supported over 200 people to date across the UK, US and India, which is a testament to its continued success and massive impact. Many alumni have gone on to develop their own feature films, games, and television series, earning significant industry recognition and acclaim, and even securing their own BAFTA wins and nominations.
The 2023 Breakthrough UK jury comprised of leading cross-industry figures led by BAFTA sector committee chairs and members including Ade Rawcliffe, Sara Putt, Emily Stillman, Emma Morgan, and Anisa Sanusi in the UK.
TBB spoke to the following UK based BAFTA Breakthroughs:
TBB Talks To … Raine Allen-Miller | Director
Breakthrough credit: Debut Film – Rye Lane
“I struggle with anxiety and depression, it’s hard to manage sometimes, especially when things are busy. I do CBT therapy which has helped me a lot, I also don’t use Instagram as much anymore which has honestly been a game changer. I try very hard not to work on the weekends, even though my work is my hobby and my life, I need to have space from it, that has helped me a lot and I think I am a better filmmaker when I do this.“
Read Raine Allen-Miller’s full interview here.
TBB Talks To … Adjani Salmon – Writer / Performer / Exec Producer
Breakthrough Credit: Dreaming Whilst Black
“I became a hyphenate out of necessity. I wanted to become a director. I wrote because I needed scripts to direct. I acted because I couldn’t afford actors to say the lines in my script. I fell in love with the other elements (writing and actors) as I love storytelling and all those roles are storytelling skills.“
Read Adjani Salmon’s full interview here.
TBB Talks To … Cynthia De La Rosa – Hair & Makeup Artist
Breakthrough Credit: Everyone Else Burns
“I am a Hair and Makeup designer because I think that it is one of the most important forms of storytelling- and one of the most underrated as well. I am a true believer that whatever is going on on the inside of a person/character, projects itself on their outsides. Our craft is often so subtle but often immediately informs the audience about how a character is feeling, how they are living, and what a character’s socioeconomic status is. Not only does our work influence an audience’s perception of a character, but it is an important tool for the actor, and can have a profound effect on how well an actor feels in order to do their role.“
Read Cynthia De La Rosa’s full interview here.
TBB Talks To … Talisha ‘Tee Cee’ Johnson – Writer / Director / Presenter
Breakthrough Credit: Too Autistic For Black
“It definitely feels like marking a milestone in terms of how far along I’ve come in my career. I’m hoping to develop both personally and professionally by soaking up as much information as possible, making the most of opportunities and using this time to network with other industry pro’s in the cohort as well as those associated with BAFTA and the breakthrough initiative.“
Read Talisha ‘Tee Cee’ Johnson’s full interview here.
TBB Talkst To … Funmi Olutoye – Lead Producer
Breakthrough Credit:Black History Makers
“I know the power the media has to shape public opinion and to be “edutainment”. Because of this, it means you have the ability and privilege to really spread light and positivity into the world. It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly.“
Read Funmi Olutoye’s full interview here.
The full list of this year’s BAFTA Breakthroughs is as follows:
UK Breakthroughs
- Bella Ramsey (they / them) | Performer – The Last of Us
- Vivian Oparah (she / her) | Performer – Rye Lane
- Raine Allen-Miller (she / her) | Director – Rye Lane
- Charlotte Regan (she / her) | Writer / Director – Scrapper
- Adjani Salmon (he / him) | Writer / Performer / Exec Producer – Dreaming Whilst Black
- Cash Carraway (she / her) | Creator / Writer / Exec Producer – Rain Dogs
- Pete Jackson (he / him) | Writer / Creator – Somewhere Boy
- Rosy McEwen (she / her) | Performer – Blue Jean
- Georgia Oakley (she / her) | Writer / Director – Blue Jean
- Kat Morgan (she / her) | Hair & Makeup Designer – Blue Jean
- Kathryn Ferguson (she / her) | Writer / Director – Nothing Compares
- Talisha ‘Tee Cee’ Johnson (she / her) | Writer / Director / Presenter – Too Autistic For Black
- Funmi Olutoye (she / her) | Lead Producer – Black History Makers
- Ella Glendining (she / her) | Director – Is There Anybody Out There?
- Cynthia de la Rosa (she / her) | Hair & Makeup Artist – Everyone Else Burns
- Holly Reddaway (she / they) | Lead Voice Director – Bandai Namco
- Joel Beardshaw (he / they) | Lead Designer – Desta: The Memories Between
- Michael Anderson (he / him) | Producer – Desta: The Memories Between
- Samantha Béart (she / they) | Performer – The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow
- Kitt (Fiona) Burn (she / her) | 2D Artist / Game Designer – Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
- US Breakthroughs
- Aminah Nieves | Performer -1923
- Jingyi Shao | Writer / Director – Chang Can Dunk
- Cheyenne Morrin | Senior Games Writer – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Sing J Lee | Writer / Director – The Accidental Getaway Driver
- Vuk Lungulov-Klotz | Writer / Director – Mutt
- Shelly Yo | Writer / Director – Smoking Tigers
- Edward Buckles Jr | Documentary Director – Katrina Babies
- Amanda Kim | Documentary Director – Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV
- Maria Altamirano | Producer – All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
- Apoorva Charan | Producer – Joyland
- Santiago Gonzalez | Cinematographer – Shortcomings
- Gary Gunn | Composer – A Thousand and One
BAFTA Breakthrough is supported by Netflix. For more information about BAFTA BREAKTHROUGH 2023 go to the BAFTA website here
