BAFTA Unveils UK & U.S. Juries For Breakthrough Talent Showcase

Tom Grater
·2 min read

BAFTA has unveiled the jurors for its Breakthrough initiative, the talent showcase that from this year is expanding to include participants from the U.S., China and India.

The UK and U.S. selectees will be unveiled on November 16, with applications opening for India and China later this year. The initiative highlights rising talent from the film, TV and games industries. More info on the program’s new incarnation is available here.

Two juries have been appointed to select the participants. The UK jury will be led by Ade Rawcliffe, Group Director of Diversity and Inclusion at ITV, with select jurors including actress Fiona Shaw and filmmaker Amma Asante. The U.S. jury will be headed by Sony TV exec Kathryn Busby and all3media’s Maria Ishak, with select jurors including No Time To Die director Cary Fukunaga and I May Destroy You actor Paapa Essiedu. The full list of jurors is below.

Previously known as BAFTA Breakthrough Brits, the initiative has in the past selected more than 130 newcomers, including Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Josh O’Connor and Malachi Kirby. Alongside actors, it also picks directors, writers and producers, and professionals from the world of games.

Full list of 2020 UK Jurors:
● Ade Rawcliffe – Chair | Group Director of Diversity and Inclusion at ITV
● Alison Owen – Producer
● Amma Asante – Filmmaker, screenwriter
● Clare Stewart – Festival Director
● Dan Grabiner – UK Head of Unscripted at Amazon Studios
● Edward Enninful – Editor-In-Chief, British Vogue
● Fiona Shaw – Actor
● Garry Napper – Game Director, Supermassive Games Ltd
● Jim Jagger – Director of Animation, Rockstar Games
● Jodie Azhar – Games Developer
● Kate Townsend – Director, Original Documentary at Netflix
● Melissa Johns – Actor
● Nicole Taylor – Screenwriter
● Rami Ismail – Games Developer
● Sara Putt – Craft Agent, Founder of Sara Putt Associates

Full list of 2020 U.S. Jurors:
● Bao Nguyen – Director
● Cary Fukunaga – Director
● John Romero – Games Developer
● Kathryn Busby – Co-Chair | Chair of BAFTA LA and Executive Vice President,
Development & Programming, Sony Television/TriStar Television
● Laura Bailey – Games Performer
● Louise Chater – Entertainment Strategist
● Maria Ishak – Co-Chair | Chair of BAFTA New York and Senior Vice President, North
America Sales, all3media
● Mary Ramos – Music Supervisor
● Nicole Stott – Producer
● Paapa Essiedu – Actor
● Patrick Connolly – Senior Vice President, Programming and Marketing, AMC
Networks

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