BAFTA & Dunhill Unveil BAFTA Elevate’s 20 New Documentary And Specialist Factual Changemakers

CITY OF LIVERPOOL, LIVERPOOL CITY REGION.

BAFTA Elevate Initiative Empowers Individuals From Underrepresented Backgrounds To Progress Their Careers In Film & Television

BAFTA Elevate initiative empowers individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to progress their careers in film and television (Credit: BAFTA/Kate Peters/Supplied/Image was provided to The Liverpudlian with permission to share, courtesy of the Publicist on behalf of their client. We make no claim to this content).

BAFTA reveals the 20 documentary and specialist factual trailblazers selected to join BAFTA Elevate, a bespoke programme of professional development.

A distinguished jury of industry experts led by Hilary Rosen, Chair of BAFTA’s Television Committee and UKTV, Director of Commissioning, selected 20 outstanding UK-based development producers, producers, directors and producer-directors. These talented individuals, who identify as minority ethnic, disabled and/or from low socio-economic backgrounds, will receive two years of invaluable support to accelerate their careers. (A full list of this year’s jury is available in the notes to editors).

Now in its fifth edition, BAFTA Elevate is shifting its focus to documentary and specialist factual in response to industry consultations conducted by BAFTA. Research findings revealed a concerning lack of opportunities for individuals from underrepresented groups to progress to decision-maker roles.

BAFTA Elevate participants will receive a tailored programme of support that includes networking opportunities, masterclasses, workshops and panel discussions. Industry introductions are also a vital component of the initiative and will kickstart this evening as the cohort attend the dunhill Film Makers Dinner in celebration of BAFTA Elevate.

“This year’s applicants were outstanding, and we had to make some tough choices. The group has already created some eye-catching and impactful work and could not be more deserving of the support and championship that Elevate will provide. I look forward to seeing how these 20 talented individuals will shape the future of our industry.” - Hilary Rosen, UKTV, Director of Commissioning and BAFTA Elevate Jury Chair.

The annual dunhill Film Makers dinner, a fixture of the awards season social calendar, celebrates the British film industry, bringing together both emerging and established talent from on screen and behind the scenes, driving cultural dialogue and creating community and connection.

The dunhill and BAFTA Elevate partnership sees this year’s event evolve, providing an opportunity to introduce and honour the incoming cohort, facilitate a key networking moment and reinforce the House’s commitment to promoting positive change within the industry.

The 20 creatives taking part in the fifth edition of BAFTA Elevate are (in alphabetical order):

• Ahmed Peerbux

• Ali Naushahi

• Ayse Toprak

• Cara Bowen

• Dhivya Kate Chetty

• Eddie Hutton-Mills

• Georgie Yukiko Donovan

• Janette Hodds

• Jemma Gander

• Laura Gilbert

• Liana Stewart

• Margareta Szabo

• Nacressa Swan

• Poppy Jay

• Rajesh Thind

• Roxy Rezvany

• Sarah Conner

• Stephanie Wessell

• Thomas Macnab

• Vanessa Van-Yeboah

Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA, said: “Congratulations to the 20 brilliant practitioners selected for this year’s BAFTA Elevate talent programme, and a heartfelt thank you to our jurors, consultants, and our partner dunhill.  It would simply not be possible to run programmes such as Elevate without partnership and the generous participation of industry advisers. Together, we are ensuring a future for documentary and specialist factual that is richer, fairer and more inclusive.”

Andrew Holmes, CEO ad interim of dunhill, said: “dunhill is immensely proud to support BAFTA Elevate, to help amplify voices from underrepresented backgrounds and develop the next generation of documentary and specialist factual changemakers. I am thrilled to congratulate the 20 talented individuals who have made it onto this year’s programme and welcome the cohort to our annual dunhill Film Makers dinner – a special moment to celebrate this incredible achievement and toast to their future success.”

Hilary Rosen, UKTV, Director of Commissioning and BAFTA Elevate Jury Chair, said: “This year’s applicants were outstanding, and we had to make some tough choices. The group has already created some eye-catching and impactful work and could not be more deserving of the support and championship that Elevate will provide. I look forward to seeing how these 20 talented individuals will shape the future of our industry.”

Harjeet Chhokar, Amazon MGM Studios, Unscripted Development Executive and BAFTA Elevate Consultant, said: “Documentary and specialist factual thrive on authenticity and uncovering untold stories. This is why it's especially important to boost underrepresented voices in this area of the industry who can bring fresh perspectives and challenge how we see the world. This year's cohort is truly exceptional—they've already achieved so much and have so much more to say. I'm thrilled to be working with them over the next two years as a BAFTA Elevate consultant, and to watch their journeys from here.”

BAFTA Elevate works with industry consultants who support the cohort and initiative throughout its two-year run. Practitioners are also from underrepresented groups and are passionate advocates for driving inclusion and nurturing talent in the industry. Their vital role within the initiative is to act as industry guides, mentors and advocates.

The consultants for the fifth edition of BAFTA Elevate are (in alphabetical order):

• Harjeet Chhokar – Unscripted Development Executive, Amazon MGM Studios

• Milène Larsson – Executive Producer, BBC Eye

• Natasha Dack Ojumu – Co-Founder, Tigerlily Productions and Tigerlily Two

• Pat Younge – Founder, Skin In The Game Studios

• Shaminder Nahal – Head of Specialist Factual, Channel 4

To date, BAFTA Elevate has supported 74 practitioners from under-represented backgrounds to advance their careers. Recent participants include Ameenah Ayub Allen (Rocks), Barrington Paul Robinson (The Responder), Dominique Unsworth (Little English), and Bushra Siddiq (Dispatches) who sat on this year’s BAFTA Elevate jury.

BAFTA Elevate initiative empowers individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to progress their careers in film and television (Credit: BAFTA/Kate Peters/Supplied/Image was provided to The Liverpudlian with permission to share, courtesy of the Publicist on behalf of their client. We make no claim to this content).

The jurors for the fifth edition of BAFTA Elevate are (in alphabetical order):

• Alex Cooke – CEO and Co-founder Renegade Pictures and Chair of Sheffield DocFest

• Andy Mundy-Castle – Founder, Doc Hearts

• Anna Dickeson – Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, BBC

• Anouk Berendsen – Head of Talent, All3Media

• Bruce Fletcher – Commissioning Editor, Sky Docs

• Bushra Siddiq – Senior Development Producer and Senior Producer

• Chloe Symonds – Head of Development, Raw

• Dani Carlaw – Head of Unscripted, Screen Scotland, Chair of BAFTA Scotland Committee

• Hilary Rosen – Director of Commissioning UKTV, Chair of BAFTA Television Committee and BAFTA Elevate Jury Chair

• Kim Longinotto – Director

• Luke Moody – Head of the BFI Doc Society Fund

• Nicole Kleeman – Managing Director, Firecrest Films

• Reva Sharma – Head of Original Documentaries, Netflix

• Sreya Biswas – Director of Programmes, BBC Studios Natural History Unit

• William Oliver – Chief Brand Officer, dunhill