Beginning next year, the BAFTA Film Awards will include an honor for best children’s and family film, marking the ceremony’s first new category in five years.
BAFTA has announced the categories, eligibility criteria, voting rules and timeline for the 78th EE BAFTA Film Awards, set for February 16, 2025. This year’s updates include the introduction of a new Children’s and Family Film award, revised criteria for the Outstanding British Film category and expanded theatrical screening requirements for Best Film contenders.
The new Children’s and Family Film Award aims to honour films that appeal to inter-generational audiences, marking the first new category addition since the Casting Award in 2020. This inclusion highlights the creative contributions of the children’s media sector.
Speaking about the category and guidelines, Sara Putt, Chair of BAFTA, said: “Four years ago, we rolled out the most comprehensive set of Awards interventions in BAFTA’s history to level the playing field for talented creatives working in the screen arts. We’ve seen the impact of those changes in the four years of entry and voting data since – from more BAFTA voters watching more films than ever before to more women directors being nominated in the last four years than in BAFTA’s 77-year history. And our membership is now more diverse and better represents the talented people in our industry. There is still a long way to go. The mission we set out in the 2020 BAFTA Review continues to be at the heart of our annual rules, eligibility updates and membership advocacy – so that our Awards remain relevant, that they encourage positive industry change, and continue to champion and celebrate the very best in film making.”
Anna Higgs, BAFTA Film Committee Chair, added: “Four years of data from BAFTA View, voting and our membership shows us a wider range of films are being considered from a broader range of perspectives, resulting in a greater variety of talent and films nominated and winning across the board. This meant that the time was right to review categories where juries have played a significant role in recent years. This is a refreshed rulebook that champions our world-class cinema sector, and bolsters our support of the children’s media industry, and creative excellence in British filmmaking. All while continuing to put levelling the playing field at the heart of all we do, because we know it’s still not a fair race from the start. We continue to passionately champion the principle that creative excellence exists in myriad forms. So, whether the work is a blockbuster or a small indie, a debut or a doc, an animation or a film not in the English language – it’s a privilege to help shine a light on these many, magical forms of filmmaking. We can’t wait to see what’s entered.”
The Outstanding British Film category, significant for showcasing British cinema, will now feature a points-based system to clarify eligibility. This system will consider various factors, including the nationality of key personnel and co-production elements, aligning with the BFI cultural test and the new Independent Film Tax Credit.
Changes in the voting process include all BAFTA film voters determining the longlist for Outstanding British Film, similar to the Best Film category. From the 15 longlisted films, the top five will be automatically nominated, with a jury selecting the remaining five nominees.
To ensure wider public access, the minimum requirement for theatrical screenings has been increased. Eligible films must be shown on at least 50 commercial screens in the UK for seven days, totalling at least 350 screenings.
In the Directing category, the longlist and nominations will now be determined solely by the Directing Chapter. The longlist will be reduced to a maximum of 11 entries, maintaining gender parity and inclusivity. The nominations will remain at six, with the winner chosen by all film voters.
Performance categories will continue to involve a mix of jury, Chapter and member voting. The Acting Chapter will now determine all 24 nominations across the four acting categories, with winners decided by all film members.
The definition of a documentary has been updated following industry consultation, and partial use of a jury will continue at the nomination stage. The final winner will be selected by all voters in Round Three.
All members will now be invited to participate in the voting process for the Animation and Film Not in the English Language categories, as opposed to previous rounds determined by an opt-in chapter.
A new Qualifying Festivals List has been introduced for the British Short Animation category, requiring qualifying shorts to have screened at an approved festival.
All categories, except the EE Rising Star Award, are peer-voted by BAFTA’s global membership, comprising nearly 8,000 industry professionals from the British and international film sectors.
