BAFTA announces its Breakthrough 2023 cohort

• Mohnish Singh
• 08 December, 2023

By: Mohnish Singh

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), in association with Netflix, has announced its 2023 BAFTA Breakthrough cohort, featuring 42 creatives working in film, games, and television, from across the UK, US, and India.

In the UK, there are 20 creatives, including creators, writers, directors, producers, designers, a 2D artist, and make-up artists.

The set for India was selected by a jury of industry experts that includes Guneet Monga, Manvendra Shukul, Ratna Pathak Shah, Monika Shergill, and Rajiv Menon.

BAFTA Breakthrough is the arts charity’s flagship talent initiative in partnership with Netflix, providing a springboard to creatives spanning craft specialisms from hair & makeup, production, editing, and games design, to performance, directing, and cinematography.

“BAFTA Breakthrough is a gold standard program. And the fact that we are celebrating our ten-year anniversary is a testament to the dedication of our incredible alumni, industry supporters, juries, and industry advisers,” said BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip. “This year’s cohort is really impressive, having already achieved credits in high-end TV drama, debut films, documentaries, hair and make design; and game design. BAFTA Breakthrough is designed to harness that early success and develop the skills for life-long, rewarding careers. Congratulations to this year’s BAFTA Breakthroughs.”

 

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Guneet Monga Kapoor, BAFTA Breakthrough India Ambassador, and Jury Chair, said: “There is no shortage of creative talent in India as demonstrated by the previous two iterations of Breakthrough. We had a tough time choosing ten deserving candidates from an enormous pool of fresh candidates. It will be exciting to see how they harness BAFTA Breakthrough opportunities to hone their craft on a global stage.”

Monika Shergill, Vice President of Content, Netflix India said: “India has a wealth of emerging talent and we’re thrilled to be able to work with BAFTA on the BAFTA Breakthrough initiative to provide them an opportunity to be chosen. It’s truly rewarding to be able to empower these emerging creatives to showcase and enhance their skills. This year, we’ve identified an incredible group and we look forward to helping to nurture their talents and make this an enriching and once-in-a-lifetime moment for them.”

During the course of the year-long programme, the BAFTA Breakthroughs will receive professional development, industry meetings, and global networking opportunities with the academy’s 12,000-strong global membership, alongside free access to BAFTA events and screenings for 12 months and full BAFTA voting rights on the academy’s world-leading film, games, and television awards. Further details are in the notes to editors.

See the full list of 2023 BAFTA Breakthroughs below.

U.K. BREAKTHROUGHS

Adjani Salmon, writer/performer/exec producer – Dreaming Whilst Black

Bella Ramsey, performer – The Last of Us

Cash Carraway, creator/writer/exec producer – Rain Dogs

Charlotte Regan, writer/director – Scrapper

Cynthia De La Rosa, hair & makeup artist –Everyone Else Burns

Ella Glendining, director – Is There Anybody Out There?

Funmi Olutoye, lead producer – ‘Black History Makers’ (Good Morning Britain)

Georgia Oakley, writer/director – Blue Jean

Holly Reddaway, voice and performance director – Baldur’s Gate 3

Joel Beardshaw, lead designer – Desta: The Memories Between

Kat Morgan, hair & makeup designer – Blue Jean

Kathryn Ferguson, writer/director – Nothing Compares

Kitt (Fiona) Byrne, 2D artist/game designer – Gibbon: Beyond the Trees

Michael Anderson, producer – Desta: The Memories Between

Pete Jackson, writer/creator – Somewhere Boy

Raine Allen-Miller, director – Rye Lane

Rosy McEwen, performer – Blue Jean

Samantha Béart, performer – The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow

Talisha ‘Tee Cee’ Johnson, writer/director/presenter – Too Autistic for Black

Vivian Oparah, performer – Rye Lane

U.S. BREAKTHROUGHS

Amanda Kim, documentary director – Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV

Aminah Nieves, performer – 1923

Apoorva Charan, producer – Joyland

Cheyenne Pualani Morrin, senior games writer – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Edward Buckles Jr. documentary director – Katrina Babies

Gary Gunn, composer – A Thousand and One

Jingyi Shao, writer & director – Chang Can Dunk

Maria Altamirano, producer – All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt

Santiago Gonzalez, cinematographer – Shortcomings

Shelly Yo, writer & director – Smoking Tigers

Sing J Lee, writer & director – The Accidental Getaway Driver

Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, writer & director – Mutt

INDIA BREAKTHROUGHS

Abhay Koranne, writer – Rocket Boys

Abhinav Tyagi, editor – An Insignificant Man

Don Chacko Palathara, director/writer – Joyful Mystery

Kislay, director – Soni

Lipika Singh Darai, director/writer – Some Stories Around Witches

Miriam Chandy Menacherry, producer – From the Shadows and The Leopard’s Tribe

Pooja Rajkumar Rathod, cinematographer – Secrets of the Elephants

Sanal George, sound editor/mixer/designer – Gangubai Kathiawadi

Satya Rai Nagpaul, cinematographer – Ghoomketu

Shardul Bhardwaj, performer – Eeb Allay Ooo!