09/03/2021 - The overhauling of the awards’ voting process results in an unprecedented European presence in the categories

A new era seems to have begun for the BAFTA awards. After the British Academy of Film and Television Arts decided to overhaul its voting process, following heavy criticism where the awards were accused of shutting out actors of colour in the four acting races and of only ever nominating male filmmakers in the Best Director race, this year’s nominees list is looking more diverse and non-US than ever.

Such is the sea change that an independent British film, Sarah Gavron’s Rocks [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sarah Gavron
film profile], is leading the pack with 7 nominations (including Best Director, Original Screenplay and Outstanding British Film, but not Film), alongside the year’s favourite since its Golden Lion win in Venice, Chloé Zhao’s US title Nomadland (which is nominated for Best Film, and recently triumphed at the Golden Globes – read the news). Another probable result of this new voting method, although it is also a reflection of the lack of studio-produced films (usually directed by men) during this last year, is that both of these leading films are directed by women.

More European co-productions follow hot on their heels. Florian Zeller’s audience darling The Father [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Florian Zeller
film profile] (recently the most nominated European-produced film at the Golden Globes) has landed in 6 categories (including Film, Adapted Screenplay, and Leading Actor for Anthony Hopkins), as well as Emerald Fennell’s hit Promising Young Woman [+see also:
trailer
film profile], co-produced by the Los Angeles branch of US-British company LuckyChap Entertainment. Kevin Macdonald’s The Mauritanian [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], a UK-US co-production, also succeeded with a total of 5 nominations (including Film, Adapted Screenplay, and Leading Actor for Tahar Rahim), and Simon Stone's The Dig received the same amount of nods.

The most surprising part of these nominations may be the presence of several directors of non-English-language films in the Best Director category. Denmark’s Thomas Vinterberg is included with Another Round [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which received a stunning total of 4 nominations (also vying for Original Screenplay, Leading Actor for Mads Mikkelsen, and Film Not In The English Language), and so is Jasmila Žbanić for Quo Vadis, Aida? [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jasmila Žbanić
film profile] (also nominated for Film Not In The English Language).

Other remarkable European entries are to be celebrated, such as Ladj Ly’s Les Misérables [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ladj Ly
film profile] and Andrey Konchalovskiy’s Dear Comrades! [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] in Best Film Not In The English Language, Alexander Nanau’s Collective [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] in Best Documentary, Matteo Garrone’s Pinocchio [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] in Best Makeup & Hair and Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart’s Wolfwalkers [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] in Best Animated Film.

Lastly, in a list of nominees full of what might look like inconsistencies but which could only be a sign of diversity, a generally welcome novelty is the expansion of the British presence in the awards, with a total of 10 films vying for Outstanding British Film and the appearance of British talent in the general categories.

The full list of nominees:

Best Film
The Father [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Florian Zeller
film profile] – Florian Zeller (UK/France)
The Mauritanian [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Kevin Macdonald (UK/USA)
Nomadland – Chloé Zhao (USA)
Promising Young Woman [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Emerald Fennell (USA/UK)
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 – Aaron Sorkin (USA)

Outstanding British Film
Calm With Horses [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Nick Rowland (UK/Ireland)
The Dig – Simon Stone (UK)
The Father – Florian Zeller
His House – Remi Weekes (UK)
Limbo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ben Sharrock
film profile] – Ben Sharrock (UK)
The Mauritanian – Kevin Macdonald
Mogul Mowgli [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bassam Tariq
film profile] – Bassam Tariq (UK)
Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell
Rocks [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sarah Gavron
film profile] – Sarah Gavron (UK)
Saint Maud [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rose Glass
film profile] – Rose Glass (UK)

Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer
His House - Remi Weekes (Writer/Director)
Limbo - Ben Sharrock (Writer/Director), Irune Gurtubai (Producer) [also produced by Angus Lamont]
Moffie - Jack Sidey (Writer/Producer) [also written by Oliver Hermanus and produced by Eric Abraham]
Rocks - Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson (Writers)
Saint Maud - Rose Glass (Writer/Director), Oliver Kassman (Producer) [also produced by Andrea Cornwell]

Best Director
Thomas Vinterberg - Another Round [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Denmark/Sweden/Netherlands)
Shannon Murphy - Babyteeth (Australia)
Lee Isaac Chung - Minari (USA)
Chloé Zhao - Nomadland
Jasmila Žbanić - Quo Vadis, Aida? [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jasmila Žbanić
film profile] (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Austria/Romania/France/ Netherlands/Germany/Poland/Norway/Turkey)
Sarah Gavron - Rocks

Best Leading Actress
Bukky Bakray - Rocks
Radha Blank - The Forty-Year-Old Version (USA)
Vanessa Kirby - Pieces Of A Woman [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kornél Mundruczó and Kata W…
film profile] (Canada/Hungary)
Frances McDormand - Nomadland
Wunmi Mosaku - His House
Alfre Woodard - Clemency (USA)

Best Leading Actor
Riz Ahmed - Sound of Metal (USA)
Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (USA)
Adarsh Gourav - The White Tiger (USA/India)
Anthony Hopkins - The Father
Mads Mikkelsen - Another Round
Tahar Rahim - The Mauritanian

Best Supporting Actress
Niamh Algar - Calm With Horses
Kosar Ali - Rocks
Maria Bakalova - Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (USA)
Dominique Fishback - Judas And The Black Messiah (USA)
Ashley Madekwe - County Lines [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (UK/Belgium)
Yuh-Jung Youn - Minari

Best Supporting Actor
Daniel Kaluuya - Judas And The Black Messiah
Barry Keoghan - Calm With Horses
Alan Kim - Minari
Leslie Odom Jr. - One Night In Miami… (USA)
Clarke Peters - Da 5 Bloods (USA)
Paul Raci - Sound of Metal

Best Film Not In The English Language
Another Round – Thomas Vinterberg
Dear Comrades! [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Andrey Konchalovskiy (Russia)
Les Misérables [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ladj Ly
film profile] – Ladj Ly (France)
Minari – Lee Isaac Chung
Quo Vadis, Aida? – Jasmila Žbanić

Best Documentary
Collective [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Alexander Nanau (Romania/Luxembourg)
David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet - Alastair Fothergill, Jonathan Hughes, Keith Scholey (USA)
The Dissident - Bryan Fogel (USA)
My Octopus Teacher - Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed (South Africa)
The Social Dilemma - Jeff Orlowski (USA)

Best Animated Film
Onward – Dan Scanlon (USA)
Soul – Pete Docter, Kemp Powers (USA)
Wolfwalkers [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart (Ireland/Luxembourg/France)

Best Original Screenplay
Tobias Lindholm, Thomas Vinterberg - Another Round
Jack Fincher – Mank (USA)
Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman
Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson - Rocks
Aaron Sorkin - The Trial Of The Chicago 7

Best Adapted Screenplay
Moira Buffini - The Dig
Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller - The Father
Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani, M.B. Traven - The Mauritanian
Chloé Zhao - Nomadland
Ramin Bahrani - The White Tiger

Best Original Score
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross - Mank
Emile Mosseri - Minari
James Newton Howard - News of The World (USA)
Anthony Willis - Promising Young Woman
Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross - Soul

Best Casting
Shaheen Baig - Calm with Horses
Alexa L. Fogel - Judas and The Black Messiah
Julia Kim - Minari
Lindsay Graham Ahanonu, Mary Vernieu - Promising Young Woman
Lucy Pardee - Rocks

Best Cinematography
Sean Bobbitt - Judas and The Black Messiah
Erik Messerschmidt - Mank
Alwin H Küchler - The Mauritanian
Dariusz Wolski - News of The World
Joshua James Richards - Nomadland

Best Editing
Yorgos Lamprinos - The Father
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
Frédéric Thoraval - Promising Young Woman
Mikkel EG Nielsen - Sound Of Metal
Alan Baumgarten - The Trial Of The Chicago 7

Best Production Design
Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana Macdonald - The Dig
Peter Francis, Cathy Featherstone - The Father
Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale - Mank
David Crank, Elizabeth Keenan - News of The World
Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer - Rebecca [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (UK)

Best Costume Design
Michael O’connor – Ammonite [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (UK/USA/Australia)
Alice Babidge - The Dig
Alexandra Byrne – Emma [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (UK)
Ann Roth - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Trish Summerville - Mank

Best Make Up & Hair
Jenny Shircore - The Dig
Patricia Dehaney, Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle - Hillbilly Elegy (USA)
Matiki Anoff, Larry M. Cherry, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Kimberley Spiteri, Gigi Williams – Mank
Mark Coulier – Pinocchio [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] (Italy/France)

Best Sound
Tbc – Greyhound (USA)
Michael Fentum, William Miller, Mike Prestwood Smith, John Pritchett, Oliver Tarney - News of the World
Sergio Diaz, Zach Seivers, M Wolf Snyder – Nomadland
Coya Elliott, Ren Klyce, David Parker – Soul
Jaime Baksht, Nicolas Becker, Phillip Bladh, Carlos Cortés, Michelle Couttolenc - Sound of Metal

Best Special Visual Effects
Pete Bebb, Nathan Mcguinness, Sebastian Von Overheidt - Greyhound
Matt Kasmir, Chris Lawrence, David Watkins - The Midnight Sky (USA)
Sean Faden, Steve Ingram, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury – Mulan (USA)
Santiago Colomo Martinez, Nick Davis, Greg Fisher - The One And Only Ivan (USA)
Scott Fisher, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Lockley – Tenet [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (UK/USA)

Best British Short Film
Eyelash – Jesse Lewis Reece
Lizard – Akinola Davies
Lucky Break – John Addis
Miss Curvy – Ghada Eldemellawy
The Present - Farah Nabulsi

Best British Short Animation
The Fire Next Time - Renaldho Pele
The Owl And The Pussycat - Mole Hill
The Song Of A Lost Boy - Daniel Quirke

BAFTA EE Rising Star
Bukky Bakray
Kingsley Ben-Adir
Morfydd Clark
Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù
Conrad Khan