British Academy of Film and Television Arts facts for kids

For the BAFTA Awards, see British Academy Film Awards.

Quick facts for kids
British Academy of Film and Television Arts

Abbreviation	BAFTA
Formation	16 April 1947; 78 years ago (1947-04-16) (as British Film Academy)
Type	Trade association
Purpose	Supporting, promotes and developing the art of film, television and video games
Headquarters	Piccadilly London, W1J United Kingdom
Region served	United Kingdom United States
Membership	Approximately 13,500
Official language	English
President	The Prince of Wales (since 2010)
Chairman	Krishnendu Majumdar
Chief executive	Jane Millichip

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a special group that helps movies, TV shows, and video games in the United Kingdom. It's a charity that supports and promotes these creative arts. Besides its famous award shows, BAFTA also runs many learning events. These events include workshops, masterclasses, and scholarships. They help new talent in the UK and the United States.

BAFTA is well-known for its annual award ceremonies. The British Academy Film Awards have been held since 1949. The British Academy Television Awards started in 1955. Their third big ceremony, the British Academy Games Awards, began in 2004.

How BAFTA Began

BAFTA started in 1947 as the British Film Academy. It was founded by famous directors like David Lean and Alexander Korda. Other important people in the British film industry also helped create it.

David Lean was the first chairman. The very first Film Awards ceremony happened in May 1949. It celebrated films like The Best Years of Our Lives and Odd Man Out.

Later, in 1953, a group called the Guild of Television Producers and Directors was formed. They held their first awards in October 1954. In 1958, this group joined with the British Film Academy. Together, they became the Society of Film and Television Arts. The Duke of Edinburgh led their first meeting at Buckingham Palace.

BAFTA's Home at 195 Piccadilly

BAFTA's home at 195 Piccadilly in 2010

The Society of Film and Television Arts bought a historic building at 195 Piccadilly. This building used to be called Prince's Hall. In 1976, Queen Elizabeth, The Duke of Edinburgh, and other royals officially opened it. In March 1976, the group officially became the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

In 2016, BAFTA started a big renovation of its building. The project cost over £33 million. It doubled the building's space and added a new floor. This new floor is now used for BAFTA's learning programs. The updated building officially reopened in 2022.

How BAFTA Works

BAFTA is a membership organization. It has about 8,000 members from all over the world. These members are creative people and professionals in the film, TV, and games industries.

BAFTA does not get money from the government. It relies on membership fees, donations, and partnerships. This money helps support its important work.

BAFTA has offices in Scotland and Wales in the UK. It also has offices in Los Angeles and New York in the United States. They even hold events in Hong Kong and mainland China.

Jane Millichip has been the chief executive of BAFTA since October 2022.

BAFTA's Programs

Besides its famous award shows, BAFTA runs many educational programs all year. These include film screenings, Q&A sessions, and talks with industry experts. BAFTA holds over 250 events each year. Their goal is to inspire and teach the next generation of talent. They provide a platform for experts to share their knowledge.

Scholarship Programs

BAFTA offers several scholarship programs in the UK, US, and Asia.

The UK program started in 2012. It helps talented British students who need financial support. These students can study film, TV, or games in the UK. Each BAFTA Scholar gets money for their course fees. They also get a mentor from BAFTA and free access to BAFTA events. Since 2013, three students each year have received special scholarships. These are the Prince William Scholarships in Film, Television and Games.

In the US, BAFTA Los Angeles helps British students studying there. They also give scholarships to local students in Los Angeles. BAFTA New York's scholarship program helps students studying media in New York City.

Since 2015, BAFTA has also offered scholarships for British citizens to study in China, and for Chinese citizens to study in the UK.

Albert Initiative

BAFTA started an organization called Albert in 2011. Albert helps promote sustainable film and television production. It has a tool to calculate carbon footprints and offers certification. Many major UK TV productions must use Albert's carbon calculator. This helps make TV and film more environmentally friendly.

BAFTA Awards

BAFTA gives out awards for film, television, and games. This includes awards for children's entertainment. These ceremonies happen across the UK and in Los Angeles.

The BAFTA Award Trophy

The BAFTA award, designed by Mitzi Cunliffe

The BAFTA award trophy is a mask. It was designed by an American sculptor named Mitzi Cunliffe. The first "BAFTA award" was given to Sir Charles Chaplin. This happened when the Guild merged with the British Film Academy.

A BAFTA award weighs about 3.7 kilograms (8.2 pounds). It is 27 centimeters (10.6 inches) tall. The mask itself is 16 centimeters (6.3 inches) high. The awards are made of bronze in a foundry in Middlesex.

In 2017, BAFTA added new rules for British films. These rules help encourage more diversity in the film industry.

Award Ceremonies

Film Awards

The British Academy Film Awards are also known as "the BAFTAs." They celebrate the best films from any country shown in British cinemas. The first awards were given in 1949. Since 2008, the ceremony has been held at the Royal Opera House in London.

Since 2017, the BAFTA Film Awards ceremony has been held at the Royal Albert Hall. It used to be in April or May. But since 2002, it has been held in February. This is before the Academy Awards (Oscars) in the United States. This makes the BAFTA Film Awards a key event before the Oscars.

For a film to be considered, it must be shown in a cinema. It also needs to have a UK release for at least seven days. Films from all countries can be nominated in most categories. However, the Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut are only for British films or individuals.

Television Awards

The British Academy Television Awards usually happen in April or May. Its sister ceremony, the British Academy Television Craft Awards, takes place a few weeks later.

The Television Awards celebrate the best TV shows and performances. They are often called "the BAFTAs" or "BAFTA Television Awards." They have been given out every year since 1954. The first ceremony had six categories.

From 1968 to 1997, the Film and Television Awards were given out together. But since 1998, they have been separate events.

The Television Craft Awards celebrate the people behind the shows. This includes those working in visual effects, production, and costume design.

Only British TV shows can be nominated. However, any TV station broadcasting in the UK can submit entries. This includes independent production companies. Shows must have been broadcast between January 1 and December 31 of the year before the awards. Since 2014, TV shows broadcast only online can also be nominated.

Games Awards

The British Academy Games Awards ceremony usually happens in March. This is shortly after the Film Awards.

BAFTA first recognized video games in 1998. This was at their first BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards. Games like GoldenEye 007 and Gran Turismo won awards.

In 2003, video games became so popular that the event was split. It became the BAFTA Video Games Awards. In 2006, BAFTA decided to give video games the same importance as film and television. They now call video games their third main topic.

The Games Awards ceremony was televised for the first time in 2006. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony became an online show. It was watched by 720,000 people worldwide. In 2021, the 17th British Academy Games Awards had a global audience of 1.5 million.

Children's Awards

The British Academy Children's Awards happen every November. They celebrate excellent movies, TV shows, video games, and online content made for children. These awards have been given out every year since 1969, except for 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BAFTA has always recognized children's programming. The awards now include 19 categories. Since 2007, the Children's Awards have included a Kids Vote award. Children aged seven to 14 vote for this award.

BAFTA Student Film Awards

BAFTA also hosts the annual BAFTA Student Film Awards. These awards showcase new talent in the industry.

BAFTA Leaders

BAFTA has had several important leaders over the years.

Presidents

The Duke of Edinburgh (1959–1965)
The Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1966–1972)
The Princess Royal (1973–2001)
The Lord Attenborough (2001–2010)
The Prince of Wales (2010–present)

Vice-Presidents

The Lord Attenborough (1973–1995)
The Lord Puttnam (1995–2004)
Michael Grade (2004–2010)
Duncan Kenworthy (film) (2009–2015)
Sophie Turner Laing (television) (2010–2015)
Greg Dyke (television) (2016–present)

Royal Connections

William, Prince of Wales has been the President of BAFTA since February 2010.

The royal family has a long history with BAFTA. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was the first president of the Society of Film and Television Arts. This was from 1959 to 1965. Later, The Princess Royal was president from 1972 to 2001. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh even donated money from their film Royal Family. This helped BAFTA move to its headquarters at 195 Piccadilly.

BAFTA Around the World

BAFTA has branches in different parts of the world.

BAFTA Los Angeles

BAFTA North America started in 1987. It connects Hollywood and the British entertainment industry. BAFTA Los Angeles hosts many events. These include the Britannia Awards and tea parties.

BAFTA Los Angeles also offers film screenings and Q&A sessions. They have a Scholarship Program that helps UK students studying in the US. They also created The Inner City Cinema. This program provides free movie screenings to areas without theaters.

Britannia Awards

The Britannia Awards are BAFTA Los Angeles' highest honor. They celebrate people and companies who have greatly helped the entertainment arts. The awards started in 1989. They usually happen in October or November each year. These awards are given to individuals, not specific movies or TV shows.

One of the awards is "The Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film." This award honors someone whose work shows great skill and commitment. Other awards include "The John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence in Directing" and "The Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year."

BAFTA Scotland

BAFTA Scotland is a branch of BAFTA located in Glasgow, Scotland.

Since 1986, BAFTA Scotland has supported the film, television, and game industries in Scotland. They celebrate excellence and help new Scottish talent.

British Academy Scotland Awards

The British Academy Scotland Awards are BAFTA Scotland's annual awards. They celebrate the best achievements in Scottish film, television, and games.

BAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards

BAFTA Scotland also holds the annual British Academy Scotland New Talent Awards. These awards highlight new and rising Scottish talent. They recognize creative individuals starting their careers in film, TV, and games.

BAFTA Wales

BAFTA Cymru is a branch of BAFTA located in Cardiff, Wales. It was formed in 1991. BAFTA Cymru helps support Wales' creative communities.

British Academy Cymru Awards

For over 25 years, BAFTA Cymru has celebrated Welsh talent. This includes people working in film and television production, craft, and performance roles. The British Academy Cymru Awards are held annually in Cardiff. These awards now encourage Welsh individuals who have worked on Welsh or UK productions to enter. This helps BAFTA in Wales recognize more talented people.

BAFTA New York

BAFTA New York started in 1996. It promotes British film and television in New York and along the East Coast of the US.

It hosts film screenings, discussions, and premieres. It also runs an educational program for young people in New York City. This includes the BAFTA New York Media Studies Scholarship Program.