BAFTA Awards: British Academy amends rules, aims to increase diversity in films

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) recently took a step forward towards increasing diversity in the industry by changing eligibility criteria for two of its film award categories. The new rules will apply from 2019.

For a film to be considered in the "outstanding British film" and "outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer" categories, a film will have to demonstrate increased participation of under-represented groups in the industry such as "ethnic minorities, the disabled, women, LGBT, or people from lower socioeconomic groups, in two of the following four areas: on-screen representation, themes and narratives; project leadership and creative practitioners; industry access and opportunities; and opportunities for diversity in audience development."

The BAFTA, which has adopted the BFI Diversity Standards, has also amended rules for criteria for membership in the organisation. 

For the coming year, new member applicants don't need proposers and seconders from the existing membership.

"This widens the pool of potential members and ensures that it's the only talent, and not also who you know, that enables BAFTA membership," according to a statement. 

The British film and television academy had issued a questionnaire in January to figure out the demographics of its members. Among the respondents, 41 percent were female, 13 percent minority ethnic groups and the median age was 52. 

Among the 375 BAFTA members who will join this year, 43% were female, and 18% were from minority ethnic groups. They had a median age of 44.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises the Oscars, had only 6 percent members of colours and 23 percent were women. The median age was 62. 

After the 2016 Oscars, where there were no actors of colour nominated for major categories, discussions around #OscarsSoWhite had garnered mainstream attention. 

The BAFTA will be holding a 'Viola Davis Career Retrospective' on Sunday 15 January 2017. Davis is the lead in TV show "How to get away with murder" and was nominated in the best actress category in 2012 for the movie "The Help".