Wed 08 January 2020:
Cinema fans and critics have slammed a United Kingdom film body over a lack of diversity among the nominees for its annual film awards.
All 20 acting nominees for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards, announced on Tuesday, were white.
All best director nominees were men for the seventh consecutive year, and four out of five were white.
Marc Samuelson, the chair of BAFTA’s film committee, blamed the “infuriating lack of diversity” in the acting nominations on industry-wide failings in representation.
“It’s just a frustration that the industry is not moving as fast as certainly the whole BAFTA team would like it to be,” he told Variety magazine.
However, social media users were quick to point out acclaimed performances by actors such as Lupita Nyong’o in the film Us.
Meanwhile, white actresses Scarlett Johansson and Margot Robbie received two nominations each, prompting one Twitter user to say: “It’s actually laughable how Bafta went out of their way not to nominate a woc [woman of colour].”
On Sunday, United States rapper Awkwafina made history, becoming the first Asian-American woman to take home a Golden Globe for Lead Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her role in The Farewell.
baftas nominations are a joke… not nominating a single woman for directing or best film? no antonio banderas? no lupita? no awkafina? clown movie with the most nominations? yikes
— donnie azoff (@ptanderstan) January 7, 2020
Awkwafina was included in BAFTA’s EE Rising Star category, in a more diverse group that included Michael Ward, Jack Lowden, Kelvin Harrison Jr, and Kaityln Dever.
The EE Rising Star award is the only BAFTA category for which the public can vote.
Don’t EVER say you didn’t have “options”. @BAFTA #BAFTASSoWhite pic.twitter.com/bS1QIadShu
— Zach Gilbert (@zachbgilbert) January 7, 2020
Several critics had hoped Greta Gerwig – who was also snubbed by the Golden Globes – would receive a BAFTA nomination for her reworking of Little Women.
Speaking to the BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, BAFTA CEO Amanda Berry said she was “disappointed” by the lack of gender diversity in the directing category, but noted that 13 female directors were nominated in other categories, including Best Short Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Several critics had hoped Greta Gerwig – who was also snubbed by the Golden Globes – would receive a BAFTA nomination for her reworking of Little Women.
Speaking to the BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, BAFTA CEO Amanda Berry said she was “disappointed” by the lack of gender diversity in the directing category, but noted that 13 female directors were nominated in other categories, including Best Short Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.
“People need to see themselves reflected in all industries for them to believe they have a place within them,” he told Al Jazeera.
“We need to see more original storytelling and narratives that truly reflect British diversity … It’s not just about celebrating existing talent in the arts. It’s about recognising and elevating the contribution of artists of different backgrounds so that others can follow on their paths.”
So @BAFTA… A spotlight was put on diversity and things only changed for a second. There was a blip, but no long term shift. This reflects an all-too-common impulse commitment to diversity, much like we see in football and many other industries. It’s all surface level stuff.
— The Unmistakables (@_unmistakables) January 7, 2020
Among the films nominated, Todd Phillips’s Joker received 11 nominations, while Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood scored 10 nods each.
For Sama, a harrowing look at the female experience of war shot over four years in the Syrian city of Aleppo, became the most-nominated documentary in BAFTA history, with four nominations.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony on February 2 at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
See the full list of nominees below:
Best Film
1917
The Irishman
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
Outstanding British Film
1917
Bait
For Sama
Rocketman
Sorry We Missed You
The Two Popes
Leading Actress
Jessie Buckley – Wild Rose
Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan – Little Women
Charlize Theron – Bombshell
Renee Zellweger – Judy
Leading Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver – Marriage Story
Taron Egerton – Rocketman
Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes
Supporting Actress
Laura Dern – Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh – Little Women
Margot Robbie – Bombshell
Margot Robbie – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Supporting Actor
Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
Al Pacino – The Irishman
Joe Pesci – The Irishman
Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Director
Sam Mendes – 1917
Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
Todd Phillips – Joker
Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joon-ho – Parasite
EE Rising Star Award
Awkwafina
Jack Lowden
Kaitlyn Dever
Kelvin Harrison Jr
Michael Ward
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
Bait
For Sama
Maiden
Only You
Retablo
Film Not in the English Language
The Farewell
For Sama
Pain and Glory
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Documentary
American Factory
Apollo 11
For Sama
Diego Maradona
The Great Hack
Animated Film
Frozen 2
Klaus
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Toy Story 4
Original Screenplay
Booksmart
Knives Out
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
Adapted Screenplay
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
The Two Popes
Original Score
1917
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Cinematography
1917
The Irishman
Joker
Le Mans ’66 (Ford v Ferrari)
The Lighthouse
Costume Design
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Judy
Little Women
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Editing
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Le Mans ’66 (Ford v Ferrari)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Production Design
1917
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Make Up and Hair
1917
Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Rocketman
Sound
1917
Joker
Le Mans ’66 (Ford v Ferrari)
Rocketman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Special Visual Effects
1917
Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Casting
Joker
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
The Personal History of David Copperfield
The Two Popes
British Short Film
Azaar
Goldfish
Kamali
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
The Trap
British Short Animation
Grandad Was A Romantic
In Her Boots
The Magic Boat
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS
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