The American awards has been targeted by campaigners, under the banner “Oscars So White”, and a British group representing black film industry figures is to stage a silent protest outside the Baftas, at the Royal Opera House, under the banner “Bafta Blackout”.
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Idris Elba is the only black actor out of twenty performers to be given the nod in the four main acting categories at the BAFTAs. “Our industry isn’t diverse enough, so the pool of people to draw award winners from isn’t diverse enough. I want to create a level playing field”.
“So what we have done is set up 15 new talent initiatives and mentoring schemes and scholarships and made diversity an absolute priority”, she said.
A glimpse of her baby bump could be seen under the glam ensemble, while she added chic black heels and left her long hair loose and wavy.
It;s a huge weekend for Eddie who is nominated in the BAFTA Leading Actor category, thanks to his starring role as transgender artist Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl.
Like the Oscars, BAFTA is planning to overhaul its membership to reflect more diversity, Berry said.
Jack O’Connell will return to the BAFTAS one year after collecting EE’s Rising Star award, while Rebel Wilson is sure to be cheering on her How to be Single co-star Dakota Johnson to take home the prize this year.
“It would be inappropriate for me to say that we’ve done a better job than the Oscars”. They’ve said that they’re going to make changes. I don’t want to gloat and say we’ve done better, because it could’ve gone the other way.
Alicia Vikander, Eddie’s co-star in The Danish Girl, will face competition from Cate Blanchett for Carol, Room’s Brie Larson, The Lady In The Van’s Dame Maggie Smith and Brooklyn’s Saoirse Ronan in the leading actress category.
The organisation has asked more ethnic minority stars to present awards and appear at the ceremony.
Blanchett’s romance Carol and Steven Spielberg’s drama Bridge of Spies lead the nominations with nine each.
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This year, nominees and speakers attending the 69th BAFTA Awards ceremony on Monday (Aus time) will each get a goodie bag packed with expensive freebies, including a free trip to a winery in New Zealand.
