BAFTA Announces Scholarship Recipients In UK and US

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has today announced the names of 21 students in financial need who will receive scholarships to study in the UK or US through the BAFTA scholarship programmes in the UK, Los Angeles and New York. In addition to financial support, the BAFTA Scholars will also be mentored by BAFTA members, award-winners and nominees, and be given free access to BAFTA events.

For a second year, three of the students will receive the Prince William Scholarships in Film, Television and Games, supported by BAFTA and Warner Bros. These scholarships - an integral element of Warner Bros. Creative Talent, Warner Bros.' investment in UK creative industries' skills and training - are awarded in the name of HRH The Duke of Cambridge in his role as President of BAFTA.

BAFTA's scholarship programmes, which are supported by industry through the Academy's worldwide 'Give Something Back' campaign, are part of the organisation's charitable activity to support talented people at all stages of their career in film, television and games.

In the UK, eight new and one returning British students are awarded up to £10,000 to study a postgraduate course at a UK institution, mentoring support and free access to BAFTA events. Matilda Ibini from Hackney in London, Elizabeth Mercuri from Chesterfield in Derbyshire and Gordon Napier, from Fort William in Scotland, will receive the added honour of being named a Prince William Scholar, and will have their fees funded by Warner Bros., as well as receiving a short funded work placement with the Warner Bros. group of companies in the UK and access to additional Warner Bros. mentors.

The five other UK scholarship recipients announced today are Tadhg Culley from Burntwood in Staffordshire, Emily Ellis from York, Bradley Johnson from Norwich, Morgan Ritchie from Oxford, Eloise Tomlinson from Somers Town in London. In addition, Sam Coleman from Ibstone in Buckinghamshire, a Prince William Scholarship recipient in 2013, will receive a further scholarship from BAFTA to complete the second year of his course.

The BAFTA Scholarship Programme in the UK has been made possible by the generous support of the Academy Circle, Kevin Burke, the Edwin FOX Foundation, the Galashan Trust, Alexander Goldsmith, Evelina Girling, Linda Shire, the Lowy Mitchell Foundation, Rebecca Wang and Warner Bros.

HRH The Duke of Cambridge said: "As President of BAFTA, I am proud of the organisation's initiatives to reduce the barriers to entry for talented individuals with limited means. I am particularly pleased to welcome the second cohort of BAFTA's Prince William Scholarships in Film, Television and Games. Having met the first three recipients last year, I know just how much this support will mean to them and their future careers."

Anne Morrison, Chair of BAFTA said: "The BAFTA Scholarship Programme is about much more than just giving financial support to those in need. Through the BAFTA membership, award-winners and nominees, as well as our international branches, we also provide one-to-one mentoring, access to events, and networking opportunities that will give our scholarship recipients the boost that they need to make the most of their already considerable talents."

Josh Berger CBE, President & Managing Director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland & Spain, said of the Prince William Scholarships: "It's been incredibly rewarding to see how last year's first cohort of Prince William Scholars made the most of the many opportunities provided to them by this unique collaboration between Warner Bros. and BAFTA. We're very excited to welcome Matilda, Elizabeth and Gordon to Warner Bros. Creative Talent and look forward to helping them develop and pursue their chosen careers in our industry."

BAFTA Los Angeles will provide financial support and mentorship to UK students studying in the US. This year's recipients are Iesh Thapar studying at Columbia University, Catherine Taylor at American Film Institute, Andrew Duncan Visser at Columbia University, Samuel Icklow at University of California Los Angeles and William Stefan Smith from Tisch School of the Arts who receives the Nigel Lythgoe Television Scholarship for a second year.

"Nurturing and supporting emerging British talents is at the heart of what BAFTA Los Angeles does," said BAFTA Los Angeles Chairman Nigel Daly OBE. "This year's recipients were chosen by Working Title's Eric Fellner, director Ted Kotcheff, and CAA agent Josh Lieberman for their display of creative excellence and dedication to pursuing their craft."

BAFTA New York, which supports undergraduate and graduate students pursuing media studies at institutions located within the New York City area, will award seven scholarships due to the generous support of New York based businesses. This year's winners are: Lin Que Ayoung studying at Hunter College (A+E Networks); Camille Brown pursuing a graduate degree at Brooklyn College (BBC AMERICA); Lucien Follini-Press studying a graduate degree at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts (HBO); Stephen Lorusso for a graduate degree at Brooklyn College (DreamWorks Animation); Melissa Rodriguez pursuing a graduate degree at Brooklyn College (Walkers Shortbread); John Sowulski pursuing a graduate degree at Brooklyn College (DLT Entertainment) and Tina Zarbaliev studying at Hunter College (BAFTA New York in honour of Don & Eleanor Taffner).

Linda Kahn, Co-Chair of BAFTA New York Outreach Committee said: "It is thrilling to see the growth in the BAFTA New York scholarship program. Significantly, this is our third year and we have more scholarships, sponsors and universities than ever before. Sponsored by A+E Networks, BBC AMERICA, DLT Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, HBO and Walkers Shortbread, the BAFTA New York scholarships focus on media studies in TV and film. The scholarships, which are based on merit and need, include graduate students from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and Brooklyn College as well as undergraduates from Hunter College. We are excited to extend the program to these outstanding students and to provide them with mentoring opportunities."

Later this month, BAFTA will announce the first ever recipients of its new scholarship programme in Hong Kong, generously supported by the Yip Foundation, which encourages cross-cultural collaboration in film, television and games by enabling British students to study in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong residents to study in the UK.

For a full list of the 2014/15 BAFTA scholarship recipients in the UK, New York and Los Angeles, including course details, go to: http://bit.ly/BAFTAscholars2014.

About BAFTA

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is an independent charity that supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round Learning & Events programme that offers unique access to some of the world's most inspiring talent through workshops, masterclasses, lectures, scholarships and mentoring schemes, connecting with audiences of all ages and backgrounds across the UK, Los Angeles and New York. BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work. For further information, visit http://www.bafta.org and www.bafta.org/guru.

About the BAFTA Scholarship Programme in the UK

The BAFTA Scholarship Programme in the UK was launched in 2012 and is is now in its third year. The inaugural Prince William Scholarships in Film, Television and Games were awarded to three of the scholarship recipients in 2013. All scholarship recipients are selected by a panel of industry professionals following an open call to UK nationals applying for eligible UK courses.

In 2013, the second year of the BAFTA Scholarship Programme, the new scholarship recipients students received mentoring from BAFTA members, award-winners and nominees including: Lisa Ausden, Creative Director for Factual Production at the BBC; drama producer Hilary Bevan Jones (The Girl in the Café, State of Play); cinematographer Ben Davis (Kick-Ass, Seven Psychopaths); VFX Supervisor Graham Jack (Batman Begins; Angels & Demons); production sound mixer Simon Hayes (LES MISERABLES, Prometheus); game developer Imre Jele (Monstermind, Merlin); documentary producer Eamonn Matthews (Unreported World, Dispatches: Terror in Mumbai); Christine Langan, Head of BBC Films; and Peter Lord, Co-Owner and Creative Director of Aardman Animations.

About BAFTA Los Angeles

BAFTA Los Angeles serves as a bridge between the Hollywood and British production and entertainment business communities. Its commitment to professional and community education is at the heart of all activity, including an inner-city outreach programme, screenings, seminars, Behind Closed Doors series, Q&As, scholarships for British students studying in the US, and a Heritage Archive project, which preserves in-depth interviews with the industry's leading talents for future generations. BAFTA Los Angeles celebrates and promotes excellence through its annual Britannia Awards, Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties and the Student Film Awards. www.bafta.org/losangeles

BAFTA New York

BAFTA New York carries the Academy's mission forward on the Atlantic Coast through its commitment to the film, television and documentary communities. Its activities include screenings, In Conversation series, masterclasses, Q&As and panels focusing on industry trends in film, television and multimedia. BAFTA New York's educational outreach is aimed at underserved youth in New York City and includes the BAFTA New York Media Studies Scholarship Program, which was established to support students pursuing media studies at undergraduate and graduate level institutions within the New York City area. www.bafta.org/newyork

Need more TV Theatre News in your life? Sign up for all the news on the Winter season, discounts & more...