BAFTA has unveiled its 2024 BAFTA Breakthrough cohort, highlighting 43 exceptional UK, USA, and Indian creatives shaping the future of film, games, and television. Supported by Netflix, this flagship initiative offers year-long professional development, mentorship, and global networking opportunities. Now in its 11th year, BAFTA Breakthrough has been instrumental in advancing the careers of prominent talents like Ambika Mod, Bella Ramsey, Paapa Essiedu, Rose Ayling-Ellis, and Letitia Wright.
This program is designed to support individuals on the brink of transformative career moments, spanning various creative disciplines such as costume design, directing, production, casting, editing, performance, games development, composing, and cinematography. Participants can access one-on-one mentorship, tailored career guidance, full voting membership, exclusive BAFTA screenings, events, and global networking platforms. These opportunities aim to elevate their creative journeys and foster an international exchange of ideas within the entertainment industry.
The 2024 cohort includes 21 trailblazers from the UK, 13 from the USA, and nine from India, celebrating diverse cultural and creative contributions. Representing India are industry disruptors like Varun Grover, the writer-director of All India Rank; Monisha Thyagarajan, the series producer of The Hunt for Veerappan; and Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy, a writer, director, and performer known for Aachar & Co. Other Indian talents include Abhinav Chokhavatia, game producer of Down and Out; Christo Tomy, director of Curry and Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case; Deepa Bhatia, a writer, director, and producer of First Act; Dhiman Karmakar, sound designer of Amar Singh Chamkila; Jaydeep Sarkar, showrunner of Rainbow Rishta; and Neeraj Kumar, producer and lead developer of Artifice: War Tactics.
By featuring creatives from diverse cultural and professional landscapes, BAFTA Breakthrough emphasizes its dedication to fostering emerging talent worldwide. This initiative has become a vital platform for bridging the gap between rising stars and established industry leaders, supporting innovation and inclusion across the global entertainment sector.
Jane Millichip, BAFTA CEO, said: “BAFTA Breakthrough, now in its 11th year, spotlights a host of emerging and talented ‘must-watch’ creative practitioners working across film, games and television. This year we have an amazing roster of casting directors, producers, writers, performers, lead artists, cinematographers, lead developers, and more. We urge the industry to take note. A huge thank you to Netflix, whose support makes BAFTA Breakthrough possible.”
Anne Mensah, Vice President, UK Content at Netflix said: “We are so proud to support the exceptional group of creatives who make up BAFTA Breakthrough. Breakthrough is brilliant at unearthing fresh voices, spotlighting talent and providing the support needed to help creatives reach their full potential."
Guneet Monga Kapoor, Film Producer and Ambassador for BAFTA Breakthrough in India, said: “A massive congratulations to this year’s nine India Breakthroughs, who demonstrate once again that there is no shortage of creative talent in India. It was extremely difficult to narrow down the pool of talented candidates. I can’t wait to see how this year’s cohort harnesses BAFTA Breakthrough’s opportunities to hone their craft!”
This year’s Breakthrough UK cohort was selected by five specialist sub-committees comprising industry figures from the world of film, television, craft and tech, unscripted and games with BAFTA and Netflix representatives. In the US, a jury of leading cross-industry figures including producer Kerstin Emhoff and actor John David Washington selected this year’s cohort. The Breakthrough India jury was chaired by film producer and Breakthrough India ambassador Guneet Monga Kapoor and also featured leading cross-industry figures including Vice President of Content, Netflix India, Monika Shergill and filmmaker Sushmit Ghosh.
