Some personalities and films didn’t make it through from the longlist but in one category – perhaps one with a nod towards the future shows huge promise…
STAR Dev Patel who moved from in front of the camera to behind it – to make his own feature for the first time with ‘Monkey Man’ is up for Bafta, alongside two other Indian heritage directors, whose films enjoyed their world premieres at the Cannes Film Festival last year.
It means that three out of the five shortlisted talent in the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, are occupied by British Asian filmmaking talent. The other two shortlisted talent are writer-director Luna Carmoon for a mother-daughter relationship drama set from 1980-90, called ‘Hoard’ and Rich Peppiatt, for Irish language comedy drama, ‘Kneecap’.
Patel spoke to us just before ‘Monkey Man’ had a release in the UK.
It was a considerable achievement – after losing a production schedule in Mumbai due to the covid pandemic, injuring himself on set and then dealing with the backing out of Netflix, its replacement with filmmaker Jordan Peele and his deal with Universal – but then no India cinema release because the film’s content might be seen as politically contentious. In the revenge drama, ‘Kid’ played by Patel himself takes on a group of figures tied together by power, money and faith.
Sandhya Suri’s ‘Santosh’ and Karan Kandhari’ ‘Sister Midnight’ also remain in contention with Patel for the Bafta having made it onto the longlist earlier.
Both screened in Cannes in different sections – ‘Santosh’ was in the Un Certain Regard category, while Kandhari’s ‘Sister Midnight’ featured in the Directors’ Fortnight strand.
Both spoke to www.asianculturevulture.com at London Film Festival where we able to catch up with them and ask them about their films. We reviewed them shortly after their world premieres in Cannes. See our Youtube channel and use 🔎 with their names or film names).
Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ is also still vying for a Bafta in the Outstanding Film Not in the English Language category – but faces fierce competition from the likes of Jacques Audiard’s unusual transgender-issue crime musical, ‘Emilia Perez’, which along with the Vatican inspired thriller drama, ‘Conclave’ has the highest number of award nomination categories at 12 and 11, respectively. Elsewhere, there are nine for the post Second World war period US refugee drama, ‘The Brutalist’; seven for ‘Anora’, ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Wicked’; six for ‘A Complete Unknown’, the Bob Dylan musician biopic in UK cinemas this week (January 17); and ‘Kneecap’; and five nominations for ‘Nosferatu’ and ‘The Substance’.
Chloe Abrahams’ ‘The Taste of Mango’ dropped out of the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
Patel was also on the longlist for Leading Actor, while Kapadia dropped out from Best Director and Original Screenplay longlist showings.
Voting by Bafta’s 8,100 members will begin next week and run until February 11 to determine the final winners.
The nominations were announced in a livestream on Bafta’s Youtube channel on Wednesday (January 15) by 2024 Rising Star winner Mia-Mckenna Bruce and Bafta winner Will Sharpe.
Full list here: https://www.bafta.org/awards/film
‘In Camera’ film lead enters Rising Star line-up – vote!
NABHAAN RIZWAN is one of five emerging talents in the running for the Bafta Rising Star Award, known as the EE Rising Star Award.
This is the only Bafta voted for by members of the public.
His nomination came for his performance in ‘In Camera’ , a dark and satirical look at an Asian actor’s life as he tries to establish himself professionally.
Most recently Rizwan can be seen in ‘KAOS’, a contemporary reimagining for Greek mythology. He first came through TV and his role in the BBC’s thriller, ‘Informer’.
He told Bafta: “To be named in this category is to stand on the shoulders of giants – an exceptional group of artists who remind us all to keep pushing the envelope.
“Everyone who worked on ‘In Camera’ put a little piece of their soul into it. To be here with this film means something very special to me.”
The other nominees are Marisa Abela (‘Back to Black’); Jharrel Jerome (‘Unstoppable’); David Jonsson (‘Alien Romulus’); Mikey Madison (‘Anora’);
The nominated actors were chosen by an EE Rising Star Award jury panel – who whittled down a list of rising stars to just these five – chaired by Anna Higgs, Bafta Film Committee Chair, and featuring Mia McKenna-Bruce last year’s winner; Letitia Wright, another EE Rising Star holder; Bafta winner and actor Will Sharpe; casting director Aisha Bywaters, film producer, Marc Samuelson, and film director Yann Demange (‘71’).
You can vote here: https://ee.co.uk/why-ee/ee-baftas
All the winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre on Sunday, February 16. David Tennant will host the show which will broadcast in many countries around the world.
Bollywood icon at the centre of violent attack
SUPERSTAR Saif Ali Khan is said to be recovering and out of danger following a stabbing attack in his home by a suspected intruder.
The incident took place in the early hours in Mumbai and Khan, who is married to another big star, Kareena Kapoor, suffered multiple wounds and was operated on. Doctors said this morning (January 17), that he has been moved from ICU, into another ward, and can walk but has been asked to rest.
It’s been reported that the intruder got in through a fire escape in the building, entered three-year-old son Jehangir’s (Jeh) room and first threatened a nurse and wounded another when the alarm was raised and Khan came to intervene.
A statement by the Khans put out yesterday (January 16), thanked staff and fans for their care and wishes.
“Saif Ali Khan has come out of surgery and is out of danger. He is currently in recovery and the doctors are monitoring his progress. All family members are safe and the police is investigating the incident.”
Khan is the son of one of India’s best cricketers, Tiger Pataudi, who hails from a royal family that once ruled Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) and rose to prominence in such films as ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ and ‘Hum Tum’ and most recently enjoyed success with ‘Devara: Part 1’ and the Netflix series, ‘Sacred Games’, as well as the Othello inspired, ‘Omkara’.