BAFTA Unveiled Rising Star Nominees
The Rising Star nominees were unveiled at BAFTA’s London headquarters on Thursday.
The nominees are Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Hall, Michael Cera, Noel Clarke and Toby Kebbell.
A jury, led by producer and chair of BAFTA, David Parfitt, and industry figures including casting director Fiona Weir, and actors James McAvoy and Kelly Macdonald, selected the five nominees from a long list of recommendations put forward by the film industry and BAFTA members. The Rising Star nominees must have featured in a film that has been entered for this year’s British Academy Film Awards.
Rebecca Hall is nominated twice on the BAFTA longlists, for her lead role in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and supporting turn in “Frost/Nixon,” which were revealed earlier this week.
Michael Fassbender is longlisted for his arresting portrayal of Irish Republican prisoner Bobby Sands in “Hunger” which won the Camera d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival 2008 for Best First Feature.
Doctor Who’s Noel Clarke (33) who will play in “Heartless” (2009) and “Doghouse” (2009), “RocknRolla” star Toby Kebbell (26) played in “Dead Man’s Shoes” (2004) and “Control” (2007) has new role in “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” (2010) and Michael Cera (20) from “Juno,” “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” and “Extreme Movie” who will star in “Paper Heart,” “Youth in Revolt,” “The Year One,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and “Arrested Development” in 2009, complete the shortlist.
This is the fourth edition of the prize, which was created in honor of the late casting director Mary Selway.
The winner, who will be decided by a public vote via Orange’s website or via text, will be unveiled at the BAFTA awards ceremony, which takes place on February 8, 2009.
Previous winners are Shia LaBeouf, Eva Green and James McAvoy.
BAFTA 2009 Nominees
UPDATED – January 15, 2009
The next Orange British Academy Film Awards will take place on Sunday 8 February 2009 at the Royal Opera House in London.
The first nominations – The Film Not in the English Language – have been announced and the full list will be announced on Thursday 15 January. For the second year running, The Film Not in the English Language Chapter nominees have been announced ahead of the nominations in other categories:
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Gomorrah
I’ve Loved You So Long
Persepolis
Waltz with Bashir
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Frost/Nixon” lead in the longlists for the British Academy Film Awards with 14 nominations each.
In what promises to be a tight race for BAFTA gold this year, nine films boast 10 or more longlist nominations: “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Reader,” “Revolutionary Road,” “Changeling” and “The Dark Knight” – 13 nominations. “Milk” and “Burn After Reading” – 11.
Last year, “Atonement” collected 17 longlist nominations, four ahead of the next best contenders.
“Doubt,” “The Wrestler” and “In Bruges” – 9 nominations each, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” – 8, “Wall-E” – 6 and “I’ve Loved You So Long” – 5.
Other well supported films among the total 45 longlisted titles are U.K. box office sensation “Mamma Mia!” and “The Duchess” – nine each. Critically lauded British film “Hunger” and “Happy-Go-Lucky” managed just three nominations each.
In the supporting actor category, Ralph Fiennes is nominated for “The Reader,” “In Bruges” and “The Duchess”. Kate Winslet for lead actress for “The Reader” and “Revolutionary Road”; Meryl Streep, for leads in “Mamma Mia!” and “Doubt”; John Malkovich, for supporting roles in “Changeling” and “Burn After Reading”; and Tilda Swinton for supporting turns in “Benjamin Button” and “Burn After Reading.”
The BAFTA longlists include 15 contenders in each category, from which the five nominees will be chosen in the second round of voting. Once the nominees are finalized, the whole membership votes again to decide the best film, four acting prizes and film not in the English language. In all remaining categories, the members of each chapter (or jury) determine the vote.
Longlist for the British Academy Film Awards:
BEST FILM
“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”
“Burn After Reading”
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight “
“Doubt”
“Frost/Nixon”
“In Bruges”
“I’ve Loved You So Long”
“Milk”
“The Reader”
“Revolutionary Road”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“Wall-E”
“The Wrestler”
