BAFTA Updates Campaigning Rules

BAFTA has updated its campaigning rules for next year’s film awards, and is “having conversations internally” about reviewing its theatrical eligibility rules for 2025 following the Oscars’ expanded geographic criteria requirements.

New Rules for the 2024 Awards

The British Academy revealed its new rules for the 2024 awards on Wednesday, with stricter regulations around campaigning — particularly in relation to social media — and a new bullying and harassment policy for U.K.-based productions.

Possible Changes for the 2025 Awards

Speaking to Haber Tusba, BAFTA also revealed that it’s debating changes for the 2025 awards, for which the eligibility period begins in January.

BAFTA Considering Theatrical Eligibility Changes

In June, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed a host of new theatrical release requirements for movies to qualify as best picture nominees for the 2025 Oscars. In addition to the standard one-week run in one of six U.S. markets, films released in 2024 will also require an expanded theatrical run of seven days, consecutive or non-consecutive, in 10 of the top 50 U.S. markets, no later than 45 days after its initial release. U.K. industry insiders have been tracking whether BAFTA — which reviews its awards rules annually after each season — may follow suit to make its own theatrical rules less London-centric.

Emma Baehr, executive director of awards and content at BAFTA, told Haber Tusba on Wednesday that the org is now “having conversations internally and are considering it.”

New Bullying and Harassment Policy

As part of the updated 2024 guidance, BAFTA has instituted a new requirement for U.K.-based productions to have a policy in place on tackling bullying and harassment if entering into the Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut of a British Writer, Director or Producer categories.

Inclusion of Non-Binary Directors

Elsewhere, BAFTA’s Best Director category will also include helmers who identify as non-binary. This follows on from the sweeping 2020 diversity review, which applied a “positive intervention” for female directors submitting into director category, and allowed for a 50:50 gender split for male and female directors in the longlisting stage (16 in total). The org says this had a “very positive” effect on the number of female directors nominated and winning in the category compared to past years. As such, that stage will now include non-binary directors as well.

New Handbook for Members

The org is also printing a new handbook for members and entrants that includes detailed guidance and regulations on awards campaigning.

Specific Changes to Film Awards Rules

Campaigning

Detailed guidance and regulations on campaigning, hosting screenings and communicating with voters is now set out in a dedicated handbook for entrants and BAFTA members. A significant tightening of the rules around campaigning were last introduced as part of the 2020 BAFTA Review to ensure a fair and equitable process for entrants regardless of their origin, networks or marketing and PR budget.

Haber Tusba understands that new rules around social media will restrict voters from being specific about their voting intentions online in order to avoid undue influence.

Stay tuned for a further update.

Eligibility updates

U.K.-based productions will be required to have a policy in place on tackling bullying and harassment if entering into the Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer categories. To support this rule change going forwards, free guidance and policy templates will be available on Creative U.K. in the coming weeks. This new intervention, announced in December 2022, forms part of ongoing cross-sector activity.

U.K.-based productions will be required to provide information about meeting BFI’s new Diversity Standards as BAFTA’s eligibility for Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut transitions from a minimum of two (Standard C + 1) to the BFI’s new diversity standards requirement to include Standard E (accessibility). Following BAFTA’s introduction of the BFI Diversity Standards in 2019 and AMPAS’ introduction of new Inclusion Standards for its Best Picture category from 2024 onwards, BAFTA will be monitoring the film industry’s progress on diversity and inclusion internationally.

Specific category changes – Director

BAFTA’s 2020 Review included a positive intervention for female directors submitting into the BAFTA Film Awards Director category, allowing for a 50:50 gender split for male and female directors in the longlisting stage (16 in total). The org says this had a “very positive” effect on the number of female directors nominated and winning in the category compared to past years. The intervention is now being evolved to include directors who identify as non-binary.

For 2024, the top female, male and directors who identify as non-binary will be longlisted to a maximum of 17, with gender parity between male and female directors upheld. In the nominating round, the number of nominated directors will remain at six.

BAFTA View

BAFTA View, the academy’s online viewing platform launched in 2020, removed the high cost of supplying DVDs to BAFTA’s 7,500 voting global membership. It will continue to be mandatory for all films in contention to be available on BAFTA View ahead of Round One voting. Ongoing upgrades to BAFTA View will enable the platform to offer all entrants the chance to provide films in 4K and 5.1 sound for the first time, however watching films at the cinema or via BAFTA’s in-person official screening programme will continue to be the encouraged primary method of viewing for voters.

Key BAFTA dates are below:

• Friday, Dec. 8 – Round One voting opens
• Friday, Jan. 5 – Longlists published; Round Two voting opens
• Saturday, Jan. 6 – The BAFTA Tea Party in Los Angeles
• Thursday, Jan. 18 – Nominations announced; Round Three opens
• Sunday, Feb. 18 – BAFTA Film Awards