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| Bafta whistleblower says voters reward big-budget movies they have never seen | Bafta whistleblower says voters reward big-budget movies they have never seen |
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| It is widely considered one of the world's most important film awards ceremonies, one that sits behind only the Oscars and the Golden Globes in terms of public notoriety. But a whistleblower has told the Daily Mail that the winners and nominees for the annual Bafta awards are often chosen by judges who have not even seen the movies they are voting for. | It is widely considered one of the world's most important film awards ceremonies, one that sits behind only the Oscars and the Golden Globes in terms of public notoriety. But a whistleblower has told the Daily Mail that the winners and nominees for the annual Bafta awards are often chosen by judges who have not even seen the movies they are voting for. |
| The anonymous writer of a piece in the newspaper today also charges that high-profile films with big marketing budgets are far more likely to be rewarded than smaller independent movies, because voters cannot possibly find the time to see all the films they are expected to choose from. | The anonymous writer of a piece in the newspaper today also charges that high-profile films with big marketing budgets are far more likely to be rewarded than smaller independent movies, because voters cannot possibly find the time to see all the films they are expected to choose from. |
| "As a Bafta voter for many years I can reveal that the voting process is based less on artistic merit than on a combination of coercion, trend-following and pot luck," the writer suggests. "Let's be clear. Bafta voting guidelines state explicitly that you must only vote for films you have seen. Which makes perfect sense. But I've done it. And I bet everyone else has, too. You vote for the ones you think are going to win. | "As a Bafta voter for many years I can reveal that the voting process is based less on artistic merit than on a combination of coercion, trend-following and pot luck," the writer suggests. "Let's be clear. Bafta voting guidelines state explicitly that you must only vote for films you have seen. Which makes perfect sense. But I've done it. And I bet everyone else has, too. You vote for the ones you think are going to win. |
| "We're sheep. And we follow the sheep in front of us. The days are still ticking by, and you still have all these films to watch, and you've been meaning to get to them but you can't, and there are all these obvious front-runners … | "We're sheep. And we follow the sheep in front of us. The days are still ticking by, and you still have all these films to watch, and you've been meaning to get to them but you can't, and there are all these obvious front-runners … |
| "And so you do it. You vote for a film you haven't seen. It's why the same old names appear year after year." | "And so you do it. You vote for a film you haven't seen. It's why the same old names appear year after year." |
| The writer also cites "screenings and Q&A sessions with cast and crew" as a conduit for the successful march towards Bafta victory for those films with the required marketing budget. "Gone are the days of the lavish dinners and all-expenses-paid jollies — but you are certainly looked after," they write. "A Mayfair hotel. A complimentary glass of champagne. Not an inducement, of course. But we hope you enjoyed the film. | The writer also cites "screenings and Q&A sessions with cast and crew" as a conduit for the successful march towards Bafta victory for those films with the required marketing budget. "Gone are the days of the lavish dinners and all-expenses-paid jollies — but you are certainly looked after," they write. "A Mayfair hotel. A complimentary glass of champagne. Not an inducement, of course. But we hope you enjoyed the film. |
| "These events are expensive to put on. So already the field of competitors is being narrowed down to the Hollywood studios with their big marketing budgets. They will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars." | "These events are expensive to put on. So already the field of competitors is being narrowed down to the Hollywood studios with their big marketing budgets. They will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars." |
| The anonymous writer also suggests that the celebrity of certain actors makes them far more likely to pick up awards. "Judi Dench could blow her nose and she'd get nominated (she famously won a Bafta for her eight minutes of screen time as Elizabeth I in Shakespeare In Love)", they write. "Emma Thompson, check. Tom Hanks, check. Kate Winslet, hmm, she wasn't in a movie this year, can I vote for her anyway? Are these really the crowning performances of their careers? No, but they'll get nominated anyway." | The anonymous writer also suggests that the celebrity of certain actors makes them far more likely to pick up awards. "Judi Dench could blow her nose and she'd get nominated (she famously won a Bafta for her eight minutes of screen time as Elizabeth I in Shakespeare In Love)", they write. "Emma Thompson, check. Tom Hanks, check. Kate Winslet, hmm, she wasn't in a movie this year, can I vote for her anyway? Are these really the crowning performances of their careers? No, but they'll get nominated anyway." |
| More than 6,500 members of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts – mostly experienced, jobbing professionals from the industry – decide the winners of the Baftas each year. The Alfonso Cuaron sci-fi drama Gravity is leading the charge for this year's awards with 11 nods, following the announcement of the 2014 nominations on Wednesday. Steve McQueen's slavery epic 12 Years a Slave and David O Russell's heist comedy drama American Hustle have 10 nods apiece, while Paul Greengrass's piracy drama Captain Phillips has nine. | More than 6,500 members of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts – mostly experienced, jobbing professionals from the industry – decide the winners of the Baftas each year. The Alfonso Cuaron sci-fi drama Gravity is leading the charge for this year's awards with 11 nods, following the announcement of the 2014 nominations on Wednesday. Steve McQueen's slavery epic 12 Years a Slave and David O Russell's heist comedy drama American Hustle have 10 nods apiece, while Paul Greengrass's piracy drama Captain Phillips has nine. |
| A spokesperson for Bafta told the Guardian: "BAFTA provides every opportunity for members to see films throughout the year with screenings arranged by both BAFTA and distributors, free cinema access across the UK, DVD screeners, and online viewing, and members are explicitly instructed to vote only for films they have seen and only where they feel qualified to cast an informed vote in that category." | |
| They added: "We work hard to create a level playing field for the entered films, and a process that is rigorous, open and fair, with strict rules governing campaigning for films." | |
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