Alice Eve and Dexter Fletcher announced as BAFTA jurors for the EE Rising Star Award’s 10th anniversary
- The EE Rising Star Award is the only award at the 2015 EE BAFTAs voted for by the British public
- Eve and Fletcher joined by panel of industry experts including film critic James King, The King’s Speech casting director Nina Gold and Les Misérables producer Debra Hayward
- Nominees will be announced on Wednesday 7 January 2015 when voting will open
4 November 2014, London – EE announced that renowned British actress Alice Eve and actor and director Dexter Fletcher have joined the EE Rising Star Award jury to decide the five nominees who will go head to head at the 2015 EE British Academy Film Awards. The award will be presented to a young actor or actress considered to be a star of the future on Sunday 8 February 2015.
Fletcher is well placed to judge the 2015 shortlist having recently directed critically acclaimed films Wild Bill – starring last year’s EE Rising Star winner Will Poulter – and Sunshine On Leith – which starred 2014 EE Rising Star nominee George MacKay.
Eve and Fletcher are joined by a prestigious panel of industry experts, chaired by producer and Deputy Chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee, Pippa Harris, and including: experienced film critic, James King; Game of Thrones & The King’s Speech Casting Director Nina Gold; Film & TV Producer & Director Entrepreneurship Tony Elumelu Parminder Vir; Love Actually & Les Misérables Producer Debra Hayward; Nanny McPhee Returns Director Susanna White; previous Director of the UK Association of Independent Producers, Marc Samuelson; as well as leading film and arts journalists.
The jury met at BAFTA HQ yesterday to decide the five nominees from hundreds of submissions made by BAFTA members and film industry figures. The nominees will be announced and put up for public vote on Wednesday 7 January. Voting is available to all UK residents and the winner will be announced at the EE British Academy Film Awards on Sunday 8 February 2015.
2015 marks the tenth anniversary of the EE Rising Star Award, which was created in 2006 in honour of casting director Mary Selway. The award recognises a young actor or actress who has demonstrated exceptional talent and ambition and has begun to capture the imagination of the British public. Previous winners have included Will Poulter, Juno Temple, Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Noel Clarke, Adam Deacon, Kristen Stewart, Eva Green and James McAvoy. The nominees in 2014 were Will Poulter, Lupita Nyong’o, Léa Seydoux, Dane DeHaan and George MacKay.
The first winner of the EE Rising Star Award was James McAvoy in 2006 following his acclaimed performance in The Last King of Scotland.
McAvoy said of the tenth anniversary: “The EE Rising Star Award is unique in providing an amazing platform for young people starting out in an industry which can be hugely over-whelming. For the last nine years, the award has recognised up and coming talent at the biggest British film event of the year. I was thrilled to win the Rising Star Award when it was first introduced in 2006 and my fellow nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor, Gael Garcia Bernal, Rachel McAdams and Michelle Williams have all gone on to enjoy brilliant careers which is testament to its credibility.’
Juror Alice Eve commented: "I was delighted to be asked to be on this year’s EE Rising Star Award jury. It is always an exciting, unpredictable category and I am sure we will unveil an impressive shortlist for 2015 – the tenth anniversary of the award. I wish all nominees the best of luck and look forward to seeing who the public choose as their winner."
Spencer McHugh, Director of Brand at EE, commented: “All of our EE Rising Stars have gone on to enjoy immense careers – not least our first ever winner, James McAvoy, who is an incredible talent. We are very proud that the award has set such a high standard over the last nine years and we are thrilled to be working with our partners at BAFTA again.”
EE Rising Star Award Jury Chair, Pippa Harris, added: “This is my fourth year as jury chair and once again, the quality of emerging acting talent from the last 12 months is spectacular. I’m proud to support new talent and hope the list of inspirational EE Rising Star nominees for 2015 will encourage the British public to get voting."
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For more information, please contact M&C Saatchi PR;
Olivia Burrell
0203 617 6531
Maria Panayi
0207 544 3889
About EE
EE is the largest and most advanced digital communications company in Britain, delivering mobile and fixed communications services to consumers, businesses, government and the wholesale market. EE has approximately 15,000 employees and 580 retail stores, and serves more than 30 million customers across its mobile, fixed and wholesale businesses.
EE runs the UK's biggest, fastest and most reliable mobile network, pioneering the UK's first superfast 4G mobile service in October 2012. EE's 4G coverage today reaches 75% of the UK population. EE’s 2G coverage reaches 99% of the population while 3G reaches 98%. EE's superfast fibre broadband service covers 54% of the UK population, and ADSL broadband service covers 98.7% of the population.
In the last few years, EE has received extensive independent recognition including being ranked the UK's best overall network by RootMetrics®, Best network at the 2014 Mobile News Awards, Fastest Network at the 2013 uSwitch Awards, Best Network at the 2014 Mobile Choice Consumer Awards and What Mobile Awards 2013, Network Innovation at the 2013 Recombu awards and Best Network for Business at the 2013 Mobile Industry awards.
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About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is an independent charity that supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round Learning and Events programme that offers unique access to some of the world’s most inspiring talent through workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes, connecting with audiences of all ages and backgrounds across the UK, Los Angeles and New York. BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work. For further information, visit www.bafta.org and www.bafta.org/guru