From Passion to Premiere: EE And an Award-Winning Crew Join Forces to Help Support Tomorrow's Filmmakers

• EE officially kicks off “Set The Stage”: Sixteen teenage filmmakers have been selected for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a film crew and produce a short film under the mentorship of BAFTA nominated actress Daisy Edgar-Jones and award-winning experts.
• EE and BAFTA are committed to inspiring and empowering new talent by showcasing the diverse range of career opportunities in the film and screen industries, while providing them with tangible pathways to pursue these passions.
• EE continues to help young people build the skills to explore their curiosities and discover their passions, through a series of snackable lessons and workshops.

London, Wednesday May 28, 2025: EE unveils the sixteen young filmmakers chosen to work alongside the award-winning crew for “Set The Stage”, a groundbreaking programme designed to nurture and empower young talent.  

In collaboration with BAFTA, the initiative will provide talented teenage filmmakers the opportunity to produce a short film under the mentorship of BAFTA-nominated actress Daisy Edgar-Jones and award-winning industry professionals across storytelling, production, cinematography, costume design and direction.  

The experts that will be mentoring the teens include: BAFTA Nominated International Cinematographer, Kit Fraser (Under the Shadow, Kaos), BAFTA Award-Winning Producer, Rochelle Newman (White Nanny Black Child, Jazmine and Amaya, The Shadow Scholars), BAFTA Breakthrough Storyteller, Lauren Sequeira (Domino Day, Gangs of London), and BAFTA Nominated Artistic Lead, Paix Robinson (Festival of Slaps, Such a Lovely Day, We Collide). 

The teens, who all submitted an entry to take part in the campaign, were chosen based on their relevant skills, personal passion and curiosity, willingness to collaborate and the ability to deal with a long shoot, and how these could be supported through this programme. The young filmmakers will now take part in an immersive training programme run by the Young Film Academy (YFA), which will see them work together to craft their short film which is set to premiere next year.  

The campaign comes off the back of EE research that reveals a generational divide on career perceptions, showing a disconnect between parents and teens. Through the project, EE will showcase the breadth of creative careers in the screen industries, demonstrating how teenagers can translate the soft and hard skills they have learned through engaging with social media, gaming and technology into a successful career in the film industries.  

To mark the official launch of the programme, EE hosted a panel discussion at BAFTA HQ – 195 Piccadilly, featuring Precious Assah, the winner of BAFTA’s Young Presenter competition in 2023. Assah led a discussion with the esteemed industry experts and mentors, offering invaluable insights into what careers behind the camera are like and the continued importance of the screen industries as a medium for storytelling.   

Later this summer, participating teens will take their filmmaking experience to the next level during an eight-day residency. With the attendance of Daisy Edgar-Jones, they will bring their projects to life, as they run a full production shoot and put their new valuable skills to the test in their first steps into a future career. The filmmaking will be supported by technology partner, Samsung UK. The teens received a Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+, an S24, and Buds3 at Kick Off Day to help them document their journey and ensure they have top-tier tech for capturing content. 

Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director at EE, said: “EE is dedicated to unleashing learning from the classroom and demonstrating how technology can inspire young minds and present new opportunities. Through EE’s ‘Set The Stage’, we are proud to be guiding this group of talented young filmmakers through the process of making a real film, demonstrating how they can turn their interests and passions into a profession.” 

Lisa Prime, Head of Children & Young People’s Programme at BAFTA, said: “At BAFTA, we aim to ignite the passion of young creatives, encouraging them to explore the variety of careers on offer in the screen industries. We're thrilled to work with EE on the launch of 'Set The Stage' and see the opportunities it offers to the filmmakers involved. Cultivating emerging talent and establishing a future generation of storytellers is essential for the longevity of our industry." 

Kit Fraser, BAFTA Nominated Cinematographer, said: “I am thrilled to mentor the next generation of filmmakers through EE’s 'Set The Stage.' It's inspiring to see young talent explore the art of visual storytelling, and I look forward to sharing my experiences to help them hone their craft." 

Rochelle Newman, BAFTA Award-Winning Producer, said: “It can be incredibly tough to know where to start, or how to get into the industry, which is why I am so excited to be a part of EE’s ‘Set The Stage’. I hope to inspire the young filmmakers to chase their dreams, embrace their creativity, and learn valuable skills to set them up for success.” 

Lauren Sequeira, BAFTA Breakthrough Storyteller, said: “EE’s ‘Set The Stage’ will be such an impactful programme for the teenagers involved. I hope that the initiative helps them see that the film industry is an accessible place. And as a mentor, I hope I can help young storytellers find their voice.” 

Paix Robinson, BAFTA Nominated Artistic Lead, said: “Through EE’s ‘Set The Stage’, I hope I can help inspire the filmmakers to push their artistic boundaries, and think beyond convention. It's so important to provide opportunities for the next generation as they’ll be creating the films of the future.” 

EE Learn is an educational initiative that can fuel teen passions by harnessing the power of technology to elevate their future opportunities. To find out more information visit ee.co.uk and please contact the PR team at Edelman on EEBAFTA@edelman.com . 

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ABOUT EE 

EE is one of the UK’s largest subscription businesses, backed by the UK’s biggest and fastest mobile network, offering superfast connections in more places than any other operator. Built on the foundation of decades of mobile and broadband leadership, EE is on a mission to be the most personal and customer-focused brand in the UK by playing a more meaningful role in customers’ lives, with a suite of exciting products and services open to all UK consumers, available via a new ‘EE ID’ digital platform. 

EE’s mobile network continues to receive extensive recognition including UK's best overall network by RootMetrics® every year since 2014, as well as being named Network of the Year at the 2022 Mobile Industry Awards. 

EE is committed to offering first class service in the industry and has over 400 stores across the UK. EE remains the only mobile provider to answer 100% of customer calls in the UK and Ireland and was recognised as the UK’s Best Large Contact Centre by the UK Customer Experience Awards 2018 and Welsh Contact Centre Awards 2019. 

EE was awarded The Sunday Times’ Best 100 Companies to Work for in 2018 and 2019, as well as being named Best Employer 2018 by the European Contact Centre & Customer Service awards. EE won Best Repair Service and Best Network Provider at the Mobile Industry Awards in September 2023 and was recognised as the provider that does more than any other to deliver a great service. 

EE is part of BT Group's Consumer business unit which provides products and services to all of BT’s consumer customers in the UK. 

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ABOUT BAFTA 

BAFTA’s mission as a charity is to champion the creative and cultural importance of the screen arts across film, games and television. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of talent initiatives and learning events that include masterclasses, lectures, scholarships, bursaries and mentoring schemes in the UK and North America, BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new screen talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For more, visit www.bafta.org. BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 216726).  

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ABOUT YOUNG FILM ACADEMY  

Young Film Academy (YFA) is the UK’s leading provider of filmmaking courses, schools filmmaking programs, community filmmaking projects, and kids’ film parties for young people. Based in London, YFA works nationwide, helping over 15,000 young people each year complete their first digital films, from West End-premiered movies to curriculum-linked film projects in schools. 

YFA is also a hub partner in the British Film Institute (BFI) Film Academy Network, helping to find and nurture top UK emerging talent. Their philosophy emphasizes the importance of teamwork, practical experience, and the belief that filmmaking should be accessible to all young people, regardless of their socio-economic background. 

 ABOUT THE RESEARCH 

*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from OnePoll. The research was conducted on behalf of EE by OnePoll between 29/01/2025 - 03/03/2025. 1000 parents and 1000 of their children aged 11-17 were interviewed via an online quantitative survey.