Bafta moves to quell UK distributor unrest over new fee structure

Bafta has moved swiftly to quell mounting unrest amongst UK distributors over new price constructions for submissions to the 2025 Bafta Movie Awards that have been hitting them financially and inflicting large quantities of additional paperwork.

The trigger for concern is the concern from distributors they must pay £11,000 (a rise from £8,000 final 12 months) to submit sure titles into Bafta’s finest movie class, even when they have been being submitted into probably the greatest documentary, movie not within the English-language (FNIEL) and excellent British movie classes.

Beforehand, they might have anticipated to pay an entry price of simply £800 (elevated to £850 this 12 months) if submitting in a kind of three classes and nonetheless be eligible for finest movie.

The £11,000 price is what’s being charged for entry in finest movie for non-British, English-language dramatic options.

A Bafta supply blamed the confusion on unclear language within the rulebook that was open to misinterpretation, and a communication despatched to distributors earlier this month that contained “a bit of data that was incorrect“ relating to the price construction. 

Nonetheless, in an electronic mail despatched out late on Thursday (October 10) to the Movie Distributors’ Affiliation (FDA) and a number of entrants, Bafta “sincerely apologised” for the confusion and offered a clearer model of the price construction.

“We deeply worth {our relationships} with you all – bringing the work of your good movies and filmmakers to public consideration is on the coronary heart of our mission as an arts charity and academy,” mentioned the message from Emma Baehr, Bafta’s government director of awards and content material, which Display screen has seen.

“We all know it’s not a degree enjoying discipline, which is why we now have a tiered entry price construction and appeals course of, enabling movies of all budgets to enter our awards and have the possibility to be seen and thought of by our voters.”

The submission deadline was initially set for subsequent week. Distributors unwilling or unable to pay the additional cash have been considering not getting into documentaries, FNIEL and British titles into the most effective movie class, and at the least one had already submitted an enchantment on the price.

Now, all movies that qualify for excellent British movie, documentary or FNIEL can enter all different classes together with finest movie, and can solely be required to pay £850. To be eligible for finest movie, titles should nonetheless meet the next theatrical threshold of at the least one week in 50 UK cinemas, the equal of 350 whole screenings.

Bafta, whose rulebook has been amended to mirror the brand new steering, additionally confirmed an extension to the entry deadline to 6pm on October 23, 2024 “to allow distributors extra time to contemplate their entry plans”.

“It’s a aid to see Bafta tackle board distributors’ and filmmakers’ issues and take away the uncertainty over this 12 months’s finest movie entry charges,” mentioned one distributor after receiving Bafta’s electronic mail. “Within the spirit of the awards, it’s truthful that each movie needs to be given the chance to be thought of for finest movie.

“Seeking to the long run, it may very well be pragmatic for Bafta to seek the advice of extra intently with the FDA on any potential rule modifications upfront to make sure they are often applied pretty and with clear cause.”