The Casting Directors’ Guild welcomes new casting category at the BAFTA’s
In response to the news that BAFTA has introduced a new category to recognise achievements in the craft of casting – for both film and television – Victor Jenkins, Chair of the Casting Directors’ Guild (CDG) commented:
“We are thrilled at the news that BAFTA has introduced a category for casting in both their film and television Awards in 2020. The overwhelming industry support since the announcement alone shows just how important this news is to so many of us. We do what we do because we love actors, we love being part of the story telling process, and above all else we are creative people.
The alchemy of casting has long been overlooked in awards categories. I am both personally and professionally over the moon about this most excellent news and on behalf of the Casting Directors’ Guild and its members…and Casting Directors as a whole….send a huge thank you to BAFTA for not one, but two new awards for the craft of casting.
We really hope that the creation of these awards will lead to wider recognition for the huge amount of work that goes into casting for both stage and screen, and instigate further casting categories.”
Andy Pryor, member of the CDG Casting Awards Committee added: “Any production – be it film, television drama, theatre or commercial – is heavily reliant on the quality of its casting, which forms an intrinsic part of the creative process. Casting Directors are at the vanguard of the quest for new talent and the push for inclusiveness. I am delighted that BAFTA will recognise casting for the first time in the film and TV Awards from 2020.”
On 12 February 2019, The Casting Directors’ Guild launched its first Casting Awards to address the lack of casting categories at other industry ceremonies and to celebrate the excellent work of its members. Presenting awards at this event, and echoing the call for official recognition, were celebrated actors Jade Anouka, Gemma Arterton, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Lucy Boynton, Natalie Dormer, Claire Foy, Ana Geislerova, David Gyasi, Andrew Garfield, Richard E Grant, Lisa Hammond, Eleanor Matsuura, John Simm and Russell Tovey. The CDG Casting Awards will return on 11 February 2020