The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has officially unveiled the much-anticipated longlists for its 2024 Film Awards, marking a crucial juncture in award season’s race to glory. This year, a trio of films—”Barbie,” “Oppenheimer,” and “Killers of the Flower Moon”—stands out from the pack, each securing a spot in an impressive 15 categories apiece. This achievement echoes the performance of last year’s highlight, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which subsequently snagged the title of Best Film.
Other noteworthy contenders stirring excitement among film enthusiasts are “Poor Things,” showing strength in 14 categories, while “Maestro” harmonizes with acknowledgment in 12, and “Saltburn” makes waves in 11. Additional titles joining the coveted Best Film category include “The Zone of Interest” and “All of Us Strangers,” both securing nominations in 10 categories.
The selection process, which began with 234 films vying for the Best Film slot, involves an intricate voting system. Film voting members of BAFTA cast their votes to shape the longlist and ultimately pick out the nominations and winners in each category.
This year’s BAFTA action places an emphasis on fresh talent, with “All of Us Strangers,” “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” and “The Deepest Breath,” among others, vying for Outstanding British Film—with a longlist of 15 films following the input of all BAFTA film voting members and a carefully curated jury selection process.
The Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer category sees 10 hopefuls step into the spotlight, with a dedicated jury steering the process from longlist to winner, among them contributions like “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” and “The End We Start From.”
BAFTA also honors global storytelling, with the Film Not in the English Language category presenting a longlist where stories from various corners of the world compete for attention, including the powerful “20 Days In Mariupol” and the poetic narrative of “The Boy and The Heron.”
In the realm of documentaries, the category unfolds to reveal 10 initial selections, with films as diverse as “Little Richard: I Am Everything” and “The Pigeon Tunnel,” before ultimately being filtered by an opt-in chapter of BAFTA members and a jury round.
Animation retains its staple place within the film community, and this year’s Animated Film category shines the spotlight on movies like “Elemental” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” with all BAFTA film voting members joining an opt-in chapter for selection.
Directorial achievements have not gone unnoticed, with a new policy ensuring gender parity in the longlisting of the Director category—extending inclusion for female, male, and non-binary directors, and resulting in a total of 16 films being celebrated.
Scriptwriting, both original and adapted, sees films such as “Air” and long-anticipated adaptations like “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” vying for critical acclaim in their respective screenplay categories.
Performances also take center stage, with 10 roles each in the running for Leading Actress and Leading Actor categories, featuring talents such as Emma Stone in “Poor Things” and Cillian Murphy for his turn in “Oppenheimer.”
Supporting roles are equally competitive, with 10 nominations each for Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor—highlighting a wide range of performances from Danielle Brooks in “The Color Purple” to Anthony Hopkins’ work in “One Life.”
The expansive 24-category roster also shines a light on key aspects of filmmaking, including Cinematography, with films like “Ferrari” joining the fray, and Costume Design, where films such as “Asteroid City” display their sumptuous wardrobe selections.
Other craft categories such as Editing and Make Up & Hair showcase behind-the-scenes artistry, with works like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” demonstrating their technical and creative prowess.
Original Score remains a BAFTA favorite, with lyrical and rousing music from films like “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” enchanting members of the Music chapter, while Production Design displays the spellbinding environments of epic narratives such as “The Zone of Interest.”
BAFTA also celebrates the advancements in visual storytelling, with the Special Visual Effects category including nominees like “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and the imperative Sound category highlighting immersive audio experiences in films including “Wonka.”
Finally, the spotlight on upcoming British talent shines in the British Short Animation and British Short Film categories, where six animated shorts and ten short films are longlisted, amplifying the voices of next-generation storytellers.
As the 2024 BAFTA Film Awards approach, the longlists cultivate anticipation and debate among movie aficionados, setting the stage for an unforgettable celebration of cinematic excellence.
