Baftas' status at 'stake in diversity debate'

Earlier this week, the Belle star Gugu Mbatha-Raw said there was a stark lack of inclusivity at awards shows, while Steve McQueen criticised Bafta specifically. Figures from British film, including some Bafta voters and former winners, have told the Guardian the changes it needs to make could be painful for such an established organisation and would require challenging the Hollywood system. The pair said by using juries that must undergo unconscious bias training before determining nominees and insisting on no direct contact betweenstudios and voters when promoting films, they were able to ensure a more varied set of nominations. “It’s really hard to get an organisation that big, which is ultimately run by its members through the committee structure, to change,” said Wallace, who previously worked at Bafta. “It’s like trying to turn a supertanker around.” Wallace said Bafta was in a position where it could be forced to choose between its high status, where it is “part of the same conversation as the Oscars”, or being more diverse and risk attracting fewer A-list stars.

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