The BAFTA celebrates the best films and television shows of the United Kingdom. (Photo : Flickr/Ben Sutherland)
With the 69th British Film Awards broadcast in over 200 countries, including China, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is hopeful that there will be more collaborations between Britain and China when it comes to making shows and films, as reported by China Daily.
The first time the awards were made available to Chinese viewers was in 2015, with the ceremony streamed to the Chinese mainland through Youku, one of the major streaming websites in the country.
Amanda Berry, chief executive of BAFTA, said that the organization is currently trying to expand ties with regions outside of the West. She said that China, being the second largest film market, is a likely partner.
Prince William, who is the president of BAFTA, went to Shanghai in March last year, along with other delegates, for the Great Festival of Creativity, an expo organized by the governments of Britain and China to promote the creative industry of the United Kingdom. Berry was part of his team.
The prince also presented President Xi Jinping with a gift on behalf of BAFTA when the latter visited the United Kingdom in October. It was a symbol of ties between the two countries.
"As our industry becomes more global, there will be more opportunities for creativity and innovation," said Berry. "Lots of people in China are aware of the Oscars, and we'll work hard to raise the profile of not only BAFTA but the whole British film industry."
Berry also said that an important step would be bringing British film experts to China as part of a series of academic exchanges between the two countries.
In December, BAFTA and the Beijing Film Academy signed an agreement for further collaboration between students and professionals from the two countries.
For 2016, BAFTA also initiated a scholarship program specifically meant for students from the Chinese mainland. It would give them up to $28,000 in tuition fees, as well as $14,000 in individual expenses, and the chance to study film, television and related disciplines in the United Kingdom.
The number of students that the program will accept is dependent on the skills that the students present, according to Berry.
A similar program has been available in Hong Kong since 2014.
