The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) will add a new category in honour of children’s films. This new prize will be open to a range of genres, as long as they have “specific inter-generational appeal to children, young people and adults”, and must have a certificate rating of U, PG or 12A. The award will be presented for the first time in 2025, making it the first new film category that Bafta has introduced in five years.
Bafta believes this new category will provide a valuable platform to showcase family-friendly films that might not otherwise garner recognition in the annual ceremony. Films can still be nominated in multiple categories, meaning a movie like Inside Out 2 could conceivably receive nominations for both the best animation and best children’s film categories. Marmalade-loving bear Paddington might also have a shot at winning this award with the upcoming release of Paddington in Peru.
Bafta will also add similar categories for kids’ shows to the TV awards, but this will not take place until a later date. Besides announcing this new category, Bafta has also made some rule changes for the next year’s ceremony that includes adjusting the requirements for films to be shown theatrically before they are eligible for the best film category. Instead of requiring at least 10 screenings per day for seven consecutive days, films will now have to be exhibited on at least 50 UK-based commercial screens, for seven days, equating to at least 350 screenings. The changes mark another move by Bafta to provide better guidance on how entries can meet its eligibility requirements.
Bafta is one of the most prestigious film awards globally, and the 78th edition of the ceremony will take place on 16 February 2025, showcasing the best of the year’s films and honouring those who created them
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