BAFTA Breakthrough: ‘Ish’ Filmmaker Imran Perretta Among 2026 Cohort

Imran Perretta (Ish) and Ella Bruccoleri (The Other Bennet Sister) are among 21 creatives who have been selected for this year’s cohort of BAFTA Breakthrough talents.

BAFTA Breakthrough is awarded to individuals in what the awards body describes as the “midst of or on the cusp of their breakthrough moment as creatives.”

The award functions as a year-long initiative and includes one-to-one meetings and career guidance, full voting membership, access to BAFTA events, and screenings alongside networking events in the UK and internationally. This year marks the scheme’s 13th anniversary.

Breakthrough participants are selected through an open application process. Some alumni of the scheme include Josh O’Connor, Florence Pugh, Jessie Buckley, Jim LeBrecht, Letitia Wright, Paapa Essiedu, Tom Holland, Lauren Ridloff, Brandon Perea, Laurie Nunn, and Sarah Lampert.

Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA, said in a statement: “This year’s cohort comes from fantastically diverse backgrounds and skill sets, which really enrich the stories they bring to our screens. ”

Scroll down to see the full list of participants. The BAFTA Film Awards take place on 21 February.

The full list of this year’s BAFTA Breakthrough UK cohort is as follows:

FILM

● Hollie Bryan, Producer – The Ceremony

● Louis Paxton, Writer/Director – The Incomer

● Lucy Allen*, Casting Directors – Sunny Dancer

● Imran Perretta, Co-writer/Director – Ish

● Regina Meessen, Hair and Make-Up Designer – Dreamers

● Ted Evans, Writer/Director – Retreat

● Tom Payne*, Casting Directors – Sunny Dancer

DOCUMENTARY / UNSCRIPTED

● Chris Lynch, Presenter and Producer – In the Driving Seat

● Myrid Carten, Writer/Director – A Want in Her

● Runako Celina, Producer and Reporter – Death in Dubai

TV

● Ella Bruccoleri, Performer – The Other Bennet Sister

● Izuka Hoyle, Performer – Prisoner

● Philippa Mumford, Production Designer – Juice (Series 2)

● Sophie Stone, Performer – Falling

● Tom Cousins, Creator and Executive Producer – Rafi the Wishing Wizard

● Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Writer – Emmerdale

GAMES

● Eloise Singer, Writer/Director – The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters

● Husban Siddiqi, Game Director and Developer – Rogue Eclipse

● Kate Killick, Creative Director – Pieced Together

● Niru Fekri-Arnold, Creator/Designer – Cursed Words

● Tom McKay, Performer – Mysteria Ecclesiae: Kingdom Come Deliverance DLC