The BAFTA’s Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award is one that I’ve always liked. It may be a relatively new category, first awarded back in 2006, but its youth isn’t at all a bad thing, and it gives us a chance to celebrate some of the best emerging talent in the film industry.
In the past six years, we’ve seen James McAvoy, Eva Green, Shia LaBeouf, Noel Clarke, Kristen Stewart, and Tom Hardy all take the award, and Orange have now announced the eight names on this year’s longlist for the award:
Adam Deacon (Anuvahood), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Felicity Jones (Chalet Girl), Tom Hiddleston (The Deep Blue Sea), Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: First Class), Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids), Jessica Chastain (The Debt), and Eddie Redmayne (My Week With Marilyn).
“The Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award recognises the best up-and-coming actors and actresses in film. This is your chance to vote for the actor or actress you believe are set for great things.”
There are expectedly some names that stick out above the rest, but all seem like solid choices (though I admit I’m not too familiar with Deacon or Redmayne’s work), as chosen by this year’s judging panel, which includes Simon Pegg, Sienna Miller, David Yates, Pippa Harris (producer and Deputy Chairman of BAFTA Film Committee), and a number of other people working in the industry and in film journalism.
Each year, the longlist gets shortened to five names, with last year seeing Tom Hardy up against Gemma Arterton, Andrew Garfield, Aaron Johnson, and Emma Stone. Naturally, I found it immensely difficult trying to decide who I wanted to win (my vote was finally torn between Hardy and Stone), and I can imagine the same thing happening again this year with such excellent names topping the list.
The final list of five names will be announced on 11th January next year, when a further round of voting will then commence to find the year’s Rising Star. You can head over to Orange now and cast your vote for who you think is most deserving. Personally, I think I’m falling behind Felicity Jones this year. If you have any favourites this year, feel free to let us know in the comments below.
Orange have put together a little promo video to give you a recap of the actors’ and actresses’ work from the past year, so here’s a little helping hand if you’re struggling to decide.
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQu9rY7-Z-g’]
With thanks to Variety for the tip-off on this one.
