07/10/2020 Newcomers 2020 Full Group | BAFTA Home Education & New Talent Supporting Talent Newcomers 2020 Full Group Newcomers 2020 Full Group Felicity Abbott – Production Designer – Second Year Nominated for Best Production Design by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) for UPGRADE, Felicity Abbott recently wrapped on THE LUMINARIES. Her previous work includes THE OUTLAW MICHAEL HOWE for which she won the Australian Production Design Guild (APDG) Award for Best Production Design in 2014. A professional member of AACTA and the APDG, she is a graduate of the Australian Film Television and Radio School (MA Hons) and The University of Auckland (BFA). Felicity is represented by United Talent Agency. www.felicityabbott.com Callum Alexander – Actor, Writer – First Year Raised in London and Bristol, Callum Alexander is a screenwriter and entrepreneur. His first feature-length screenplay, THE WHITE ROSE, earned him recognition at Telluride Film Festival, Austin Film Festival and the BlueCat Screenplay Competition. Callum has also played lead roles in several feature films, including Prince Alexander in MY CHRISTMAS PRINCE. Callum holds a BA in English Literature from the University of St Andrews and an MA in Media and Film Studies from Emory University. Claire Leona Apps – Director, Screenwriter – First Year Raised in Asia and educated at the London Film School, British-Canadian writer-director Claire Leona Apps's debut feature AND THEN I WAS FRENCH, released in 2018, is a psychological thriller compared by critics to Andrea Arnold and David Lynch. Apps is known for her cross-cultural perspective and for using dark comedy to challenge ideas about society as we know it. Her work has been featured on the BBC and at international film festivals. Asligul Armagan – Director, Screenwriter – Second Year www.bafta.org/los-angeles/events-initiatives/supporting-talent/newcomers-2020-full-group 1/18 07/10/2020 Newcomers 2020 Full Group | BAFTA Born and raised in Ankara, Turkey, Asligul graduated from Durham University with a History and Classics degree. She holds both an MSc in Global Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MA in Global Communication from USC. She has worked in Film and TV Development at Gunpowder & Sky, Smokehouse Pictures, MGM Studios, Working Title Films, and Weed Road Pictures. Asligul is currently working with Bryan Fogel on his next project and is developing a TV period drama for Big Screen Entertainment. Maor Azran – Producer – First Year Originally from Israel, Azran began his producing career while in the IDF, where he produced army-wide cultural events. Azran also executive produced leading television programs including THE BEAUTY AND THE BAKER, THE VOICE, and THE AMAZING RACE. He also worked as an executive for Keshet, overseeing unscripted development. In 2018 he graduated from the AFI Conservatory, where he produced the AMPAS’s Student Academy Awards nominee MARRIAGE MATERIAL-THE MUSICAL. He has a blind script deal with ABC Signature. Omer Ben-Shachar – Director, Screenwriter – First Year Omer Ben-Shachar is a writer-director born and raised in Tel-Aviv. His latest film, TREE #3, won a 2019 Student Academy Award, the ‘Best Young Creator Award’ at UrbanWorld, the ‘Best Student Film’ at HollyShorts, the ‘Audience Award’ for Best Student Short at Palm Springs ShortFest, and a College Emmy Television Award nomination. Prior to his studies at the AFI Conservatory, Omer served his mandatory military service as a director in the IDF’s Spokesperson’s Film Unit. Sheena Bhattessa – Actor – Second Year Sheena began training for performing arts at a young age. After studying Law at King's College, London, she studied at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. Her most recent work includes RANSOM, THE FIXER, WHITECHAPEL, EASTENDERS, DOCTORS and Bollywood productions LOVE AAJ KAL and JHOOM BARABER JHOOM. She just completed QUEEN ANNE, an RSC production. Moviescope reviewed her as “one to watch”. Alongside her acting, Sheena is now producing her first feature film. Michael Bhim – Screenwriter – First Year www.bafta.org/los-angeles/events-initiatives/supporting-talent/newcomers-2020-full-group 2/18 07/10/2020 Newcomers 2020 Full Group | BAFTA Born in North West London, Michael is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. In the UK, he has written for (BBC/Leopard films), Sky Television (Acme/Sky TV) & Channel 4. In the US, he developed his own series and pilot which he sold to Miramax television, and wrote on Impulse. He currently writes on the television series ALL AMERICAN and has two features in development. Michael works extensively with prison inmates, with a keen interest on marginalized voices. Michael is represented by CAA & Echo Lake Entertainment. Andrew Blackburn – Director – Fourth Year Entering his 4th year as a Bafta LA Newcomer, Andrew has lived and worked in Los Angeles since 2015. As a commercial director, he's shot global TV campaigns for Disney, McDonald’s and Pampers amongst many others. His debut feature film as writer & director, BEING NICE, was released in November 2014, followed by an hour-long TV pilot in 2019. Andrew is currently in pre-production on his 2nd feature film, MALCOLM’S MOUNTAIN. Marcus C.W. Chan – Director, Screenwriter – Fourth Year Born and raised in Hong Kong, Marcus worked as a solicitor before joining the UCLA MFA film production program. His thesis film, PALACE was selected by a number of domestic and international film festivals. His first feature length film as editor, LOVE GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND, premiered at the Austin Film Festival. Marcus recently worked as part of the editorial team behind an upcoming Spotify series, and is also editing a second independent feature supported by the Sloan Foundation. Christel Chaudet – Video Producer – Second Year A degree in Fine Art Painting opened Christel's mind to a life of exploration. She shot short and long-form drama as a Director of Photography worked as a Shooting AP for TV channels such as Channel 4, BBC and ITV in the United Kingdom and has been creating high-end branded content for the Fashion and Beauty industry. Now living in LA, she strives to constantly push the boundaries of her creativity. Anne Chmelewsky – Composer – First Year www.bafta.org/los-angeles/events-initiatives/supporting-talent/newcomers-2020-full-group 3/18 07/10/2020 Newcomers 2020 Full Group | BAFTA Anne is a composer for both stage and screen. Her recent credits include Ricky Gervais’ DEREK (Netflix) and BAFTA-winning director Amma Asante’s latest feature WHERE HANDS TOUCH (TIFF 2018), for which Anne has been nominated for the 2019 Discovery of the Year award at the World Soundtrack Awards. Her third opera, PYGMALION 2.0, is also currently in development with help from a PRS Foundation Women Make Music Award and will premiere in Spring 2021. Lucian Charles Collier – Actor – Second Year Actor Lucian Charles Collier made his debut in the Berlinale Crystal Bear Award winning short, MIKE, following up in the SXSW Audience Buzz Award winner film SPACESHIP, where his performance was listed for a British Independent Film Newcomer Award. Lucian was cast in LORDS OF CHAOS, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and was cast in the lead role in Mark Young’s upcoming feature, LIMBO, after moving to Los Angeles in 2017. Sasha Collington – Director – Second Year Sasha's debut feature film, LOVE TYPE D, premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival 2019 and was nominated for an Audience Award. Sasha was one of four writers to win the Betty Box and Peter Rogers Comedy Writing Award for her screenplay, ANOTHER ANNA. She is an alumni of the Binger Writers Lab and the Berlinale Talent Campus and has an MA in Filmmaking from the London Film School. She is currently working on three pilot scripts for episodic comedies. Pete Cooksley – Producer – Second Year Pete is a Showrunner and Producer in the unscripted TV world, specializing in entertainment and documentaries. He's held senior roles on the major network shows THE MASKED SINGER (Fox), BRING THE FUNNY (NBC), WORLD OF DANCE (NBC), and THE FOUR (Fox), and he’s co- created and Executive Produced digital series for History, Fusion and Fullscreen. Before moving stateside, he produced and directed many British primetime shows, including the BAFTA-winning YOUNG APPRENTICE and THE CHOIR. Theo Cowen – Editor – First Year www.bafta.org/los-angeles/events-initiatives/supporting-talent/newcomers-2020-full-group 4/18 07/10/2020 Newcomers 2020 Full Group | BAFTA Theo is a Los Angeles based editor working across a broad range of projects from award winning feature film and prime time TV comedy, to commercials and branded content. His recent credits include WE THE KINGS which won ‘Best UK Feature’ at Raindance, EARTHY ENCOUNTERS which premiered at Tribeca, and MODERN HORROR STORIES, a sketch comedy series for Comedy Central. Theo’s second feature film, PESCADOR, is due to start its festival run in 2020. www.theocowen.co.uk Sisi Cronin – Film Publicist – Third Year Raised in London, Sisi studied at Goldsmiths and began her career in Film Publicity at Revolver Entertainment. In 2012, she pursued a freelance career leading projects for clients including Warner Bros, Universal Pictures, StudioCanal, Secret Cinema and Content Media before establishing her boutique agency Sicily Publicity. Now based in Los Angeles, Sisi and her team lead publicity, social media and grassroots marketing campaigns for independent films, documentaries, festivals and events. Max Davidoff-Grey – Composer – First Year Max is a composer, music producer and sound designer. He writes music for visual media and releases standalone electronic material. After studying composition at the Purcell School, he completed a music degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, with a specialization in electronic music.