BAFTA Cymru Breakthrough finalists talk to Nation.Cymru ahead of Sunday’s ceremony

Stephen Price

The great and the good of Wales’ film, television and broadcasting talent will be heading to Newport’s ICCW on Sunday to celebrate and honour excellence across the sector.

This year’s 21 categories celebrate the breadth and wealth of creativity developed in Wales; the world class productions being made here and the talent and crew contributing to output both in front of and behind the camera.

Must-watch films are nominated alongside long-standing dramas and well-established talent including Dr Who producer and Bad Wolf co-founder Julie Gardner and The Crown and Gangs of London actor Mark Lewis Jones will tread the red carpet to receive BAFTA Cymru’s Outstanding Contribution and the Siân Phillips Award respectively.

And rubbing glittery shoulders with some of our most steadfast and famous favourite faces will be four exciting nominees who feature as finalists in this year’s Breakthrough Cymru category.

Welsh talent

Alaw Llewelyn Roberts from the Llŷn Peninsula is nominated for producing Bariau, S4C / Rondo Media’s bilingual, six-part prison drama.

Bethel-based writer Bethan Marlow has written extensively for theatre and is nominated for Candid Broads Productions’ short film, The Date, which tells the story of loud mouthed 13-year-old Sasha, whose first date presents confusing feelings around her sexuality and the control she’s allowed to take over it.

Daisy Brown produced Slammed: The Eighties, a documentary series on a decade of Welsh rugby when talented players battled change, defeat and turmoil in a dramatically shifting world and in the shadow of a glorious golden era.

Janis Pugh is nominated as director of musical drama Chuck Chuck Baby, which is set in a chicken factory, to songs from the 1960s and 70s and is a celebration of working class women and female love in all its forms.

All four talents and pieces are very different from each other, but one commonality between all is their passion for working in Wales.

Congratulations on your nominations! Can you share your thoughts on the benefits of working in Cymru?

Alaw: It’s a great privilege to be able to work in my native language in an industry where I’m surrounded by such creative people.

Beyond having outstanding backdrops, storytelling is in our blood and the talent we have in our small nation is something we can be proud to showcase on any stage.

Bethan: We have two languages to play with and write stories in, and I feel very supported at this early stage in my television writing career by brilliant Cymru-based companies like 5 Acts, World Productions and ie ie Productions.

The challenge now is convincing broadcasters to trust that this newbie can do the job and that they don’t just call on tried and tested talent.

Daisy: In Wales, you get to work with really good, talented people in a community that is rich in stories, sport and warmth.

Janis: I’ve always shot in my home area of Flintshire. The weather is always a factor. But Flint’s landscape still makes my heart skip a beat and the people there make it sing with laughter. It’s always inspiring.

What do you make of being nominated in this category?

Alaw: I hadn’t been home from my long-distance motorcycle trip long when I heard, so it was a surprise. a little over a week when I got the news.

This was a baptism of fire for a first time producer and so just to have the recognition of a nomination means a lot to me.

It’s an honour to carry the flag for Bariau and represent the momentous work put in by the whole team.

Bethan: I’m absolutely chuffed! Although I’ve been writing for theatre for quite some years now, I’m still new to TV and film and this nomination has given me a boost to keep going.

It’s an exciting, unpredictable and competitive industry so this is a huge help for my confidence and self-belief.

Daisy: It was really unexpected and is a big mad to get my head around. But it’s something that I feel very proud to have been considered for.

Janis: I’m unbelievably proud. I just wish my mum and dad were still here to see it. This nomination is a tribute to them and to the working women celebrated in the film. 

It’s been a great year for television and cinema, what have you been watching this year?

Alaw: The shortlist is full of dramas and docs that I really enjoyed this year. Particular favourites on the shortlist are Men Up and Siwrna Scandi Chris.

I was very late to the party but I’ve finally got caught up with both Brassic and Slow Horses. Being an unashamed true-crime girlie, the second series of The Jinx was immense and I was also happily swept up in the Baby Reindeer craze.

Bethan: I’m a huge fan of Men Up – I’m so glad it’s got the recognition it deserves. I’ve also been watching Pren ar y Bryn and Wolf. I watch a lot of telly!

Other highlights this year are Beef, Season three of The Bear, Lost Boys and Fairies, Fool Me Once, Mr Bates v The Post Office, Sex / Life, and the documentary Imposter.

Daisy: Seeing Jenny Casterton nominated for Factual Director is great and also Rhod Gilbert: Pain in the Neck being nominated for Single Documentary.

I’ve also loved watching Men Up, Strike: The Women Who Fought Back and Casualty. There’s been so much good TV this year, but recently I’ve been enjoying binging Brassic, America’s Sweethearts, The Great and Daddy Issues. Queenie, Big Boys and The Bake Off have also been high on my list!

Janis: From these nominations, I finally got around to watching Slow Horses which l loved. I’ve been travelling a lot, so on long flights I’ve revisited Six Feet Under, which still blows me away with its unique and beautiful look at death and grief.

I loved Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things and also American Fiction which I saw at Toronto International Film Festival.

Micheal Sheen’s The Way was brilliantly bold and brave. And I stupidly watched Late Night With The Devil alone in a hotel room!

Sunday’s BAFTA Cymru Awards ceremony will be live streamed for those unable to attend at https://www.youtube.com/bafta

For more information, head to BAFTA Cymru’s social channels: @baftacymru