After six years at London’s Royal Albert Hall, the EE BAFTA Film Awards are shifting venue across the city to the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, which also hosts the BAFTA TV and games awards.
The venue is located in the heart of London on the River Thames, close to landmarks including Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the National Theatre, BFI and the London Eye. In recent years, the Royal Festival Hall has become the flagship venue for red carpet galas at the BFI London Film Festival. “The move will see BAFTA program its most ambitious and accessible night yet, bolstered by a refreshed production and format,” the organization said.
Entries are now open for the 2023 awards, due to be presented on Feb. 19, 2023. The ceremony will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC One HD, BBCiPlayer and syndicated globally.
Emma Baehr, executive director of awards and content, said: “The Royal Albert Hall has been a wonderful home to us for the last six years. As we embark on the next chapter in an incredibly exciting year for film, we can’t wait to kick off our new residency at the Royal Festival Hall with BAFTA’s most ambitious celebration yet.”
Anna Higgs, chair of BAFTA film committee, said: “After months of painstaking preparations we are delighted to officially open entries for the 2023 EE BAFTA Film Awards. With the impressive caliber and creativity of films already on release, or on the way, our members in the U.K. and around the world have a phenomenal awards season ahead. Celebrating excellence, championing the value of the screen industries, and driving positive change through ensuring a level playing field continue to be at the heart of what BAFTA does – so we can’t wait to get going on voting and celebrating another fantastic year for film.”
Elaine Bedell, CEO of the Southbank Centre, added: “BAFTA’s decision to bring three awards ceremonies under one roof underscores the variety, scale and creative potential of our spaces to program a spectacular evening, for everyone. We’re delighted to support the vitally important screen industries and are so excited to see the Southbank Centre transformed for one of the biggest nights in the global film calendar.”
