Jessie Buckley Urges Film Industry to Prioritize Emerging Talent Over Oscar Campaigns

Actor Jessie Buckley has questioned whether the film industry places too much emphasis on Oscar campaigns at the expense of nurturing emerging talent, suggesting there may be greater potential in supporting film-makers at a grassroots level. Speaking at the BFI and Chanel film-maker awards in London, Buckley responded to comments by John Malkovich, who argued that Oscar campaigns are now the only way to drive audiences into cinemas.

Weighing Promotion Against Grassroots Potential

Buckley told the Guardian that she saw truth in Malkovich’s remarks regarding the necessity of sharing one’s work. However, she emphasized that the industry’s heavy reliance on promotion impacts actors, directors, crews, and marketing teams alike. Maybe we’ve given that too much weight, Buckley said, adding, I wonder if there’s more potential in nurturing at a grassroots level than giving so much weight to a marketing Oscar campaign.

This scene sealed Jessie Buckley’s Oscar win for ‘Hamnet’ 🏆Jessie Buckley revealed the scream in this moment wasn’t in the script. It came over her during the take and was kept in the final film. pic.twitter.com/M37wfIQ7QP

— https://x.com/Screenplayed/status/2033616253680496761

Pointing to the success of films made on shoestring budgets such as Obsession and Backrooms, Buckley noted that audiences went to see them for their quality rather than pre-existing intellectual property. She stressed the necessity of supporting up-and-coming young film-makers, stating, At some point we want to pop off this earth, and we need to support the next generation. I want to know what they’ve got to say, what their world looks like.

Recognizing Emerging UK Talent

At the ceremony held at Claridge’s in London, four emerging UK film-makers each received £20,000 to develop their work. Buckley and Gwendoline Christie joined a jury that included BFI CEO Ben Roberts, Edward Enninful, and Marie-Louise Khondji.

Photo: inkl

The winning projects explored subjects including political protest, racial profiling, female solidarity, and family trauma:

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• Rich Felgate was recognized for We, the Hated, a documentary about Just Stop Oil protesters.
• Olive Nwosu won for Lady, a feature debut set in Lagos following a female taxi driver.
• Imran Perretta was recognized for Ish, a coming-of-age film exploring racial profiling following a police stop and search.
• Rachel Taparjan won for her debut feature documentary, Something Familiar.