The bright lights of the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards shone on Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) with not one, but two winning films boasting talent from the University.
BA (Hons) Film Production graduate Lars Thomas Skare was First Assistant Director and Co-Producer for the Norwegian drama Sentimental Value, which won the award for the Best Film Not in the English Language.
Sentimental Value received eight BAFTA nominations including Best Film, Direction, Leading Actress, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Film Not in the English Language, Original Screenplay and Casting.
This is in addition to the nine Academy Award nominations and six European Film Awards the film received last week.
The film premiered In Competition in Cannes 2025 and was awarded the Grand Prix. It received its UK cinema release on 26 December 2025.
Lars tells us, “It’s been quite a train that we’ve been on, because I remember around this time last year, when we were sitting and editing the film, our hope was always to premiere in Cannes [...] But that the film would turn into this big of a success awards-wise has been a pleasant surprise for us!”
Meanwhile guest speaker on the BA (Hons) Creative Writing course, Dean Atta, won Best Short Animation for Two Black Boys in Paradise.
An award-winning writer and poet, Dean's short tells the story of Eden, 19, and Dula, 18, two young Black men navigating self-acceptance and love in a world that often denies them both.
Their journey, imagined as a “paradise free from shame and judgement”, is adapted from a poem in Dean's collection, There is (still) Love Here.
The BAFTA-winning film, written and executive produced by Dean, will be screened as part of a special headline event at Bournemouth Writing Festival. Dean will attend the event in person, reading from his poetry and discussing the creative journey behind the award-winning work.
"To have a BAFTA-winning film screened at the Bournemouth Writing Festival – and to welcome Dean Atta fresh from this extraordinary achievement – is hugely exciting for our town," says festival director Dominic Wong. "It demonstrates the calibre of talent we are attracting to Bournemouth and shows our audiences that writing can lead to the very highest levels of creative success."
“Dean’s BAFTA win is a testament to the power of storytelling in all its forms and this event perfectly captures that creative energy," adds James Cole, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Creative Writing at AUB. "At AUB, we champion writing that crosses disciplines. We’re proud to see one of our guest speakers recognised at the highest level.”
