James McAvoy has joined the jury of the Orange Rising Star Award. McAvoy, winner of the firstOrange Rising Star Award in 2006, joined his fellow jurors to cast their final votes for the five 2009nominees.

The award recognises actors who have recently broken into mainstream cinema with significant performances in at least one feature length film during the year.

The Rising Star is the only prize at the Orange British Academy Film Awards where the winner is decided by the public. From January 8 2009 votes for the five nominees can be cast online.

Other members of this year’s Orange Rising Star Jury members include Finola Dwyer (producer, Chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee), Kelly Macdonald (No Country For Old Men), Dean Piper (Closer), Allon Reich (producer), Fiona Weir (casting director) and Susanna White (director). The jury was chaired by David Parfitt (producer, Chairman of BAFTA).

This is the fourth year of the Orange Rising Star Award. Eva Green won the award in 2007, while Shia LaBeouf won it in 2008.

The Orange Rising Star Award was created in honour of Mary Selway, the BAFTA-winning casting director whose career spanned three decades and over ninety films before she died in 2004.

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