Submissions open for Screen Stars of Tomorrow 2021

Screen International is delighted to announce that nominations are open for Screen Stars of Tomorrow, our annual portfolio of new talent from the UK and Ireland, now heading into its 18th year.

Nominations open from April 1, 2021, and will close one month later on May 1 in the drive to find new actors, directors, writers, producers and heads of department to present to the industry later this year.

Although confined to the UK and Ireland, Screen’s Stars of Tomorrow talent initiative has proved itself to be the global film industry’s most successful new talent showcase with an unrivalled track record for discovering actors and key creatives, many of whom have gone on to win Academy Awards and Baftas and become household names (see below).

Informal industry submissions and recommendations are welcome, and should be emailed to screenstarsoftomorrow@gmail.com. These should include a brief bio; contact details; and an endorsement.

Applications are open to UK and Irish nationals who are long-term residents of either country. There is no upper or lower age limit, but candidates should be new to the film industry.

Screen International’s reviews editor and chief critic Fionnuala Halligan will take charge of the selection process for the 11th consecutive year in 2021.

Last year’s Stars of Tomorrow were unveiled under lockdown conditions after a socially-distanced shoot at the BFI Southbank in London with a live Zoom presentation. In 2021, Screen is hoping to announce with a reception in October and an online element.

Previous Stars of Tomorrow include: 

• James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Emily Blunt, Noel Clarke and director Andrea Arnold, all selected for the first-ever edition in 2004

• David Oyelowo, Eddie Redmayne, Ruth Negga, writer Abi Morgan and producer Mia Bays (2005)

• Riz Ahmed, Dan Stevens, Hayley Atwell and Andrea Riseborough, with directors Tom Harper and The Blaine Brothers (2006)

• Andrew Garfield, Felicity Jones, Matt Smith and Gemma Arterton , writer Jack Thorne (2007)

• Dev Patel, Claire Foy, Tom Hiddleston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and writer-director Andrew Haigh (2008)

• Luke Evans, Daniel Kaluuya, Bel Powey, directors Destiny Ekaragha and Richard Ayoade (2009)

• Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Jessica Brown Findlay and writer Kelly Marcel (2010)

• John Boyega, Richard Madden, Joe Cole, Vanessa Kirby and writer-directors John Maclean, Rowan Athale, Scott Graham and Michael Pearce (2011)

• Tom Holland, George MacKay and Letitia Wright (2012)

• Will Poulter, Cush Jumbo, Arinze Kene and Stacy Martin (2013)

• Olivia Cooke, Taron Egerton, Jack Lowden, Maisie Williams and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (2014)

• Jessica Barden, Joe Alwyn, Barry Keoghan and writers Charlie Covell and Marnie Dickens (2015)

• Jodie Comer, Hannah-John Kamen, Josh O’Connor, Florence Pugh, director Kate Herron and producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly (2016)

• Directors Nathaniel Martello-White and Remi Weekes, actors Jessie Buckley, Naomi Ackie, Harris Dickinson, and Michaela Coel (2017)

• Rhianne Barreto, Dafne Keen, Niamh Algar, directors Rose Glass and Koby Adom (2018)

• Actors Sam Adewumni, Dixie Egerickx, Himesh Patel, Vicky Knight, Synnove Karlson and directors Rapman and Alice Seabright (2019)

• Actors Paul Mescal, Emma Corrin, Ncuti Gawa, Micheal Ward and directors  Akinola Davis Jr and Charlotte Regan, producer Joy Gharoro Akpojator, writer Courttia Newland (2020)