Tilda Swinton will chair the jury at the BFI and Chanel Filmmaker Awards

Tilda Swinton will chair the jury at the BFI and Chanel Filmmaker Awards.

The ‘French Dispatch’ star will helm the judging panel at the inaugural awards, which will see the British Film Institute team up with the French fashion house to give three emerging filmmakers £20,000 who show original ideas, take risks and want to explore a new angle to their movies.

The 61-year-old actress will announce the trio of winners on September 29 during the BFI’s fundraising gala, Luminous, which raises money for the organization’s educational aims.

Tilda will be joined on the panel by Ben Roberts, the CEO of the BF!, Marie-Louise Khondji, the founder of the Le Cinema Club and producer and Edward Enninful, the editor-in-chief of British Vogue.

They will select the victors from an array of filmmakers selected to apply by panel of film industry professionals. To apply, producers, directors, writers must be UK residents who have made one or two feature films or XR/immersive works that have been made available to UK audiences, either via streaming or cinema release.

They will be whittled down to seven strong set list and hope to emphasis underrepresented perspectives - with one of the prizes guaranteed going to a female or non-binary individual - and must adhere to BFI Diversity Standards.

Of her position, Tilda said: “Both the BFI and the House of Chanel are acknowledged beacons long-committed not only to the vibrancy of the new but also to the conscientious and dedicated custodianship of our precious cultural archive. The partnership of the two is a powerful and meaningful alliance. It is my good fortune to work closely with these two families in my own daily practice: the spreading of this good fortune to more and more artists is a cause for real celebration. The Filmmaker Awards will grow this fellowship significantly and the Luminous Gala raises crucial financial support for this indispensable public endeavor. It is my sincere honor to serve this awesome combo initiative in any way possible.”