BAFTA North America announced its 2025 BAFTA Breakthrough U.S. cohort, featuring 12 “must-watch” creatives working in film, games and television, from across the US.
Apple TV sponsored this year’s BAFTA Breakthrough U.S., which fosters and empowers emerging creative talent both behind and in front of the camera. I’ve interviewed a few of them and had them speak at our events. But many are new to me. Congratulations to them all.
BAFTA Breakthrough is the arts charity’s flagship talent initiative providing a springboard to creatives spanning craft specialisms from costume design, production, casting, editing and games design, to performance, directing, composing and cinematography. BAFTA’s mission is to champion the creative and cultural importance of the screen arts across film, games and television.
Awarded to those in the midst of, or on the cusp of, their breakthrough moment, the year-long initiative includes one-on-one meetings and career guidance, full voting membership, access to BAFTA events and screenings, as well as networking events, both in the UK and internationally.
BAFTA Breakthrough is part of BAFTA’s year-round initiatives to nurture the next generation of creative talent. Here in the US, BAFTA North America’s long-established and celebrated programs, such as the BAFTA Student Awards, Vance Byrd Mentorship Program and scholarships help thousands of people build their careers in film, games, and television.
BAFTA North America drives local impact by opening pathways, expanding access, and supporting emerging talent in our creative communities. BAFTA’s global mission ensures opportunity and equity across the creative industries.
The full list of the 2025 BAFTA Breakthrough US cohort is as follows:
U.S. Breakthroughs
Brandon Wilson, actor – Nickel Boys (Film)
Brittany Shyne, director – Seeds (Film, Documentary)
Chase Infiniti, actor – Presumed Innocent (Television)
Erika Ishii, voice performer – Ghost of Yotei (Games)
Eva Victor, writer / director / actor – Sorry, Baby (Film)
Frida Perez, writer / producer – The Studio (Television)
Karla Reyes, creative director – Take Us North (Games)
Mia Cioffi Henry, cinematographer – Sorry, Baby (Film)
Miles Caton, actor – Sinners (Film)
Min Ji (Maggie) Kang, writer / director – KPop Demon Hunters (Film)
Paige Bethmann, director – Remaining Native (Film, Documentary)
Xalavier Nelson Jr., studio head – I Am Your Beast (Games)
The full list of the 2025 BAFTA Breakthrough US cohort is as follows:
US BREAKTHROUGHS:
Brandon Wilson, actor – Nickel Boys (Film)
Brittany Shyne, director – Seeds (Film, Documentary)
Chase Infiniti, actor – Presumed Innocent (Television)
Erika Ishii, voice performer – Ghost of Yotei (Games)
Eva Victor, writer / director / actor – Sorry, Baby (Film)
Frida Perez, writer / producer – The Studio (Television)
Karla Reyes, creative director – Take Us North (Games)
Mia Cioffi Henry, cinematographer – Sorry, Baby (Film)
Miles Caton, actor – Sinners (Film)
Min Ji (Maggie) Kang, writer / director – KPop Demon Hunters (Film)
Paige Bethmann, director – Remaining Native (Film, Documentary)
Xalavier Nelson Jr., studio head – I Am Your Beast (Games)
“The BAFTA Breakthrough US program continues to be a beacon for emerging excellence, and this year’s cohort exemplifies the power of bold, imaginative storytelling. At a moment when hurdles to building sustainable careers in entertainment are as difficult as ever and programs like this are shuttering, BAFTA remains steadfast in its belief and investment in the next generation, ” said Courtney LaBarge Bell, executive director of BAFTA North America, in a statement. “It is a privilege to witness such exceptional talent stepping into their own and to celebrate the moments when their artistry truly takes flight. Their vision, dedication, and fearlessness have left a lasting impression on us all. We hope this year-long program strengthens their path toward long, meaningful careers shaped by curiosity and craft. Congratulations to our 2025 cohort, your achievements are remarkable, and we are honored to champion your journey. ”
This year’s Breakthrough US cohort was selected by a jury of leading cross-industry figures, including Channing Godfrey Peoples, Davina Pardo, Jessica Hernandez, Kate Edwards, Nyasha Hatendi, Paul Rogers, Sam Enoch, Simone Ling for film & television and Andrew Prahlow, Arjun Yadav, Carmen Askerneese, Del Walker, Dmitri Johnson, Julia Bianco Schoeffling and Tara Voelker for games.
BAFTA Breakthrough U.S. is celebrating its 6th anniversary this year. As an incubator for the industry’s future change-makers, BAFTA Breakthrough nurtures and encourages peer-to-peer network building. The program also taps into BAFTA’s unique global academy of almost 14,000 creatives through curating a host of one-to-one meetings with established practitioners. Notable alumni include Stephanie Economou, HIKARI, Nava Mau, Bao Nguyen, Fernando Reyes Medina, Karrie Shirou Shao, Erica Tremblay, Cheyenne Pualani Morrin, Sean Wang and more. Many go on to build very successful careers in the screen arts, creating games, TV shows and features that achieve national and international industry acclaim, including BAFTA nominations and wins.
Apple TV sponsors this year’s BAFTA Breakthrough US, which fosters and empowers emerging creative talent both behind and in front of the camera. BAFTA champion voices across film, games, and television, celebrating practitioners from all backgrounds and life experiences and cultivating the exceptional storytellers of today and tomorrow.
2025 BAFTA BREAKTHROUGH US COHORT BIOS
Brandon Wilson
Brandon Wilson is an actor and writer who can be seen in the Oscar-nominated film adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys, for which he won the 2024 Gotham Award for Breakthrough Performer. Directed by RaMell Ross and produced by Plan B for MGM/Orion, the film premiered at Telluride, opened the 62nd New York Film Festival, and stars Wilson alongside Ethan Herisse, Aunjanue Ellis, Hamish Linklater, and Fred Hechinger.
Brittany Shyne
Brittany Shyne is an independent filmmaker and cinematographer based in Dayton, Ohio, whose narrative and non-fiction work explores the complexity of everyday life through themes of personal history, alienation, and cultural change; her debut feature, Seeds, premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and received the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Award. She has shot films including The Debutantes, This Time, This Place, and the Academy Award-winning American Factory, and was honored with the 2021 Artist Disruptor Award from the Center of Cultural Power.
Chase Infiniti
Chase Infiniti is a rising Hollywood talent known for her acclaimed breakout roles, including her star-making performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another and her widely praised turn in David E. Kelley’s Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent, the platform’s most-watched drama to date. She most recently wrapped production on Hulu’s The Testaments, the anticipated follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale, in which she leads a new generation of characters in Gilead.
Erika Ishii
Erika Ishii (all pronouns) is a queer, genderfluid performer in games, animation, comedy, and improvised storytelling. Having thus far amassed over 100 voiceover credits, Erika is a notorious figure in pop culture, with high-profile roles in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Apex Legends, and Mortal Kombat 1, as well as standout work in animation. They’re well known for their comedy work with Dropout’s Dimension 20 and Game Changer, as well as their own narrative actual-play podcast Worlds Beyond Number. Erika is passionate about activism and has raised over $100,000 for organizations supporting LGBTQ+ rights, mental health, and social justice.
Eva Victor
Eva Victor (they/she) is a writer, director and actor. Their debut film SORRY, BABY, which Victor wrote, directed and leads, premiered at Sundance, winning the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award; A24 acquired the film soon after its premiere. The film also served as the closing film of the Director’s Fortnight section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Eva was presented with the Mind the Gap Award at the Mill Valley Film Festival, and the UBS Breakthrough Director Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival.
Frida Perez
Frida Perez is a Dominican-American writer and producer from the Bronx and the Emmy-winning co-creator of the AppleTV+ series The Studio, for which she earned awards for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy and Outstanding Comedy Series. A Sundance Ignite Fellow and former Executive Producer of Storytime with Seth Rogen, she has written and directed acclaimed short films and earned an Ambie nomination for Best Scriptwriting.
Karla Reyes
Karla Reyes is a New York-native game developer and founder of Anima Interactive, the socially conscious indie studio behind Take Us North, which has premiered at global festivals including Tribeca and SXSW Sydney and has been hailed by outlets like NPR, WIRED, and Slant Magazine. Previously at Square Enix and Niantic, she now leads initiatives harnessing games for impact, including collaborations with Trevor Noah’s Day Zero Productions, UN agencies, and OCCRP. Outside of games, Karla is also a DJ and radio presenter.
Mia Cioffi Henry
Mia Cioffi Henry is a New York– and Italy-based cinematographer whose work spans feature films, television, commercials, and music videos premiering at major festivals including Cannes, Venice, Berlinale, and Sundance. With a background in dance, production design, and still photography, she brings a character-driven, naturally heightened visual style to projects such as SORRY, BABY (A24) and COVER-UP (Netflix), and currently serves as Head of Graduate Cinematography at NYU Tisch, where she earned her MFA.
Min Ji (Maggie) Kang
Maggie Kang is a writer and director based in Los Angeles. She is best known for originating, writing, and directing KPOP DEMON HUNTERS for Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation. The film was released on Netflix and quickly became a global, pop culture phenomenon, soaring to #1 in over 30 countries and earning a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Miles Caton
Miles Caton is a rising actor and musician who earned global acclaim for his breakout debut in Ryan Coogler’s box-office hit Sinners, delivering a widely praised performance as Sammie in what became the biggest original-film opening since 2019. A New York–born vocalist who first went viral in 2017, Caton has continued to build a dynamic music career alongside his onscreen work, co-writing “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” for Sinners and releasing his debut single “Somethin.”
Paige Bethmann
Paige Bethmann is a Haudenosaunee filmmaker based in Rochester, New York. Over the last 10 years, Paige has worked in non-fiction television for various digital and broadcast networks such as ESPN, PBS, Vox Media, Youtube Originals, USA, and NBC. Her directorial debut REMAINING NATIVE premiered at SXSW winning a special Jury Award and Audience Award. In 2024, Paige was named by DOC NYC’s 40 under 40 list of filmmakers to watch. She is a graduate of Ithaca College, with a bachelor’s degree in Film, Television, and Radio from the Park School of Communications.
Xalavier Nelson Jr.
Xalavier Nelson Jr. is a BAFTA-nominated studio head, writer, actor, and Forbes 30 under 30 luminary, with over a hundred titles under his belt including I Am Your Beast, Magic: The Gathering, Borderlands 4, and El Paso, Elsewhere. He also makes strides in a storytelling career outside of game development, with releases such as the cult hit comic Sherlock Holmes Hunts the Moth Man and a starring voice role in the upcoming AAA survival horror game Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival.