The British Academy of Film and TV (BAFTA) has unveiled a cinematic trailer “celebrating the art of video game storytelling”.
Created in collaboration with Digital Cinema Media (DCM), the 105-second spot will be released in cinemas ahead of the 21st BAFTA Games Awards on 8 April 2025.
Targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, it is the third ad campaign from the partnership and was produced by Common People Films and directed by Jennifer Sheridan.
It stars actress Susan Wokoma alongside well-known figures from the gaming industry, including Samantha Beart and Neil Newbon from Baldur’s Gate 3.
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Susan Wokoma said: “Film, TV and games are connected by the passion of the people who make it. It takes so many people to make these things and seeing people really take ownership of their story and their passion, that’s the thing that threads throughout all of those mediums.”
This marketing drive comes as research by BAFTA and YouGov found 31% of adults aged 16 to 34 cite video games as a form of self-care and 39% consider video games as a form of social connection.
However, it also highlighted that 1 in 5 respondents considered games to contain great storytelling and 9% believed games contained meaningful messages about today’s world.
Jeremy Kolesar, creative director, DCM Studios said: “We’ve seen a flourishing intersection between games, film and TV in the UK. Whether it’s a franchise-inspired series or film, a narrative-driven game, or an engaging acting performance, each medium strengthens the other.
“We’ve tried to capture this in our third cinema campaign with BAFTA, which draws from the diverse UK games industry to inspire the next generation of talent with an adventurous cinematic experience,” he added.
