Katarzyna Petru
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, more widely known as BAFTA, is launching a new digital series – BAFTA Playback. The project’s partner is Samsung, and it will feature some of Hollywood's biggest names: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lawrence, Colin Farrell, and Jeremy Allen White.
This is not another promotional interview or a classic conversation over coffee. “BAFTA Playback” is a meeting of the artist with their own story – with moments that have been forever etched in pop culture.
Conversations, emotions, memories – in other words, Hollywood behind the scenes
Each episode is an intimate meeting with an actor or actress, who revisit their most significant roles. In a stylishly arranged, cosy studio – brimming with memorabilia from film sets – guests sit in front of a Samsung television and watch clips from their films. In the background – laughter, sometimes silence, sometimes emotion.
The first episode featuring Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar) is already available on the BAFTA channel on YouTube. In upcoming episodes, we will see among others Colin Farrell (The Ballad of a Small Player), Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Jennifer Lawrence (Die My Love) and Michael B. Jordan (Sinners).
New episodes will be released every Tuesday and Thursday until 20 November.
Samsung and BAFTA: a shared language of storytelling
Why Samsung? Because – as Zeena Hill, Marketing Director of Samsung Electronics U.K., states – “Storytelling is at the heart of every cinematic experience. ‘BAFTA Playback’ combines creativity, emotion, and technology. We are delighted that our screens have become the stage where actors bring their memories to life.”
Meanwhile, Emma Baehr, Director of Awards and Content at BAFTA, emphasises that this is a project designed to inspire:
“It’s a unique opportunity to see how great actors analyse their roles and share what truly moves them.”
A New Perspective on Familiar Faces
“BAFTA Playback” is not just a series about film. It’s a journey through the emotions, choices, and stories that make cinema still capable of enchanting us. At a time when algorithms suggest what to watch, this format reminds us why we love films in the first place – for the people who create them.
BAFTA can already boast of over 200,000 subscribers on YouTube and 350 million views on social media, and this project has the potential to significantly increase those numbers.
BAFTA Playback is a six-episode series of conversations with Hollywood stars, sponsored by Samsung. A warm setting, genuine emotions, and technology in the service of storytelling – this is the new face of film conversation.
