The Sunday News
Raisedon Baya
The British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs) were held this past week at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The awards honoured excellence in British television for the year 2017/18.
I didn’t watch the show itself, though would have loved to, but to compensate I followed it on Twitter and must say some of the tweets about the show were fire and bullets. A lot of viewers on Twitter didn’t like Sue Perkins as the host. They complained and screamed about her jokes, most tweets thoughts she was be allowed to get away with sexist jokes simply because she was a woman.
There were two awards or categories most people didn’t agree with the judges’ decisions they made their disagreement known. There were complaints about Sir Richard Attenborough’s Blue Planet 2 being over looked in place of Love Island though Blue Planet 2 went on to beg an award later.
Others wondered why the lead actor in the drama Peaky Binder has been overlooked yet he was the reason the drama was successful. The beauty with social media is that everyone can scream their opinion in the hope that the world is listening and watching.
Of course there was a lot of disappointment and sarcasm in the tweets but the awards themselves were very successful. The tweets had me thinking. With the RoilBAA around the corner I wondered what people will be saying about the event and the awards decisions come next week?
Will the awards get another seal of approval from the city or will people throw stones and fire? Will the event live up to its billing as the biggest dress-up event or will it be a damp squib? How people react on social media?
Awards all over the world have never gotten a hundred percent approval from the public. There is always one or two or three people complaining about one something or another.
However, when one organises such a big and important event one hopes the majority of people will enjoy and give a thumbs up. As one of organisers of RoilBAA this is my sincere hope — that we will give people what we promised. A bigger and better show.
The RoilBAA nominees reveal had its own drama and created a little buzz on twitter, with people queering the inclusion of one or two nominees especially on the fashion category. But this is always expected. Remember social media has created and upgraded a lot of experts and critics.
Several people have been asking, journalists mostly, what will be different with RoilBAA besides the slight name change. To be honest I never understand this question. Last year we had our 1st edition. Awards are awards. They will always be the same. Same formula, same objective, with a few touch ups here and there.
Of course the difference will largely be in the winners, the entertainment package and speeches by presenters and guests. Also people will not wear the same clothes as last year. Perhaps this year they will go a notch higher and be more daring. The vibe, depending on the weather, could also be different. Different awards show I don’t know but better and bolder definitely yes!
Also something that was not there last year is the nominees dinner. This is planned for 24 May. The dinner is meant for nominees to meet and mingle without the pressures of the awards night. On this night nominees will get their certificates and also get to meet captains of industry and other Bulawayo socialites. It is a night of networking and merrymaking as we celebrate this year’s outstanding arts achievers in the city and the region.
