Bafta has appointed Ffilm Cymru CEO Lee Walters as chair of the arts charity’s branch in Wales, Bafta Cymru.
He replaces TV presenter Angharad Mair. Since 2023, Walters has led Ffilm Cymru Wales, the development agency for Welsh film, which has backed projects including Bafta Cyrmu winner Chuck Chuck Baby, Unicorns, Mr Burton and Madfabulous.
Prior to this, Walters worked for the BBC, and helped to establish BBC Wales’ headquarters in the centre of Cardiff, as well as holding posts at Cardiff University and Media Cymru, an organisation set up to drive economic growth in the Welsh media sector.
The role of chair is a voluntary position, voted in by the Bafta Cymru committee. Walters will lead the committee, which supports the film, games and television industries in Wales through its annual Bafta Cymru awards, year-round events and the distribution of Prince William Bafta bursaries.
A Bafta Cymru chair position is voted on by the Bafta Cymru committee annually, and the same person may be re-elected up to a maximum of six years.
Screen contacted Bafta for comment on whether there may be any conflict of interest in the head of Ffilm Cymru also chairing Bafta’s Welsh branch. A spokesperson for Bafta stressed that the role of chair is a “voluntary position to support Bafta’s charitable activities in Wales” and that “any potential conflicts of interests that could potentially arise during voting would be carefully managed, as is standard practice across all our awards”.
Rebecca Hardy remains the director of Bafta Cymru, a salaried post.
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