Submissions open for Screen Stars of Tomorrow 2022

Screen International is delighted to announce that nominations are open for Screen Stars of Tomorrow, our annual portfolio of new talent from the UK and Ireland, now heading into its 19th year.

Nominations open from March 20, 2022, and will close over the Easter bank holiday weekend, on April 18, in the drive to find new actors, directors, writers, producers and heads of department to present to the industry this summer.

Due to the increasing popularity of this talent portfolio, we ask that all submissions now use this Google Form. Applicants will need to attach a brief bio, a headshot and contact details alongside a reference or details of a referee. This form is mandatory.

Although confined to the UK and Ireland, Screen’s Stars of Tomorrow talent initiative has proved itself to be the global film industry’s most successful new talent showcase with an unrivalled track record for discovering actors and key creatives, many of whom have gone on to win Academy Awards and Baftas and become household names (see below).

Applications are open to UK and Irish nationals who are long-term residents of either country. There is no upper or lower age limit, but candidates should be new to the film industry.

Screen International’s reviews editor and chief critic Fionnuala Halligan will take charge of the selection process for the 12th consecutive year in 2022. She can be contacted on screenstarsoftomorrow@gmail.com. 

Last year’s Stars of Tomorrow were unveiled under lockdown conditions after a socially-distanced shoot at the BFI Southbank in London with a live Zoom presentation. In 2022, Screen will announce the winners in July and celebrate with a reception in Central London shortly afterwards.

Previous Stars of Tomorrow include: 

• James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Emily Blunt, Noel Clarke and director Andrea Arnold, all selected for the first-ever edition in 2004

• David Oyelowo, Eddie Redmayne, Ruth Negga, writer Abi Morgan and producer Mia Bays (2005)

• Riz Ahmed, Dan Stevens, Hayley Atwell and Andrea Riseborough, with directors Tom Harper and The Blaine Brothers (2006)

• Andrew Garfield, Felicity Jones, Matt Smith and Gemma Arterton , writer Jack Thorne (2007)

• Dev Patel, Claire Foy, Tom Hiddleston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and writer-director Andrew Haigh (2008)

• Luke Evans, Daniel Kaluuya, Bel Powey, directors Destiny Ekaragha and Richard Ayoade (2009)

• Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Jessica Brown Findlay and writer Kelly Marcel (2010)

• John Boyega, Richard Madden, Joe Cole, Vanessa Kirby and writer-directors John Maclean, Rowan Athale, Scott Graham and Michael Pearce (2011)

• Tom Holland, George MacKay and Letitia Wright (2012)

• Will Poulter, Cush Jumbo, Arinze Kene and Stacy Martin (2013)

• Olivia Cooke, Taron Egerton, Jack Lowden, Maisie Williams and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (2014)

• Jessica Barden, Joe Alwyn, Barry Keoghan and writers Charlie Covell and Marnie Dickens (2015)

• Jodie Comer, Hannah-John Kamen, Josh O’Connor, Florence Pugh, director Kate Herron and producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly (2016)

• Directors Nathaniel Martello-White and Remi Weekes, actors Jessie Buckley, Naomi Ackie, Harris Dickinson, and Michaela Coel (2017)

• Rhianne Barreto, Dafne Keen, Niamh Algar, directors Rose Glass and Koby Adom (2018)

• Actors Sam Adewumni, Dixie Egerickx, Himesh Patel, Vicky Knight, Synnove Karlson and directors Rapman and Alice Seabright (2019)

• Actors Paul Mescal, Emma Corrin, Ncuti Gawa, Micheal Ward and directors  Akinola Davis Jr and Charlotte Regan, producer Joy Gharoro Akpojator, writer Courttia Newland (2020)

• Actors Daryl MaCormack, Aaron Pierre, Ann Skelly and Anjana Vasan and directors Raine Allen-Miller, Thomas Hardiman and Adura Onashile, alongside writer Sam Steiner and producer Sorcha Bacon (2021)