The DAFTAS Comedy Awards Winners Announced
The DAFTAS Awards held it’s second awards ceremony showcasing BAFTA-nominated films which have been given a spooftastic revamp.
With winning titles including NoGoLand, The Mancunian, NoParkingLand, The Awkward Silecne’s Extraordinary Rendition of The Mauritanian, Nordmannland and The Trial of The Marvel(Lous 7), the awards ceremony welcomed the DAFTAS judges and winners to celebrate their success.
Judged by celebrated filmmakers, comedians, film critics, this year’s competition saw fourteen DAFTAS teams go against each other in a battle of titans.
The DAFTAs 2021 Comedy Awards winners
- You’re Simply The Best – Camel With Horses led by Rosie Wilson
- Best Poster – Nordmannland led by Line Nathalie Ronning and last year’s participant Ashley Jonassaint
- Best Make Up (judged by Make Up artist Daneille Everitt) – Nordmannland led by Line Nathalie Ronning
- Best Costume Design (judged by TV personality Gillian McKeith) – The Trial of The Marvel(Lous 7) led by Mark Haldor
- Best Original Score – NoGoLand OST by Jonathan Copper led by Madeleine Kasson
- Best Writing – The Awkward Silence’s Extraordinary Rendition of The Mauritanian led by Ralph Jones
- Best Editing – The Mancunian led by Funny Women Awards’ winner Sally Cancello and her production company Northern Sole Production
- Best Cinematography – The Mancunian led by Funny Women Awards’ winner Sally Cancello and her production company Northern Sole Production
- Best Female Actor – Lizzie Daykin – NoParkingLand led by Reuben Williams
- Best Male Actor – Ralph Jones and Vyvyan Almond – The Awkward Silence’s Extraordinary Rendition of The Mauritanian
- Best Spoof – NoParkingLand led by Reuben Williams
Some of the Shortlisted Team Leaders were see mingling with the judges at an intimate awards ceremony while the Vikings’ Elijah Rowen has made a cameo appearance to present the awards.
The winner of the best spoof Reuben Williams has walked away £500 richer, thanks to The DAFTAS sponsors and partners among whom are short film streaming platform Shortly.film, British Association of Journalists Union (BAJ), Capital Pictures, Online CBD Store, The Comedy Crowd, and Ikon London Magazine. During his acceptance speech, Reuben Williams acknowledged the fact that it’s the first time he’s had to also accept Best Actress gong due to Covid restriction on the numbers. “I hope it won’t be the last one”. The Best Spoof winner has also received a free ticket to The Kindling Hour online experience by Swamp Motel.
Best Male Actor and Female Actor have received free tickets to an online Murder Mystery game Death at The DAFTAS by Red Herring Games taking place on the 18th of September 2021.
Each year, the DAFTAS participants get together to spoof BAFTA-nominated films into short and entertaining performances for viewers. The rules are strict – all short spoofs must be shot in two days and on a shoestring budget of £200. The shortlisted masterpieces are available on Shortly platform and are available for free.
Judges include award-winning actress Karen Bryson MBE (Black Narcissus, Mother Father Son, Zack Snyder’s Justice League), award-winning composer and director Tom Lawes (Last Projectionist, Amaryllis), award-winning comedy producer Gina Lyons (Dreaming Whlist Black, In My Skin), co-founder of Comedy Crowd Peter Wright, Film Critic Damon Smith and comedian Michelle De Swarte (The Duchess).
Karen Bryson MBE, award-winning actress, producer, DAFTAS judge took to the stage to deliver a speech: “There is no stopping creatives. And these past fifteen months have proven that we don’t really save lives but we kind of do. Because without a book, a CD, something to watch, these times would have been so much harder.”
Tamara Orlova, the founder of the awards also took to the stage to encourage comedians to create more comedy. “With four absolutely different spoofs on Nomadland, and two different takes to the Mauritanian, it goes to show how different we all are. The diversity of our experiences seeps through into your work making it absolutely unique. To me it tells that while there is always a competition, there is always place for more comedy.”
The DAFTAS 2021 team leaders are a reflection of gender equity with female-led teams making up 50% of entries and scooping six out of twelve gongs. Among them, Sally Cancello (Funny Women Award winner) with her production company Northern Sole Production, Madeleine Kasson, and last year’s participant Ashley Jonassaint.
The next DAFTAS Awards will kick off on the day of BAFTA nominations and the teams registration will open in November.
