BAFTA Film Heads On How Breakout Titles Like “I Swear’ Keep The Awards Body Distinctive: “I Don’t Think Our British Flavor Is In Danger”
Kirk Jones’ latest feature, I Swear, is the most nominated indie British title at this year’s BAFTA Film Awards, with 5 nods, an impressive haul which BAFTA Film Heads Sara Putt and Anthony Andrews say keeps the British Academy distinctive from other voting bodies.
I Swear is a comedy biopic inspired by the life story of Tourette’s Syndrome campaigner John Davidson, who famously involuntarily shouted “F*** the Queen” at the ceremony in which he received an honorary MBE for his work raising awareness about the condition.
“I Swear is a really great example of how BAFTA has really differentiated when it comes to the British flavor of the films that we’re here to celebrate,” Andrews, Deputy Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, told Deadline this morning.
Andrews also highlighted Manchester native Wunmi Mosaku landing her first BAFTA nomination for Sinners and the Outstanding British Film nominations list as a sign of BAFTA’s autonomy.
“The outstanding British Film list is a really varied list of box office hits and independent films that perhaps you wouldn’t normally expect to see on a list like that,” Andrews added.
Putt, the BAFTA Chair added, “I don’t think our British flavor is in any danger.”
Robert Aramayo (The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power) plays Davidson in the film, with support from Maxine Peake (Funny Cow), Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy), and Peter Mullan (War Horse).
The feature is produced by Jones, Georgia Bayliff, and Piers Tempest for One Story High and Tempo Productions. Cindy Jones and John Davidson serve as executive producers.
The production worked closely with the Tourettes community, casting individuals who live with Tourettes, and collaborated with a Tourettes charity, which Putt and Andrews said they believe added to the film’s surprise box office and awards season success. I Swear topped the UK/Ireland box office for multiple weeks during its theatrical run and took home over $8 million against its $5 million budget.
“The fact that the production worked with John Davidson, whose story it is, and the wider community gave it real authenticity,” Putt said.
Andrews added: “They’ve communicated really well how this real-life story has so many implications for people who aren’t affected by Tourettes, but have other challenges to try and overcome. And they’ve partnered with a number of organizations to spread the word about the film. That’s always welcome.”
Other well-represented British titles include The Ballad of Wallis Island and Pillion, which both landed three nominations. Elsewhere, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners lead all nominations with 14 and 13 nods, respectively.
One Battle After Another’s haul includes Best Film, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. PTA’s movie came into the BAFTA nominations stage hot with 16 longlist mentions, the most ever recorded for a film.
Sinners landed 13 BAFTA nominations. The film’s haul includes Best Director and Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler. Michael B Jordan landed his first BAFTA nomination in the Best Actor category, and Manchester-native Wunmi Mosaku landed a Best Actress nomination.
“It’s a brilliant spread of films,” Putt said of this year’s nominations. “It’s a triumph of cinema.”
The 2026 BAFTA Film Awards take place on February 22. Check out the full list of nominations here.
