Guneet Monga Kapoor, whose film ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short earlier this year, has been named the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Breakthrough India Ambassador for 2023.

It has also announced a two-week extension of the application deadline, with the new deadline now set for July 20, IANS reported from New Delhi.

Guneet is a well-known film producer and BAFTA nominee. She has also received the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, as well as recognition from prestigious organizations such as the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the US Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.

Reacting to the news, Guneet, Founder and CEO of Sikhya Entertainment, said, “It’s an honour to take on this Ambassador role, following in the footsteps of A.R. Rahman to help raise the profile of emerging talent across the creative industries in India. Having served as an industry supporter and jury member for BAFTA Breakthrough in 2022, I can confidently say that the scheme has benefited some outstanding independent Indian talents.”

“I have witnessed careers accelerate with the type of unique platform organisations like BAFTA and Netflix can provide and look forward to seeing the wealth of applications of homegrown talent this year,” she added.

The BAFTA Breakthrough programme, now in its third iteration and supported by Netflix, aims to identify, support, and nurture the next generation of talent in the Indian film, games, and television industries.

The BAFTA Breakthrough programme was launched in the United Kingdom ten years ago and has since supported over 200 careers.

The successful applicants of the programme will be eligible to receive a grant for supporting international networking opportunities. It will also include one-to-one industry meetings and group roundtable sessions Full BAFTA membership for a year, with the option to extend global networking opportunities with industry and peer to peer Breakthrough cohorts Access to Career Coaching sessions and support with professional skills development.

Tim Hunter, Executive Director of Learning, Inclusion, Policy and Membership at BAFTA, said, “We are delighted to welcome Guneet as the Breakthrough India Ambassador this year. The programme is dedicated to identifying and nurturing new Indian creatives and will surely benefit from her exceptional talent and rich industry expertise as an accomplished producer and filmmaker.”