Actor Jessie Buckley questioned whether the film industry gives too much weight to Oscar marketing campaigns compared with support for filmmakers at grassroots level, speaking at the BFI & CHANEL Filmmaker Awards in London on 14 October 2026. Her remarks came as the ceremony recognized four emerging UK filmmakers with £20,000 each.
Balancing promotion and long-term support
According to The Guardian’s account of the event, Buckley was responding to actor John Malkovich’s view that Oscar campaigns had become the only way to get audiences into cinemas. Buckley said “there’s truth in that,” and accepted that filmmakers need to share and promote their work. She then questioned whether the industry should put so much weight on Oscar marketing instead of nurturing filmmakers at an earlier stage.
Her comments were not a rejection of film promotion. She also said production and promotion provide livelihoods for people across film crews and marketing. The tension in her remarks was between the immediate need to reach audiences and the longer-term task of enabling new filmmakers to make work.
The Guardian reported the exchange from its interview coverage. The BFI’s announcement confirms Buckley attended the ceremony, joined its jury and presented awards, but does not independently document what she said about Oscar campaigns.
A practical example of emerging-talent funding
The BFI named Rich Felgate, Olive Nwosu, Imran Perretta and Rachel Taparjan as this year’s four award recipients. Each received £20,000. The organization described the awards as part of its mission to back the next generation of UK independent filmmaking talent.
The awards offer a specific example of the kind of support Buckley discussed: funding directed to filmmakers developing their work, rather than to campaigns for a particular film’s awards prospects. The available information does not show that this funding replaces or competes directly with Oscar marketing, or establish how the two forms of support compare in scale or effectiveness.
The BFI said the awards partnership with CHANEL began in 2022. It also cited earlier recipients Harry Lighton and Savanah Leaf in describing the scheme’s history and subsequent recognition for their work. The announcement presents the program as continuing support for emerging filmmakers, but does not provide details that would allow its overall impact to be measured.
What the remarks leave open
Buckley’s comments raise a question about industry priorities without settling it. She recognized the need to promote films while asking whether that attention is balanced by investment in filmmakers at grassroots level. The sources provide no comparative figures on campaign spending, audience reach or the longer-term results of talent-development funding.
The ceremony took place at Claridge’s in London. The BFI also confirms that Malkovich held a Screen Talk at the BFI London Film Festival on 11 October 2026, though its schedule does not verify the Oscar-campaign remark attributed to him.