Payal Kapadia's 'All We Imagine As Light' makes it to BAFTA 2025 longlists

Payal Kapadia's "All We Imagine As Light" continues its remarkable run on the international awards circuit, securing spots on the BAFTA Film Awards longlists in three categories, including Best Director.

The British Academy on Friday evening shared the results of the first round of voting across 25 categories for its upcoming awards gala.

Kapadia's Malayalam-Hindi movie, which scripted history by becoming the first Indian movie to win the Grand Prix award at the Cannes in May, has made it to three longlists of 10 movies each -- Best Film Not in English Language, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

Besides "All We Imagine As Light", Sandhya Suri's "Santosh" and Karan Kandhari's "Sister Midnight" are nominated in the longlist for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.

Indian-origin British actor Dev Patel has also found a mention in the longlist for his directorial debut "Monkey Man". Patel is nominated in the Leading Actor longlist.

According to BAFTA, the films mentioned in the longlists will advance to the nominating stage of voting, which started on Friday and will conclude on January 10.

The three nods for Kapadia's movie comes weeks after it picked up two nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. The Malayalam-Hindi film, which marks Kapadia's feature directorial debut, is nominated for Best Motion Picture Non-English Language and the Best Direction - Motion Picture at the awards gala, which will be held on January 6.

The movie was recently named the Best International Film by New York Film Critics Circle and won an award in the same category at the Gotham Awards.

It explores the intertwined lives of two Malayali nurses in Mumbai Prabha (Kani Kusruti), a straitlaced woman yearning for her absent husband, and Anu (Divya Prabha), her outgoing roommate entangled in a forbidden love affair.

Through their friendship, the film captures themes of love, identity, and the contradictions of life in the city. It also features Chhaya Kadam in a pivotal role.

Suri's Uttar Pradesh-set police thriller "Santosh" had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section. It has been named Britain's Oscar entry in the international feature category.

Starring Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, "Santosh" revolves around a newly widowed housewife as she inherits her late husband's job as a police constable and becomes embroiled in the investigation of a young girl's murder.

Kandhari's Sister Midnight is a dark physical comedy with Radhika Apte playing the lead role.

It is about Uma, a disillusioned newlywed with zero domestic skills, who lives in her husband's cramped one-room flat. "Trapped in an unending domestic hell, she sets out to explore the city on her own, only to embrace fresh impulses and desires, read the film's official plotline.

The movie also features Ashok Pathak and Chhaya Kadam in pivotal roles.

Monkey Man marks the directorial debut of Patel, the star of multiple Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire as well as films like Hotel Mumbai, The Personal History of David Copperfield and The Green Knight.

Inspired by the legend of Lord Hanuman, Monkey Man is set in Mumbai and features Patel as Kid, a man on a quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimise the poor and powerless.

The movie features a host of Indian actors, including Sikander Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala, Makarand Deshpande, Pitobash and Vipin Sharma.

The final nominations will be announced on January 15. The 2025 BAFTA Film Awards will be held on February 16.