The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the names of eight British and three Chinese students who will receive BAFTA scholarships this year to study film, games and television courses in the UK.

In addition to financial aid, the BAFTA Scholars will gain free access to BAFTA events and receive one-to-one mentoring from BAFTA members, award-winners and nominees.

Among them is Gagandeep Kalirai from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire who was awarded £5,000 to study the MA in Directing Animation at The National Film and Television School.

She was born and raised in Southampton and has a degree in Animation from the University of Creative Arts in Farnham, Surrey.

She worked full time in retail and also did social work to help fund her studies. Gagandeep has as held roles as a volunteer dance instructor and a freelance portrait artist.

She has a huge interest in animated documentary making.

Gagandeep said: “I feel incredibly honoured to have been awarded such a prestigious scholarship.

"To be given such an opportunity has greatly bolstered my morale and I feel that my future ambitions are no longer unreachable, but attainable and able to be realised to their fullest capacity. I feel proud to be able to call myself a BAFTA Scholar.”

The scholarships support talented individuals in financial need, and aim to encourage cross-cultural collaboration.

The new scholarship recipients will be welcomed at a reception at BAFTA’s headquarters, 195 Piccadilly, on Monday 17 September, attended by key industry figures and supporters.

For a fifth year, three of the British students will receive the Prince William Scholarships in Film, Games and Television, supported by BAFTA and Warner Bros., which are awarded in the name of HRH The Duke of Cambridge in his role as President of BAFTA. For the first time this year the Reuben Foundation and Tinopolis are also named supporters of the programme.

Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said: “Over the years we have seen the BAFTA Scholarships programme evolve into a truly global initiative. Becoming a BAFTA scholar offers incredible opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration as well as giving this talented group of people every possible chance to succeed in the film, games and television industries.”

Speaking about the Prince William Scholarships, Josh Berger CBE, President & Managing Director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland & Spain, said: “For several years now, Warner Bros. has been proud to partner with BAFTA in this important scholarship programme, giving students the financial support, mentoring and access they need to pursue their passion, and we’ve seen some remarkable achievements from our talented alumni, many of whom now work regularly on major feature films, TV shows and in games development, or have won awards for their own creative content.

"I am very proud that through our own Warner Bros. Creative Talent programme, of which these scholarships are part, we are providing support and practical opportunities for the next generation of talent in our company and the industry as a whole.”

Richard Stone, Trustee of the Reuben Foundation said of the new BAFTA Reuben Scholarships: “We are delighted to expand the Reuben Foundation’s already established scholarship programme into the worlds of film, television and gaming and are proud to be able to award these talented young people scholarships in order to help them build their careers”.

Tinopolis Chief Executive, Arwel Rees, said: “We are incredibly proud to team up with BAFTA to nurture a diverse range of talent and people who may otherwise not be able to succeed in this competitive industry, where the financial and mentoring support offered by this scheme can make all the difference. We’re delighted to welcome Jon Hague as our first BAFTA Tinopolis Scholar.