The director of Blue Story has labelled the lack of black Bafta nominees as "ridiculous" amid criticism of the diversity in this year's film awards.

On Twitter #BAFTASSoWhite started trending after it was revealed the awards feature all-white nominees in the four main acting categories, with no female directors being recognised.

Director Rapman (real name Andrew Onwubolu) said that Bafta had "done Blue Story dirty" after his film failed to attract any nominations other than Micheal Ward's inclusion on a rising star shortlist.

He added: "The lack of black faces is ridiculous."

In a statement to the PA news agency, he said his film "was good enough and did enough to at least be nominated".

"The only time black faces are seen in the Baftas is in the rising star category.

"It's meant to be an award for British films but all they ever seem to do is follow what they think will do well at the Oscars."

The film, which is a gang drama that follows the lives of two boys caught on opposite sides of a postcode war in London, is Rapman's directorial debut.

Actress Katie Leung, who starred as Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films, also criticised the awards for their lack of diversity.

"Zero PoC (person of colour) nominees in the acting category?! F is going on man," she tweeted.

In 2018, a report was published showing that 94 percent of all BAFTA film award nominees have been white. Since then BAFTA has attempted to promote more inclusivity to make the awards more diverse.

Addressing the lack of diversity, Bafta chief executive Amanda Berry told the PA news agency: "Being totally honest, we are disappointed and that is not to take anything away from the people who have been nominated."

She added: "We do have 13 directors nominated who are females across other categories, so everybody from Jennifer Lee who directed Frozen 2, and this is what gives me joy and hope actually, six female directors in the shorts category and that is the category where we are really seeing talent at the start of their career and they are the industry of the future, but we are going to do more, we are not going to stop pushing."

Marc Samuelson, chairman of Bafta's film committee, said: "Clearly everybody knows that everybody in the four acting groups of nominees are white, it's infuriating, we can't make the industry do something, all we can do is encourage and push and inspire and try to help people coming in at the bottom end.

"There are some good signs - if you take all the nominations, it's up to about 36% female and it's been rising every year and that is pretty much doubled over the last couple of years so that is a really good sign and that is across all categories, which is very interesting, because obviously a lot of those are craft, which is also very important.

"Keep going on that and maybe in another couple of years we are over 40% and are heading towards parity, which would be great.

"It doesn't take anything away from the issue in the acting categories but nonetheless it's something and things are moving."

This year's Bafta ceremony will take place on February 2.