BAFTA to honour New Talent at Edinburgh International Games Festival

This year's Edinburgh International Games Festival will play host to the inaugural British Academy of Film and Television Arts 'New Talent Award', organisers have announced, recognising creativity, technical or production achievements on an individual basis.

The New Talent Award has been conceived to recognise emerging talent, focusing on originality and distinction, in a variety of roles - from game designers and animators to composers and sound designers.

The award will be chaired by BAFTA Interactive Committee Chair Grant Dean along with EIGF's Tamsin Aspinall and a jury of six industry figures, and presented to the winner by Sony Europe president and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe chairman Chris Deering.

Deering believes that such an award is of paramount importance to the industry. "On a personal level, I feel it is imperative to credit the individuals who will drive our industry forward into the future, to foster the next generation of creators and innovators, and therefore am delighted to take part," he said last week.

Award chair Grant Dean concurred. "The British Academy has a rich history going back almost 60 years, and this new award highlights the British Academy's continuing mission to recognise and celebrate excellence in an industry that continues to push the boundaries of innovation, technology and design," he commented.

The Edinburgh International Games Festival, which runs in parallel with the other Edinburgh Festivals during August, aims to increase the awareness and understanding of the medium and the growing bond between games and other entertainment industries.

The EIGF is managed by a committee drawn from many areas of the trade, including The Independent Game Developers Association (TIGA) and ELSPA, and is supported financially by Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian and thanks to sponsorship from various games companies.