Two of the most influential casting directors in British film and television are being awarded top honours.
Jina Jay and Shaheen Baig will each receive an Honorary Fellowship, the highest honour from the National Film and Television School (NFTS), recognising their outstanding creative contributions and lasting impact on the industry.
The Fellowships will be presented at the NFTS graduation ceremony on March 6, where the casting directors will be celebrated alongside more than 500 graduates from the Class of 2026.
Jina Jay (Image: Supplied)
Selected annually by the NFTS Board of Governors, an Honorary Fellowship recognises individuals that have made an outstanding contribution to the industry.
Both Ms Jay and Ms Baig have long supported the NFTS, co-founding its first-ever casting certificate course in 2020.
The pair said: “We are incredibly honoured to be recognised by the NFTS – a film school that is consistently nurturing and introducing great talent to the film and television industry and so grateful for their continued support and celebration of the craft of casting.”
Ms Jay’s credits include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Lobster, The Grand Budapest Hotel, ’71, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Night Manager series and Black Mirror.
Ms Baig is known for Lady Macbeth, Blue Jean, Scrapper, H is for Hawk, Peaky Blinders, The Virtues and A Thousand Blows.
Most recently, she won an Emmy for her work on the Netflix series Adolescence.
Sophie Turner Laing, chair of the NFTS, said: “Casting sits at the heart of great storytelling and Jina Jay and Shaheen Baig have fundamentally shaped how audiences experience film and television through the exceptional talent they discover and bring to the screen.
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“True leaders of their craft, they are generous collaborators and mentors, committed not only to opening doors for others but to sharing their knowledge with the next generation of casting professionals.
“These Fellowships recognise their outstanding achievements within Casting and the lasting influence they continue to have on the industry.”
The NFTS will also showcase the work of its 2026 graduates to industry professionals in a four-day showcase at BFI Southbank from March 2 to March 5.
