Alien Isolation designer and Escapists dev among 2015 BAFTA Breakthrough Brits

A number of games industry members have been honoured by BAFTA as some of this year’s most talented entertainment business newcomers in the UK.

Alien Isolation senior game designer Catherine Woolley, who also worked on the Harry Potter games at EA, joined The Escapists developer Christopher Davis, Batman Arkham Knight and Fable Heroes sound designer Jessica Saunders, and Lumino City creative director Luke Whittaker among this year’s Breakthrough Brits.

The developers joined 14 members of the film and TV sectors, including writer and actress Charlie Covell; producers Lauren Dark and Jenny Saunders; writer and director Stephen Fingleton; producer and director Daisy-May Hudson; actors Aysha Kala, Alex Lawther, Martin McCann and Letitia Wright; screenwriters Regina Moriarty, Tess Morris and Laura Wade; director Ed Perkins and cinematographer Anna Valdez Hanks.

To celebrate the new inductees, a reception was held at Burberry’s flagship venue at 121 Regent Street. The evening was hosted by BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James, plus actors Julie Walters, Jessica Hynes, James Norton, Noel Clarke and Alice Eve.

Breakthrough Brits launched in 2013, with several past games recipients going on to win BAFTA awards, such as Monument Valley producer Daniel Gray and Tearaway designer Rex Crowle.

Several games industry members also helped judge this year’s nominees, including Microsoft’s Lift London studio head Lee Schuneman, Ian Livingstone CBE, Tomb Raider writer Rhianna Pratchett and Media Molecule co-founder and studio director Siobhan Reddy.