Jessie Buckley says the film industry should cultivate grassroots audiences instead of putting too much weight on the Oscar campaign.

This actress, who won the Best Actress Oscar earlier this year, was speaking at the BFI and Chanel Filmmaker Awards and also addressed the importance of protest. Speaking at the BFI and Chanel Filmmaker Awards in London, she was responding to a comment.

Jesse Buckley has questioned whether the film industry is putting too much emphasis on Oscar campaigns at the expense of nurturing emerging talent, suggesting there may be more potential for grassroots support for filmmakers.

Speaking at the BFI and Chanel Filmmaker Awards in London, the actor hit back at John Malkovich's comments that Oscar campaigns are now the only way to get audiences into cinemas.

"I think there's some truth to that," Buckley told The Guardian. "You have to take responsibility for sharing your work. It's so easy to go and film and then hide. I wish we could all do that. But I don't think it works that way anymore."

Buckley, who has made mostly independent films, said the industry's reliance on film promotion has affected not only actors and directors but the wider workforce.

"I feel proud to be a part of this community — it affects so many people's lives. The crew, the marketing, everybody. And if you don't support it, you don't have a job," he said.

"Maybe we've given it too much weight. I don't know if there's more potential for nurturing at the grassroots level than giving importance to an Oscar marketing campaign."

Four emerging British filmmakers have been announced as recipients of this year's BFI and Chanel Filmmakers Awards, each receiving £20,000 to develop their work. They were announced at a ceremony at Claridge's in London on Wednesday, with Buckley and Gwendoline Christie joining the judging panel, including BFI CEO Ben Roberts, Edward Enninful and Marie-Louise Khunji.

Buckley called for more support for filmmakers working outside of established industry structures, citing the success of films made "on a shoestring budget," including Obsession and Backrooms.

"People went to see them because of their quality, not because of the IP or what was already considered successful," he said.

We must support the next generation. I want to know what they say, what their world is like

It is important to support young filmmakers. It would be completely selfish if we didn't. At some point we want to get out of this earth and we have to support the next generation. I want to know what they want to say, what their world is like."

The four winning films explored themes including political protest, racial profiling, women's solidarity and family trauma.

Rich Flegate, director, producer and cinematographer of Our Hatred, is known for his documentary about Stop Oil protesters and the personal consequences of participating in a polarizing movement. The jury described the film as "immediate and courageous".

Buckley said this prompted him to rethink the role of protest in society. "In our world right now, protest seems like a dangerous act, when historically it's essential to democracy," he said. "It realigned me and reminded me how important protest is and how we can misunderstand the people inside that we need to understand more and we need more films like this."

Olive Nwosu won for Lady, her first feature film set in Lagos, which follows one of the city's few female taxi drivers as she is drawn into the world of her childhood friend, who has become a sex worker. The jury praised Nwosu's cinematic ambition and his handling of challenging material.

Imran Peretta is best known for Ish, a black and white coming-of-age film set in Luton's South Asian and Middle Eastern community. The story of two 12-year-old best friends whose relationship is tested after being stopped and searched by the police. The jury praised her exploration of racial profiling and the experience of being British while being treated as a foreigner.

Rachel Taparjan won for Something Familiar, her first feature-length documentary about her search for her missing sisters after being adopted from Romania and brought to the UK as children. The jury praised the film's "bare, self-consciousness" and said it was the longest-standing among them.

Christie's said the strength of this year's field meant the judging panel "couldn't pick just three winners".

The awards, which celebrate creative boldness and ambition, will run from 2022. Previous recipients include Harry Layton, whose film Pillion won Best British Independent Film at the 2025 British Independent Film Awards, and Savannah Leaf, who won the 2024 BAFTA for the first time by a British writer, director or producer.