Joanna Scanlan Appointed BFI Ambassador

BAFTA-winning actor and writer Joanna Scanlan has been appointed a BFI Ambassador, taking on a new role working with the organisation to support its mission to build a rich and diverse UK screen culture.

Scanlan, one of the UK's leading actors across film and television, will help raise awareness of the BFI's work as the National Lottery distributor for film and the impact of its funding on communities across the UK.

Her screen credits include Slow Horses, Riot Women, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, The Thick of It and Wicked Little Letters. She is also due to appear in the upcoming Anxious People, alongside Angelina Jolie and Jason Segel.

Scanlan has starred in several films supported by BFI National Lottery funding, including After Love, directed by Aleem Khan. Her performance in the film earned her the BAFTA for Leading Actress and a BIFA for Best Actress.

Her other BFI-supported credits include Deborah Haywood's Pin Cushion and the forthcoming feature The Arrival, written and directed by Bijan Sheibani, in which she stars alongside Kingsley Ben-Adir and Archie Madekwe.

As part of her new role, Scanlan is highlighting the impact of BFI National Lottery funding through a series of interviews with fellow actors and filmmakers.

She speaks to Jessica Gunning, known for Baby Reindeer, about the impact of the National Lottery-funded film Pride. Gunning portrayed real-life Labour MP Siân James in the 2014 film.

The pair also discuss the BFI National Lottery-funded Escapes programme, which provides free tickets each month for new films at independent cinemas across the UK. The programme recently screened Gunning's latest feature, Sunny Dancer, in which she stars alongside Bella Ramsay.

Scanlan also talks to BFI Fellow Olivia Colman about Tyrannosaur, written and directed by Paddy Considine and supported by BFI National Lottery funding. Colman's performance in the film was a breakthrough role and helped raise awareness of domestic abuse.

The pair also discuss Colman's Oscar and BAFTA-winning performance as Queen Anne in Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite. The film received National Lottery Good Cause funding during its 20-year development process.

Scanlan and Colman also discuss Colman's upcoming feature Elsinore, which is due to open the BFI London Film Festival on 7 October, and the role of cinema in bringing communities together.

As part of her work with the BFI, Scanlan has also visited Storyhouse Cinema in Chester, formerly the Chester Odeon, which she attended as a child.

She recalled first experiencing films including The Sound of Music on the big screen at the venue.

Storyhouse now hosts regular monthly screenings for local charities and voluntary organisations with support from BFI National Lottery funding. During her visit, Scanlan met staff and cinemagoers to hear about the impact of the funding on the local community.

The BFI's announcement comes as the Government's public Call for Evidence on National Lottery Good Cause funding remains open until midday on Wednesday 23 September 2026.

www.bfi.org.uk