The first award was created in 2004 with entrants limited to students of some of Southern California’s film schools.
[2] It was opened to film schools outside of Los Angeles for the first time in 2014.
In 2023, BAFTA received submissions from 103 schools spanning 30 different countries.
[4] Only one award was presented at the ceremony until the addition of the Special Jury Prize in 2013.
In 2021, the competition was expanded with the addition of two new awards to recognise games and immersive experiences.