Meet Chantal Rickards of British Academy of Film and Television Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chantal Rickards.

Chantal, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I came to LA in 2015 as the first CEO of BAFTA LA. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a membership organization and an arts education charity and we look after around 2,000 members living and working here in LA.

Most of my career has been spent producing and directing television programmes in the UK, mainly entertainment shows, that often allowed me to travel. I first came to LA in 1994 to film at the Playboy Mansion when I was making a TV show that was similar to the US show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. It was my first job working in TV and definitely the best as I am fascinated in how people live. Growing up I watched as many films as I could and as much TV as my parents would allow; as a child, I imagined a career in front of the camera, but when the offer came to appear on TV I turned it down.

By that stage, I was already a producer and was rather enjoying telling other people what to do! Being in the non-profit sector has enormous challenges, especially when many people see our red carpet events and don’t realize we are a charity. The work we do in South Central LA is enormously satisfying; we adopted a school here about ten years ago and our members donate around a thousand hours a year helping to teach and encourage young, disadvantaged Angelinos.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Whether you’re working in show business or on a factory floor, life always has its challenges. The relentlessly long hours my job demands are counterbalanced by working with great colleagues, in a smashing office with a terrific view. I strongly believe in what we do, so it’s not a hardship but a pleasure. I’m never complacent and our education and community outreach work is enormously rewarding. I know I’m very lucky, but being 6,000 miles away from my children is hard at times.

Please tell us about British Academy of Film and Television Los Angeles.
BAFTA is a British membership organization for professionals working in Film, TV and Games. We are a global Academy and are most known for the BAFTA Film Awards in London and the BAFTA Britannia Awards here in LA. We educate our own members as well offering opportunities for young people to find careers in our industry. Our members don’t have to be British to apply but they do have to have a body of work that connects to the UK.

Brits have always traveled well and Hollywood is no exception. Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock and Charlie Chaplin made it easy for us to be accepted here in the centre of the entertainment industry and now many films and TV shows are co-productions using British talent, facilities and locations. HRH Prince William is President of BAFTA which is a great honor.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Coming from a family of medics and public service professionals, if I had to start over I would become a doctor. I always feel I let my parents down by not working hard enough at my science subjects in school. The importance of public service was drilled into us as kids and if my parents were alive now they would be pleased I was finally working for a non-profit and doing something altruistic in intent.

Contact Info:

• Address: 5670 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 1220
  Los Angeles 90036
• Website: www.bafta.org/los-angeles
• Phone: +1 323 658 6590
• Email: chantal.rickards@baftala.org
• Instagram: baftala
• Facebook: BAFTA Los Angeles
• Twitter: @baftala

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