Casting Directors Jina Jay And Shaheen Baig Celebrated With Prestigious Honorary Fellowships For Outstanding Contribution To The Industry

The National Film and Television School (NFTS) is proud to announce two of the most influential figures in contemporary British casting, Jina Jay and Shaheen Baig, will each be awarded an Honorary Fellowship – the highest honour the School bestows - in celebration of their extraordinary creative achievements and lasting impact on the film and television industry.

The Fellowships will be presented at the NFTS Graduation Ceremony on Friday 6th March when the Casting Directors will join over 500 emerging graduates from the Class of 2026 as they prepare to take their next steps into the screen industries.

Selected annually by the NFTS Board of Governors, an Honorary Fellowship recognises individuals that have made an outstanding contribution to the industry. The Board highlighted Jina and Shaheen’s remarkable body of creative work, alongside their long-standing commitment to the National Film and Television School, co-founding its highly successful and first ever  Casting certificate course, launched in 2020.

Together and independently, Jina and Shaheen have shaped some of the most distinctive and acclaimed film and television projects of recent years, renowned for championing bold storytelling and discovering exceptional acting talent.

With individual credits spanning a wide range of critically celebrated work, their casting prowess is evident across a slate of both independent and blockbuster films and landmark dramas. Some of Jina’s most notable credits include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Lobster, The Grand Budapest Hotel, ’71, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and for TV, The Night Manager series and Black Mirror.

Shaheen’s film credits include Lady Macbeth, Blue Jean, Scrapper, H is for Hawk and television series such as Peaky Blinders, The Virtues and A Thousand Blows. Most recently, Shaheen received an Emmy Award for her casting of Netflix’s global hit series Adolescence, a production praised worldwide for its authenticity, emotional depth and standout performances.

The Fellowships will be presented by Sophie Turner Laing, Chair of the National Film and Television School who said: “Casting sits at the heart of great storytelling and Jina Jay and Shaheen Baig have fundamentally shaped how audiences experience film and television through the exceptional talent they discover and bring to the screen. True leaders of their craft, they are generous collaborators and mentors, committed not only to opening doors for others but to sharing their knowledge with the next generation of casting professionals. These Fellowships recognise their outstanding achievements within Casting and the lasting influence they continue to have on the industry.”

Jina Jay and Shaheen Baig added: 

“We are incredibly honoured to be recognised by the NFTS – a film school that is consistently nurturing and introducing great talent to the film and television industry and so grateful for their continued support and celebration of the craft of casting.”

Previous recipients of the NFTS Honorary Fellowship include Sir Sam Mendes, Lord Attenborough CBE, Barbara Broccoli OBE, Nick Park CBE, Asif Kapadia, Lynne Ramsay, Charlotte Moore, Jack Thorne and in 2025, Louis Theroux.

Prior to presenting the Fellowships, the NFTS will showcase the outstanding work of its talented 2026 graduates to industry professionals at the BFI Southbank, taking place from Monday 2nd March until Thursday 5th March.

For industry members keen to view the work crafted by the next wave of emerging filmmakers and content creators, registrations for available screenings can still be made via nfts.co.uk/graduate-showcase-2026