An Ealing poet and author has added a BAFTA to his growing list of honours after his animated short Two Black Boys in Paradise triumphed at this year’s awards on Sunday (22 February 2026).
The film, based on a poem by award-winning writer and local resident Dean Atta, previously won the Animation Award at the 2025 Ealing Film Festival in October 2025.
The short tells the story of Eden, 19, and Dula, 18, two young Black men navigating self-acceptance and love in a world that often denies them both. Their journey, imagined as a “paradise free from shame and judgement”, is adapted from Mr Atta’s poem in his collection There is (still) Love Here.
Collecting the BAFTA, Mr Atta who attended Twyford Church of England High School in Acton, said: “As a Black gay man, I rarely get to see myself onscreen in something that isn’t a tragedy, so thank you to our director Baz Sells and our producer Ben Jackson for leading a team of over 100 people for five years to bring my poem to life as a beautiful nine-minute stop-motion animation.”
Narrated by Jordan Stephens of Rizzle Kicks, with non-verbal performance by actor Arun Blair-Mangat, the film was directed by Baz Sells and produced by One6th Animation Studio. It was supported by the BFI Short Form Animation Fund, with early backing from Ian McKellen and Partizan Films.
