Former Twyford School Pupil's Film Wins at the BAFTAs
Dean Atta's poem was made into short animation
Dean Atta giving his acceptance speech. Picture: BBC
February 23, 2026
Local poet Dean Atta has won the BAFTA for British Short Animation for Two Black Boys in Paradise. The nine-minute adaptation of one of Atta’s poems was praised by judges for its tender storytelling and striking visual craft. to stories of Black queer love and resilience on screen.
Two Black Boys in Paradise follows Eden, 19, and Dula, 18, whose refusal to hide their love leads them to imagine a dreamlike “paradise” free from shame, judgement, racism and homophobia. The film contrasts that imagined sanctuary with a harsher real world in which the characters face marginalisation, wrongful accusations and police attention, underscoring the experiences of many Black queer people.
The project began as a poem in the former Twyford CofE pupil’s collection ‘There is (still) love here’. For the screen adaptation he co-wrote the script with director Baz Sells and producer Ben Jackson, who also provides the film’s poetic voice. Atta was closely involved throughout production, helping shape the story from script to storyboard and contributing to creative decisions across the five-year making of the film.
Narration is provided by Jordan Stephens of Rizzle Kicks, and the film was produced by One6th Animation Studio with support from the BFI Short Form Animation Fund and backing from Ian McKellen and Partizan Films. The production involved a team of more than 100 people and used painstaking stop-motion techniques to bring the poem’s imagery to life.
Collecting the BAFTA on stage, Atta reflected on the rarity of seeing Black queer lives portrayed outside of tragedy. “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,” he said, acknowledging the collaborative effort behind the film.
Dean Atta at last year’s Chiswick Book Festival. Picture: Roger Green
The BAFTA win follows the film’s success at the Ealing Film Festival, where it was awarded Best Animation, and builds on Atta’s growing reputation as a writer whose work translates powerfully across forms. A multi-award-winning poet of Greek Cypriot and Jamaican heritage, Atta is the author of seven books, including the verse novel The Black Flamingo, which won a Stonewall Book Award and was shortlisted for major literary prizes. His poems have been adapted for screen before, and his work has been commissioned by national galleries and featured on BBC platforms.
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