Spanish manufacturer Cupra has announced it is the official vehicle partner for the 2025 EE British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) awards.
How will it support the Baftas?
Cupra will provide a fleet of its fully electric Tavascan SUV to whisk the stars and guests of the show to the event’s red carpet, with 2025 representing the 78th year of the ceremony.
The manufacturer’s decision to partner with the Baftas this year, with the event taking place at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, is said to reaffirm its commitment to cinema.
It already counts Daniel Brühl - the German-Spanish actor who has starred in many Hollywood blockbusters, such as The Bourne Ultimatum, Inglourious Basterds, Captain America: Civil War, The Cloverfield Paradox and The King’s Man, but who is perhaps best known to petrolheads for portraying Niki Lauda in the 2013 film Rush - and Spanish director J. A. Bayona (A Monster Calls, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) as its brand ambassadors.
And in 2024, the car company launched The Dream Makers in collaboration with the Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya (ESCAC), a competition which aims to nurture and develop emerging cinematic talent.
Further tie-ups between the silver screen and Cupra include the manufacturer joining forces with the Berlinale as the principal partner and official mobility provider of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, also taking place this month (the Baftas are on Sunday, February 16 this year, incidentally), and serving as the automotive partner of the Sitges Film Festival, held in the Catalonian town just down the coast from Barcelona and said to be the ‘world’s most important cinematic event dedicated to fantasy and horror’.
What do the parties involved say about this tie-up?
Wayne Griffiths, the CEO of Cupra, said: “The partnership between Cupra and the 2025 EE Bafta Awards reflects our joint commitment to innovation, creativity, and the world of cinema. This collaboration further strengthens CUPRA’s dedication to this industry, both in the UK and globally.”
And Anthony Cole-Johnson, executive director of commercial for Bafta, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Cupra into Bafta’s esteemed family of partners. As a brand renowned for championing film and supporting the next generation of filmmakers worldwide, Cupra is the ideal partner to support Bafta in our mission to celebrate and nurture creative talent.”
The Tavascan used for ferrying A-listers around at the 2025 Baftas is Cupra’s latest electric vehicle, joining the Born hatchback in the manufacturer’s ranks. It’s a coupe-SUV, built on the same underpinnings as the Volkswagen ID.5 and Skoda Enyaq, and - looking outside the Volkswagen Group - the somewhat contentious Ford Capri too.