Apple Original Film CODA made history at the 75th British Academy Film Awards, popularly known as the BAFTAs. The drama, about the only hearing member of a Deaf family, won two awards; Best Adapted Screenplay for writer-director Siân Heder and Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur. It is the first film featuring a predominantly Deaf cast to be honored at the BAFTAs.

Both CODA and Kotsur are slowly emerging as dark horses in the awards race and might pose a legitimate threat at the upcoming Oscars. A screenplay win at precursor awards is considered a key to winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and with its victory at the Royal Albert Hall on March 13, CODA announced itself as perhaps the one true challenger to front-runner The Power of the Dog.

Kotsur made history by becoming the first Deaf actor to win an acting BAFTA. In his acceptance speech, he jokingly offered his services as the next James Bond. He said:

“Well, first of all, it is such an honor to be here today, and to accept this award from BAFTA. I think it’s great that all of you are recognizing my work from all across the sea, and it’s truly amazing. I’d just like to say congratulations to James Bond 007 for the 60th anniversary. Wait, wait, hold on, hold on, have you maybe considered a Deaf James Bond? 008?”

At the ceremony, lead actress Emilia Jones performed a moving rendition of Joni Mitchell's ballad "Both Sides Now," the same song performed by her character in the film.

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Image via AppleTV

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CODA is a remake of the 2014 French film La Famille Bélier. It premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast, the Directing Award, the Audience Award, and the Grand Jury Prize. It was subsequently acquired by Apple for a record $25 million. The streamer debuted it worldwide on August 13.

The crowd-pleasing drama has been quietly building steam in the run-up to March 27's Oscars, where it will compete in three categories—Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It recently became the first film with a predominantly Deaf cast to receive a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. The film has also recently been honored with a Film Independent Spirit Award, four Hollywood Critics Association Awards, and an NAACP Image Award.

Also starring Marlee Matlin, Daniel Durant, and Eugenio Derbez, CODA is streaming on Apple TV+. You can watch Jones' performance at the BAFTAs here, and read the official synopsis for the movie down below:

In Gloucester, Massachusetts, 17-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the sole hearing member of a deaf family — a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur) and working on the family’s struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother (Daniel Durant). But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo). Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster (Eugenio Derbez) to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.