The Boar at Flatpack Festival: Shaheen Baig presents My Beautiful Launderette

From the 8th to the 16th of May, venues across Birmingham hosted the Flatpack Festival. Established in 2006, the festival is BAFTA qualifying, providing opportunities for filmmakers to share their work to bigger audiences. One aspect of the film festival includes ‘Film Lives’, a new season where every month, a special guest is invited to reflect on their path and present a film that is meaningful to them.

I was fortunate enough to attend the first event of the season, where casting director Shaheen Baig shared some insights into her journey.

Born and raised in Birmingham, Shaheen Baig started out as a video trainee. She moved on to become a casting assistant for the renowned casting director, Debbie McWilliams, who cast the last thirteen James Bond films. She has also previously assisted casting director Jina Jay, whose credits include Dune, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Black Mirror to name a few.

The introduction of casting categories in award shows like the Oscars have given a spotlight to casting directors like Shaheen Baig, whose contributions are as essential to a film’s success as the performances of the actors they cast

Working with these individuals gave her the skills and foundations to set up her own company in 2002. Since then, she has cast countless films and TV shows including Adolescence, The Impossible and 28 Weeks Later. In 2025, she won an Emmy for her casting in Adolescence. Until recently, the art of casting has largely been overlooked. The introduction of casting categories in award shows like the Oscars have given a spotlight to casting directors like Shaheen Baig, whose contributions are as essential to a film’s success as the performances of the actors they cast.

Casting directors like Baig go the extra mile. They visit places all over the country to find the right person for the role. This is exactly what she did when casting Adolescence

During the Q&A, Baig mentioned the methods she uses to find the right people for the roles. One of the ways was street casting. This involves actually going out onto the street and approaching people who may be able to play the part. The next stage would be to invite them to an audition. She emphasises the importance of authenticity and representation in films, making sure that the people she casts truly reflect the character. This can be incredibly difficult to do especially if the character is from a particular background or has a specific skill. However, casting directors like Baig go the extra mile. They visit places all over the country to find the right person for the role. This is exactly what she did when casting Adolescence.

Shaheen and her team handed out flyers, held an open call and visited theatre schools around various cities in the North of England. After several months of searching, Owen Cooper was cast as Jamie, the lead in Adolescence. The award-winning show was his first credit and it is without a doubt that Baig’s eye for talent helped him become one of the most promising young actors in the UK and globally. Owen Cooper isn’t the only actor Baig has ‘discovered’. Florence Pugh, Tom Holland and George MacKay were all discovered by Baig when they were children.

She also mentioned that seeing actors grow is one of the best parts of her job. Championing independent stories is also important for her. She has worked on lots of independent movies such as Scrapper and Brides. When choosing projects, she makes sure to pick scripts that resonate with her, regardless of the film’s budget. As one of few POC (people of colour) casting directors in the UK, she mentioned the lack of diversity within the film industry. Although it is improving, it is still not representative of the multicultural Britain we live in today.

There is still a lack of diversity in roles behind the camera. This is why Baig is an advocate for the casting course offered by the National Film and Television School … designed to open doors for people wanting to enter the profession

It is not just on-screen, there is still a lack of diversity in roles behind the camera. This is why Baig is an advocate for the casting course offered by the National Film and Television School (NFTS), a course designed to open doors for people wanting to enter the profession. She is also a trustee for Open Door, a non-profit organisation that helps people from low-income backgrounds access drama schools.

In the second half of the event, we watched My Beautiful Launderette, a film written by Hanif Kureshi. Baig chose to present this film as it was one of the first films she had seen where she was amazed by the acting. Released in 1985, the film was controversial for some due to its queer themes. However, the film received many more positive reviews by critics as well as holding a 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

It was lovely to watch a film that inspired and shaped Baig’s career. Attending the Flatpack Festival was eye-opening and it was amazing to hear Shaheen Baig talk about her journey. The audience comprised of all ages and it was clear to see that she had inspired us all. Before and after the event, people were chatting with one another about their own projects, there was a real sense of community, and it was nice to see creatives from the area connect.

Overall, film festivals are a great way to see local work and meet new people, and many of them provide discounted tickets to under 25’s, so there is no reason to miss out!