BAFTA Awards: 'Three Billboards' wins Outstanding British Film as attendees support Time’s Up
The 71st British Academy Film Awards are underway in London. The ceremony, which is being held at the Royal Albert Hall for the second consecutive year, is hosted for the first time by Joanna Lumley, best known for her role as Patsy in the “Absolutely Fabulous” TV show and movie.
Lumley took over as host from Stephen Fry, who has presented the BAFTAs 12 times since first emceeing in 2001, including each year since 2012. The new host immediately brought a fresh approach to the ceremony with a pre-recorded segment that featured the actress interacting with characters from nominated films including “Three BillboardsOutside Ebbing, Missouri,” “Call Me by Your Name,” “Darkest Hour” and “Paddington 2.”
Following a performance by Cirque du Soleil’s OVO inspired by “The Shape of Water,” which led the nominees going into the ceremony with 12, Lumley took to the stage of the Royal Albert Hall. She revealed that exactly 100 years ago the venue hosted an event celebrating the first women to get the vote in Britain. Turning her attention to the nominees in the room Lumley joked best actor nominee Gary Oldman’s ability to disappear into a role was evident in his other roles of the year besides Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour” such as Yoda, Wonder Woman and Lego Batman.
“In one sense you’re all winners tonight,” Lumley said, concluding her opening remarks. “And in another sense if you believe that you’ll believe anything.”
See photos from the 2018 BAFTAs red carpet:
Guillermo Del Toro won best director for “The Shape of Water.” Del Toro paid tribute to the legacy of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel and novelist Mary Shelley amongst his British influences. “She gave voice to the voiceless,” said the director of Shelley. It was the Mexican filmmaker’s second BAFTA having won best foreign language film for his 2006 Spanish-language film “Pan’s Labyrinth.”
Gary Oldman won best actor for his role as Winston Churchill in Joe Wright’s “Darkest Hour,” after presenter Salma Hayek joked the winner was Frances McDormand. It was Oldman’s first best actor BAFTA from three nominations, having previously been nominated for Mike Leigh’s “Prick Up Your Ears” and Tomas Alfredson’s “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” Oldman won BAFTAs for best British film and best screenplay for his directorial debut “Nil by Mouth.”
Oldman thanked Churchill who he said had “held the line for integrity, honor and freedom for his country and the world.”
Frances McDormand took to the stage in a red and black dress to accept the award for best actress. “As Martin said I have a little trouble with compliance but i want you to know I stand in alliance with my sister’s in black,” said McDormand of her outfit. “In drama school I was told I wasn’t naturally gifted and I should work at it. So I did,” joked the actress. It was McDormand’s first BAFTA award from 4 nominations. She was previously nominated for best actress for her Oscar-winning performance in “Fargo,” losing out to Brenda Blethyn in Mike Leigh’s “Secrets & Lies.” She also received supporting actress nominations for “Almost Famous” and “North Country.”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” took the first award of the night for outstanding British film, which was presented by Jennifer Lawrence. Sam Rockwell made it two as he won best supporting actor for the film, beating out his co-star Woody Harrelson. “I stand on the shoulders of strong, intelligent, riotous women,” said Rockwell, telling co-star Frances McDormand she was an inspiration, before dedicating the award to “my pal Alan Rickman.” In the winner’s press conference Rockwell said he and director Martin McDonagh now had a shorthand having worked together twice before, on stage and in the film “Seven Psychopaths.”
Claiming best original screenplay for the film McDonagh called Rockwell his muse. The win was McDonagh’s second BAFTA win in the category having previously won for 2008’s “In Bruges.”
See photos of Kate Middleton at the 2018 BAFTA Awards:
Allison Janney won supporting actress for her role in “I, Tonya.” The actress joked she had to clear up a lie she had been perpetrating for years: that she hadn’t actually graduated from the U.K.’s world renowned Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, but that she had done a two-week course there.
With “Black Panther” dominating in cinemas around the world one of its stars, British actor Daniel Kaluuya, had double cause to celebrate Sunday night as he was awarded the EE Rising Star BAFTA award, the only award voted for by the public. Having worked steadily in British film and television over the past decade Kaluuya saw his breakout role in Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” bring him to global public attention as well as net him BAFTA and Oscar nominations as best actor. Kaluuya, who recently finished shooting Steve McQueen’s “Widows,” beat out Florence Pugh, Josh O’Connor, Tessa Thompson and Timothee Chalamet for the award.
“I am a product of arts funding in the U.K.,” said Kaluuya, thanking those who funded and supported arts funding in the country.
“The Shape of Water” scored its first win of the night with Alexandre Desplat taking home the award for original music. It was Desplat’s third BAFTA award from 8 nominations having previously won for “The King’s Speech” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” The film also claimed the award for best production design.
“Darkest Hour,” which went into the night with nine nominations, scored its first win for make up and hair.
Pixar’s “Coco” claimed best animated film. It marks the 7th time Pixar have won the BAFTA award since its inception in 2006. Director Lee Unkrich previously won for Pixar’s 2010 film “Toy Story 3.” “Representation matters. Marginalised people deserve to feel like they belong,” said Unkrich, on the importance of having non-white charaters on screen. “I hope we’ve made a difference and I hope it’s just the beginning.”
Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro,” about U.S. novelist and social critic James Baldwin, claimed the BAFTA for best documentary. Peck said Baldwin was “the perfect image of a great humanist.”
Park Chan-wook’s Korean language film “The Handmaiden” claimed for BAFTA for film not in the English language.
James Ivory collected the best adapted screenplay BAFTA for “Call Me by Your Name.” It was the 89 year old’s third BAFTA but his first for screenplay. He previously won twice for producing best film winners “A Room with a View” and “Howards End.”
The team behind the special visual effects of “Blade Runner 2049” beat out heavyweight competition from “Dunkirk,” “The Shape of Water,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and “War for the Planet of the Apes.”
“I Am Not a Witch” won outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer. Writer-director Rungano Nyoni said: “I want to thank all the people who said yes to me, without your support we couldn’t have made this, and all those who said no, frankly, because you really spurred me on.”
Celia Imrie presented the previously announced special BAFTA award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema to the U.K.’s National Film and Television School (NFTS). Imrie cited just of a few of the NFTS’ graduates including Oscar-winning animator Nick Park and acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins. Accepting the award Jon Wardle, director of the school, said the NFTS’ job was to find “the new Roger Deakins, wherever they come, and make sure they have the support they need.”
Deakins claimed the BAFTA for cinematography for Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049.” It marked Deakins’ fourth BAFTA win from 9 nominations. His previous wins in the category came for the Coen Brothers’ films “The Man Who Wasn’t There,” “No Country for Old Men” and “True Grit.”
Just moments later the NFTS scored its fifth consecutive win in the British short animation category, with stop-motion film “Poles Apart.” Colin O’Toole’s “Cowboy Dave” took the prize for British short film.
Most attendees donned black and the Time’s Up pin badge in support of the Time’s Up movement. Actresses Gemma Arterton, Tessa Thompson, Gemma Chan and Naomie Harris were among those who brought activist companions to the ceremony. Arterton brought two of the ladies involved in the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968, depicted in the 2010 British film “Made in Dagenham” and the stage production which Arterton starred in 2014. From the stage Arterton and Lily James, presenting the award for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer, thanked those assembled for supporting equality and change by dressing in black. Harris’ guest called on the film industry to tell the story of Ghanaian heroine Yaa Asantewaa, known as Africa’s Joan of Arc. The Duchess of Cambridge, in line with royal protocol which forbids members of the British royal family from taking a political stance on public issues, wore a dark green dress.
Here’s the full winners list, updating live.
BEST FILM
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Martin McDonagh
DIRECTOR
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo Del Toro
LEADING ACTOR
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
LEADING ACTRESS
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin
ANIMATED FILM
“Coco,” Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
“The Handmaiden,” Park Chan-wook, Syd Lim
DOCUMENTARY
“I Am Not Your Negro,” Raoul Peck
EE RISING STAR AWARD (VOTED FOR BY THE PUBLIC)
Daniel Kaluuya
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
“I Am Not a Witch,” Rungano Nyoni (Writer/Director), Emily Morgan (Producer)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
ORIGINAL MUSIC
“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat
CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins
EDITING
“Baby Driver,” Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
COSTUME DESIGN
“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges
PRODUCTION DESIGN
“The Shape of Water,” Paul Austerberry, Jeff Melvin, Shane Vieau
MAKE UP & HAIR
“Darkest Hour,” David Malinowski, Ivana Primorac, Lucy Sibbick, Kazuhiro Tsuji
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
“Blade Runner 2049,” Richard R. Hoover, Paul Lambert, Gerd Nefzer, John Nelson
SOUND
“Dunkirk,” Alex Gibson, Richard King, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo, Mark Weingarten
BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
“Poles Apart,” Paloma Baeza, Ser En Low
BRITISH SHORT FILM
“Cowboy Dave,” Colin O’Toole, Jonas Mortense
OUTSTANDING BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA (PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED)
National Film and Television School (NFTS)
BAFTA FELLOWSHIP (PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED)
Ridley Scott
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