“The Theory of Everything” garnered three awards including leading actor at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards hosted by comedian Stephen Fry, but “The Imitation Game” failed to convert any of its nine nominations.
Richard Linklater won the director award for “Boyhood”, which he filmed over a 12-year period using the same cast. Patricia Arquette, who won the supporting actress award for her role as a single mother, said Linklater had “made an ordinary story extraordinary”.
Eddie Redmayne took the leading actor award for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking, a celebrated cosmologist who is paralyzed by motor neuron disease, in “The Theory of Everything”. The film also won the award for outstanding British film.
Redmayne said Hawking and his family had closely supported the film’s production. The physicist attended the ceremony and received a standing ovation as he presented the special visual effects award to space-faring epic “Interstellar”.
The award for leading actress went to Julianne Moore for her portrayal of a linguistics professor grappling with Alzheimer’s disease in “Still Alice”.
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”, the story of a legendary concierge and his young protege, won the awards for original screenplay, costume design, production design, make-up & hair, and original music.
J.K. Simmons won the supporting actor category for his portrayal of a domineering jazz teacher in “Whiplash”. The film, shot by American director Damien Chazelle in just 19 days, also picked up the awards for editing and sound.
Mexican Emmanuel Lubezki won the cinematography award for his work on “Birdman”, but the show business satire failed to pick up the big prizes that some commentators had tipped it for.
Fry joked about his recent marriage – one of the most high-profile same-sex unions since they became legal in the United Kingdom last year – and paid tribute to the late British actor and director Richard Attenborough.
Twenty-four-year-old British actor Jack O’Connell picked up the Rising Star award, the only prize voted on by the public.
“Citizenfour”, the story of U.S. government whistleblower Edward Snowden directed by Laura Poitras, won the documentary award.
“The Lego Movie” won the animated film category, and Polish film “Ida” took the award for the best film in a language other than English.
“Boogaloo and Graham”, the story of two boys growing up in Belfast, won British short film. “The Bigger Picture” won the British short animation category.
Stephen Beresford and David Livingstone won the Debut award for writing and producing “Pride”, the story of an unlikely collaboration between gay activists and miners during the British miners’ strike of 1984.
The BAFTAs are the major awards in the British film industry, and are among a series of such events culminating in the Oscars, the top prizes in the movie world, due to be handed out in Los Angeles on Feb. 22. (Reuters)
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