‘Moneyball’ Scores in Major Categories for BAFTA’s Film Awards’ Longlist

Melinda Sue Gordon/Columbia TriStar Pictures

LONDON – The Brad Pitt-starrer Moneyball has fared well in the first round of voting ahead of this year’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ film awards.

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The baseball drama secured berths in major categories including best film, best director, best adapted screenplay and leading actor for Pitt when the longlist for this year’s British Academy Film Awards published Friday.

Pitt is up against a heavyweight list to secure a best actor nomination berth with Ryan Gosling featuring twice in the list for turns in both Drive and The Ides of March.

Also challenging is Antonio Banderas (The Skin I Live In), Brendan Gleeson (The Guard), Daniel Craig (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Eddie Redmayne (My Week with Marilyn), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), George Clooney (The Descendants), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Owen Wilson (Midnight in Paris), Peter Mullan (Tyrannosaur) and Ralph Fiennes (Coriolanus).

The longlist of best film entrants sports documentary Senna alongside The Artist, The Descendants, Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, Hugo, The Ides of March, The Iron Lady, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, My Week with Marilyn, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse and We Need to Talk About Kevin.

The longlist is the result of a first round of voting by the 6300 strong Academy members that places the top 15 films in each major category.

Best documentary, film not in the English language and outstanding British film lists are voted for by membership chapters.

A second round of voting will cut the number of films to five in each category to be announced Jan. 17 as nominations.

Following a third vote, the winners will be announced on Feb. 12 at the Orange British Academy Film Awards.