BAFTA Awards: ’12 Years a Slave’ Wins Best Film

LONDON – Hollywood turned out in force for this year’s EE British Academy Film Awards, which saw Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave walk away with the night’s top prize for best film.

McQueen said after the film’s win that he was looking forward to the Oscars simply because it was a gathering and celebration of filmmaking “and these awards are the only chance I get to meet with filmmakers.”

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When accepting the night’s top award, McQueen noted that there are “21 million people in slavery now as we sit here. I just hope there will not be another 120 years of ambivalence that allows another filmmaker to make a film like this.”

But McQueen was beaten for the evening’s best director prize by a self-confessed London “local lad,” Alfonso Cuaron, who picked that plaudit up for Gravity.

Cuaron said he is considered a part of the British film industry, despite “his accent.”

The filmmaker, who lives in London, joked that he makes “a good case for curbing immigration”

He thanked Sandra Bullock, who “is gravity.”

“Without her it would have been nonsense,” Cuaron said, also thanking Warner Bros. during his speech.

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Gravity ended up the biggest winner on the night, securing six awards, including outstanding British film, original music, cinematography, sound and special visual effects and Cuaron’s director honor.

American Hustle, with director David O. Russell, castmembers Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale among the attendees, won three BAFTA Awards, including original screenplay for Eric Warren Singer and Russell, make up and hair, and supporting actress for Jennifer Lawrence.

Stanley Tucci was on hand to present the evening’s BAFTA for original screenplay to Eric Warren Singer and Russell.

Tucci said there is nothing quite so terrifying as being faced with a blank page and asked to write something. “Trust me, I know, this took me ages to write,” Tucci said.

Singer said he “was breastfed on British cinema from an early age. So thanks to BAFTA for this award.”

Russell said he writes for his actors and they make him a “better writer.” He sent apologies from Lawrence, who could not be there in person to pick up her best supporting actress because she is shooting.

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Cate Blanchett sidestepped the current maelstrom surrounding filmmaker Woody Allen after picking up the evening’s best actress award for her turn in Blue Jasmine — her third BAFTA win.

Earlier in the evening, Barkhad Abdi won supporting actor for Captain Phillips, his feature film debut.

Chiwetel Ejiofor won the leading actor award with Uma Thurman opening the envelope for him.

Ejiofor hit the stage saying “wow, wow, wow” to huge applause and whistles from the audience, including fellow nominee Tom Hanks. “I want to start with Steve McQueen.” He thanked him for introducing him to the character and making a work of “such value and worth to all of us”.

Said Ejiofor: “This is yours. I know it, you know, but I’m going to keep it. That’s the kind of guy I am.”

He also name-checked a myriad list, including Brad Pitt in the audience, and the backers, cast and his family.

Production design and costume design awards were dished out to The Great Gatsby.

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Director and writer Kieran Evans received the award for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer for his first feature film, Kelly + Victor.

Adapted screenplay went to Jeff Pope and Steve Coogan for Philomena, which Coogan also produced and starred in.

The Great Beauty won the award for a non-English language film and the BAFTA for editing went to Rush.

The Act of Killing received the documentary award while Frozen took home the prize for Animated Film.

The EE Rising Star Award, voted for by the public, was presented to Will Poulter.

Director Peter Greenaway, whose films include The Draughtsman’s Contract and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover received the award for outstanding British contribution to cinema.

The U.K.’s glitziest and most prestigious movie awards shindig included a fellowship plaudit, BAFTA’s highest honor, for Helen Mirren.

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Hosted by Stephen Fry for the ninth time, the EE British Academy Film Awards was broadcast exclusively on BBC One in the U.K. and in all major territories around the world from London’s Royal Opera House.

This year’s event also enjoyed a Royal seal of approval with Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, who took a break from his duties as a new father to join the celebrations by wearing his crown as BAFTA president.

The future king watched the awards ceremony and presented Mirren with her fellowship alongside Jeremy Irons.

Prince William noted Mirren won a BAFTA and Oscar for portraying someone he should probably refer to as “grannie” after her turn as Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears’ The Queen.

Irons described Mirren as “grounded, powerful and a great leader” on the set. “She is one hell of a dame,” Irons said. Mirren blew a kiss to her husband, Taylor Hackford, who couldn’t be there, and went on to thank the Academy and all the filmmakers, teachers and collaborators who made her into the actress she has become.

A complete list of winners can be found on the next page.

BEST FILM 

*12 YEARS A SLAVE Anthony Katagas, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen (WINNER)

AMERICAN HUSTLE Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Megan Ellison, Jonathan Gordon 

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca 

GRAVITY Alfonso Cuaron, David Heyman

PHILOMENA Gabrielle Tana, Steve Coogan, Tracey Seaward

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

*GRAVITY Alfonso Cuarón, David Heyman, Jonás Cuarón (WINNER)

MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM Justin Chadwick, Anant Singh, David M. Thompson, William Nicholson

PHILOMENA Stephen Frears, Gabrielle Tana, Steve Coogan, Tracey Seaward, Jeff Pope

RUSH Ron Howard, Andrew Eaton, Peter Morgan

SAVING MR. BANKS John Lee Hancock, Alison Owen, Ian Collie, Philip Steuer, Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith

THE SELFISH GIANT: Clio Barnard, Tracy O’Riordan

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

*KIERAN EVANS (Director/Writer) Kelly + Victor (WINNER)

COLIN CARBERRY (Writer), GLENN PATTERSON (Writer) Good Vibrations

KELLY MARCEL (Writer) Saving Mr. Banks

PAUL WRIGHT (Director/Writer), POLLY STOKES (Producer) For Those in Peril

SCOTT GRAHAM (Director/Writer) Shell

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

*THE GREAT BEAUTY Paolo Sorrentino, Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima (WINNER)

 

THE ACT OF KILLING Joshua Oppenheimer,  Signe Byrge Sorensen

BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR Abdellatif Kechiche, Brahim Chioua, Vincent Maraval

METRO MANILA  Sean Ellis, Mathilde Charpentier

WADJDA Haifaa Al-Mansour, Gerhard Meixner, Roman Paul

DOCUMENTARY

 *THE ACT OF KILLING Joshua Oppenheimer (WINNER)

THE ARMSTRONG LIE Alex Gibney

BLACKFISH Gabriela Cowperthwaite

TIM’S VERMEER Teller, Penn Jillette, Farley Ziegler 

WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS Alex Gibney

ANIMATED FILM

*FROZEN Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee (WINNER)

DESPICABLE ME 2 Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY Dan Scanlon

DIRECTOR

*GRAVITY Alfonso Cuarón (WINNER)

12 YEARS A SLAVE Steve McQueen

AMERICAN HUSTLE David O. Russell

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Paul Greengrass

 THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Martin Scorsese

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

*AMERICAN HUSTLE Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell (WINNER)

BLUE JASMINE Woody Allen

GRAVITY Alfonso Cuaron, Jonas Cuaron

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

NEBRASKA Bob Nelson

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

*PHILOMENA Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope (WINNER)

12 YEARS A SLAVE John Ridley

BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Richard LaGravenese

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Billy Ray

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Terence Winter

LEADING ACTOR

*CHIWETEL EJIOFOR 12 Years a Slave (WINNER)

BRUCE DERN Nebraska

CHRISTIAN BALE American Hustle

LEONARDO DICAPRIO The Wolf of Wall Street

TOM HANKS Captain Phillips

LEADING ACTRESS 

*CATE BLANCHETT Blue Jasmine (WINNER)

AMY ADAMS American Hustle

EMMA THOMPSON Saving Mr. Banks

JUDI DENCH Philomena

SANDRA BULLOCK Gravity

SUPPORTING ACTOR

*BARKHAD ABDI Captain Phillips (WINNER)

BRADLEY COOPER American Hustle

DANIEL BRUHL Rush

MATT DAMON Behind the Candelabra

MICHAEL FASSBENDER 12 Years a Slave

SUPPORTING ACTRESS 

*JENNIFER LAWRENCE American Hustle (WINNER)

JULIA ROBERTS August: Osage County

LUPITA NYONG’O 12 Years a Slave

OPRAH WINFREY The Butler

SALLY HAWKINS Blue Jasmine

ORIGINAL MUSIC

*GRAVITY Steven Price (WINNER)

12 YEARS A SLAVE  Hans Zimmer

THE BOOK THIEF John Williams

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Henry Jackman

SAVING MR. BANKS Thomas Newman

CINEMATOGRAPHY

*GRAVITY Emmanuel Lubezki (WINNER)

12 YEARS A SLAVE Sean Bobbitt

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Barry Ackroyd

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Bruno Delbonnel

NEBRASKA Phedon Papamichael

EDITING

*RUSH Dan Hanley, Mike Hill (WINNER)

12 YEARS A SLAVE Joe Walker

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Christopher Rouse

GRAVITY Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Thelma Schoonmaker

PRODUCTION DESIGN

*THE GREAT GATSBY Catherine Martin, Beverley Dunn (WINNER)

12 YEARS A SLAVE Adam Stockhausen, Alice Baker

AMERICAN HUSTLE Judy Becker, Heather Loeffler

BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Howard Cummings

GRAVITY Andy Nicholson, Rosie Goodwin, Joanne Woodlard

COSTUME DESIGN

*THE GREAT GATSBY Catherine Martin (WINNER)

AMERICAN HUSTLE Michael Wilkinson

BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Ellen Mirojnick

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN Michael O’Connor

SAVING MR. BANKS Daniel Orlandi

MAKE UP & HAIR  

*AMERICAN HUSTLE Evelyne Noraz, Lori McCoy-Bell (WINNER)

BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Kate Biscoe, Marie Larkin

THE BUTLER Debra Denson, Beverly Jo Pryor, Candace Neal

THE GREAT GATSBY Maurizio Silvi, Kerry Warn

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG Peter Swords King, Richard Taylor, Rick Findlater

SOUND

*GRAVITY Glenn Freemantle, Skip Lievsay, Christopher Benstead, Niv Adiri, Chris Munro (WINNER)

ALL IS LOST Richard Hymns, Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor, Micah Bloomberg, Gillian Arthur

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor,Mike Prestwood Smith, Chris Munro, Oliver Tarney

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Peter F. Kurland, Skip Lievsay, Greg Orloff

RUSH Danny Hambrook, Martin Steyer, Stefan Korte, Markus Stemler, Frank Kruse

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS  

*GRAVITY Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, David Shirk, Neil Corbould, Nikki Penny (WINNER)

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, Eric Reynolds

IRON MAN 3 Bryan Grill, Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Dan Sudick

PACIFIC RIM Hal Hickel, John Knoll, Lindy De Quattro, Nigel Sumner

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Ben Grossmann, Burt Dalton, Patrick Tubach, Roger Guyett

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION

*SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES James Walker, Sarah Woolner, Yousif Al-Khalifa (WINNER)

EVERYTHING I CAN SEE FROM HERE Bjorn-Erik Aschim, Friederike Nicolaus, Sam Taylor

I AM TOM MOODY Ainslie Henderson

BRITISH SHORT FILM

*ROOM 8 James W. Griffiths, Sophie Venner (WINNER)

ISLAND QUEEN Ben Mallaby, Nat Luurtsema

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES Megan Rubens, Michael Pearce, Selina Lim

ORBIT EVER AFTER Chee-Lan Chan, Jamie Stone, Len Rowles  

SEA VIEW Anna Duffield, Jane Linfoot

THE EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)

*WILL POULTER  (WINNER)

DANE DEHAAN

GEORGE MACKAY

LUPITA NYONG’O        

LEA SEYDOUX