BAFTA Gives Almost Everything to The Artist

Orange British Academy gave out their BAFTA Film Awards this evening and Michel Hazanavicius’ The Artist swept in many of the categories in which it was nominated, winning seven awards including the top prize of Best Film, director, original screenplay and Jean DuJardin took the prize for Leading Actor. Meryl Streep won the Leading Actress award for her performance as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady while Octavia Spencer and Christopher Plummer continued their winning streaks in the Supporting categories. The adaptation of John Le Carré’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy won two awards, one for “Outstanding British Film” and the other for its adapted screenplay.

These wins further puts The Artist ahead of the pack for the Academy Award for Best Picture, announced on February 26, as well as solidifies Hazanavicius’ lead in the directing category, and Jean Dujardin certainly has received a leg-up between this and his SAG win. Meryl Streep and Viola Davis have been dividing up most of the awards announced so far and it’s not that big a surprise that Streep would win for playing an infamous British icon.

You can see the entire list of winners and the official press release below:

ORANGE BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS in 2012

The Artist wins seven BAFTAs including Best Film, Leading Actor for Jean Dujardin and Director and Original Screenplay for Michel Hazanavicius

Meryl Streep wins Leading Actress

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Hugo, The Iron Lady and Senna win two BAFTAs each

The Artist was named Best Film at tonights Orange British Academy Film Awards hosted by Stephen Fry, held at Londons Royal Opera House. The film also won six other awards: Director, Original Screenplay, Original Music, Cinematography, Costume Design as well as a performance award for Jean Dujardin who won the Leading Actor BAFTA.

Meryl Streep was awarded the BAFTA for Leading Actress for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady; the film was also honoured in the Make-Up & Hair category.

The Helps Octavia Spencer won the Supporting Actress category and Christopher Plummer won Supporting Actor for his performance in Beginners.

Outstanding British Film and Adapted Screenplay were awarded to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Senna won the Documentary and Editing BAFTAs. Hugo won two BAFTAs in Production Design and Sound. Pedro Almoldovars The Skin I Live in won the Film Not in the English Language category and Rango won the BAFTA for Animated Film. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was awarded the BAFTA for Special Visual Effects.

Director Paddy Considine and Producer Diarmid Scrimshaw received the award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for their first feature film Tyrannosaur, based upon the short film Dog Altogether that won them the Short Film BAFTA in 2008.

The Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award was presented to Adam Deacon, recently seen in Anuvahood and Kidulthood. This award, the only one voted for by the public, recognises an international actor or actress who has demonstrated exceptional talent and has begun to be recognised as a film star in the making. The award is now in its seventh year and was created in honour of Mary Selway, the highly respected casting director who passed away in 2004.

A Morning Stroll won the Short Animation award and the Short Film award was presented to Pitch Black Heist.

The award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema was received by John Hurt. The Fellowship, the highest accolade which the Academy can bestow, was presented to Martin Scorsese.

WINNERS

BEST FILM

THE ARTIST Thomas Langmann

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo,

Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

TYRANNOSAUR Paddy Considine (Director), Diarmid Scrimshaw (Producer)

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

THE SKIN I LIVE IN Pedro Almodóvar, Agustin Almodóvar

DOCUMENTARY

SENNA Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Manish Pandey

ANIMATED FILM

RANGO Gore Verbinski

DIRECTOR

THE ARTIST Michel Hazanavicius

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

THE ARTIST Michel Hazanavicius

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan

LEADING ACTOR

JEAN DUJARDIN The Artist

LEADING ACTRESS

MERYL STREEP The Iron Lady