At the British film awards, the BAFTA's, the Vatican thriller ‘Conclave’ by German director Edward Berger won the award for Best Film.
Brady Corbet won Best Director for ‘The Brutalist’, and Adrien Brody took Best Actor for his role as a Holocaust survivor in the same film.
The 25-year-old Mikey Madison was named Best Actress for her role in ‘Anora’, a New York thriller by filmmaker Sean Baker about an exotic dancer who marries an oligarch’s son.
The French-Belgian co-production ‘Emilia Perez’, directed by Jacques Audiard, was awarded Best Non-English Language Film, and Zoe Saldana received a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the same film.
‘Emilia Perez’ also won big at the Golden Globes in January, taking home four awards. However, its reputation has since been tarnished by the resurfacing of controversial old tweets by lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón, covering topics like Islam, the Oscars, and Black Lives Matter. The film revolves around a Mexican drug dealer undergoing gender transition.
Ultimately, ‘Conclave’ and ‘The Brutalist’ were the night’s biggest winners, each taking home four awards. ‘Conclave’ had twelve nominations, while ‘The Brutalist’ had nine.
The BAFTA ceremony took place on Sunday evening at the Royal Festival Hall in central London. The awards are considered significant indicators for the Oscars, which will be held in early March.
