Iranian hostage drama Argo has won Best Film, and Ben Affleck Best Director, at the BAFTAs at the Royal Opera House last night. The film also picked up a third BAFTA for editing.
It had already won at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, and is now odds-on favourite to win at the Oscars.
Producer George Clooney praised director Ben Affleck when collecting the award for Argo (above left).
Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor for Lincoln, while Emmanuelle Riva won Best Actress for Amour. Jennifer Lawrence had been winning the Best Actress nods at some earlier competitions for her role in Silver Linings Playbook.
Day-Lewis praised his fellow nominees, Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman and Joaquin Phoenix.
Amour also won best foreign film.
The James Bond film Skyfall won the award for best British film, with director Sam Mendes recognizing Ian Fleming’s contribution. Despite a number of nominations in other categories, only composer Thomas Newman picked up a BAFTA for his score. The last BAFTA win for the Bond series was in 1964 for From Russia with Love, which received an award for cinematography.
Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor for Django Unchained, and Anne Hathaway won Best Supporting Actress for Les Misérables.
Hathaway humorously remarked that she walked past George Clooney without hugging him when walking on stage to collect her award. She called herself ‘lucky’ to have taken part in the film at the post-awards’ conference.
Les Misérables won a total of four awards. In addition to Hathaway’s, it won awards for sound, make-up and hair, and production design.
Life of Pi won for its cinematography and special visual effects.
Quentin Tarantino took home a Best Original Screenplay award for Django Unchained, while David O. Russell won Best Adapted Screenplay for Silver Linings Playbook.
Director Sir Alan Parker (The Commitments) won a British Academy Fellowship, while Channel 4 Films’ boss Tessa Ross won the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award.
Stephen Fry once again served was the master of ceremonies.
Andrea Riseborough on Shadow Dancer
Christoph Waltz on Britain
Hugh Jackman on his role as Jean Valjean
Les Misérables director Tom Hooper
Simon Pegg on the new Star Wars film and his BAFTA picks
Helen Mirren on her pink hair
Anne Hathaway wins Best Supporting Actress
Daniel Day-Lewis wins Best Actor
Ben Affleck’s acceptance speech
Argo wins Best Film