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㽶ƵֱConclave㽶Ƶֱ best picture at BAFTAs, 㽶ƵֱThe Brutalist㽶Ƶֱ takes directing, acting prizes

The British prizes often provide clues about who will triumph at Hollywood㽶Ƶֱs Academy Awards
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㽶ƵֱConclave earned best picture honours Sunday at the 78th British Academy Film Awards (Courtesy of CPAC)

Papal thriller 㽶Ƶֱ 㽶Ƶֱ won four prizes including best picture on Sunday at the 78th British Academy Film Awards, where genre-bending musical 㽶Ƶֱ 㽶Ƶֱ proved that it㽶Ƶֱs still an awards contender despite a that looked to have .

At a ceremony where no film dominated, 㽶ƵֱThe Brutalist㽶Ƶֱ equaled the awards tally of 㽶ƵֱConclave,㽶Ƶֱ scooping four trophies, including best director for Brady Corbet and best actor for Adrien Brody. Mikey Madison won the best actress prize for Brooklyn tragicomedy 㽶ƵֱAnora.㽶Ƶֱ

㽶ƵֱConclave,㽶Ƶֱ which stars Ralph Fiennes as a cardinal corralling conniving clergy as they elect a new pope, beat 㽶ƵֱAnora,㽶Ƶֱ 㽶ƵֱThe Brutalist,㽶Ƶֱ 㽶ƵֱEmilia Pérez㽶Ƶֱ and Bob Dylan biopic 㽶Ƶֱ 㽶Ƶֱ to the top prize. 㽶ƵֱConclave㽶Ƶֱ was also named outstanding British film and took trophies for editing and adapted screenplay.

Supporting performer prizes went to Kieran Culkin for 㽶ƵֱA Real Pain㽶Ƶֱ and Zoe Saldaña for 㽶ƵֱEmilia Pérez,㽶Ƶֱ which also won the award for best film not in the English language.

, who stars as the titular transgender ex-cartel boss in 㽶ƵֱEmilia Pérez,㽶Ƶֱ was a best-actress nominee but did not attend the ceremony. Gascón has withdrawn from promoting the film, which has 13 Oscar nominations, amid controversy over her social media posts disparaging Muslims, George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars.

The film㽶Ƶֱs director, Jacques Audiard, has condemned those comments, but in an acceptance speech thanked Gascón along with her co-stars Saldaña and Selena Gomez.

㽶ƵֱI am deeply proud of what we have all achieved together,㽶Ƶֱ he said.

From the BAFTAs to the Oscars

Stars including Cynthia Erivo, Hugh Grant, Ariana Grande, Lupita Nyong㽶Ƶֱo, Timothée Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan walked the red carpet at London㽶Ƶֱs Royal Festival Hall for the awards, known as BAFTAs. The British prizes often provide clues about on March 2, in an unusually hard-to-call awards season.

They also have a distinctly British accent. The ceremony kicked off with its kilt-wearing host, Scottish actor David Tennant, leading the audience in a rousing singalong of The Proclaimers㽶Ƶֱ anthem 㽶ƵֱI㽶Ƶֱm Gonna Be (500 Miles).㽶Ƶֱ

Madison won the female acting trophy for her powerhouse performance as an exotic dancer entangled with a Russian oligarch㽶Ƶֱs son in 㽶ƵֱAnora.㽶Ƶֱ She beat Gascón, Demi Moore for body-horror film 㽶Ƶֱ ,㽶Ƶֱ Ronan for 㽶ƵֱThe Outrun,㽶Ƶֱ Erivo for 㽶Ƶֱ¾㽶Ƶֱ and Marianne Jean-Baptiste for 㽶ƵֱHard Truths.㽶Ƶֱ

In her acceptance speech, Madison sent a message to the sex worker community.

㽶ƵֱYou deserve respect and human decency. I will always be a friend and an ally and I implore others to do the same,㽶Ƶֱ she said.

Brody beat competition from Fiennes, Chalamet, who plays the young Dylan in 㽶ƵֱA Complete Unknown,㽶Ƶֱ Grant for the horror film 㽶Ƶֱ ,㽶Ƶֱ Colman Domingo for prison drama 㽶Ƶֱ 㽶Ƶֱ and Sebastian Stan for his portrayal of a young Donald Trump in 㽶Ƶֱ .㽶Ƶֱ

Brody, who plays a Hungarian-Jewish architect in the postwar United States, said 㽶ƵֱThe Brutalist㽶Ƶֱ carried a powerful message for our divided times.

㽶ƵֱIt speaks to the need for all of us to share in the responsibility of how we want others to be treated and how we want to be treated by others,㽶Ƶֱ he said. 㽶ƵֱThere㽶Ƶֱs no place any more for antisemitism. There㽶Ƶֱs no place for racism.㽶Ƶֱ

㽶ƵֱThe Brutalist㽶Ƶֱ also won prizes for its cinematography and musical score.

Saldaña won for her role as a lawyer who helps the title character in 㽶ƵֱEmilia Pérez㽶Ƶֱ transition to a woman and out of a life of crime. She called the film 㽶Ƶֱthe creative challenge of a lifetime.㽶Ƶֱ

㽶ƵֱA Real Pain,㽶Ƶֱ about mismatched cousins on a trip to explore their roots, won the BAFTA for best original screenplay, as well as Culkin㽶Ƶֱs acting award.

㽶ƵֱI㽶Ƶֱd like to share this with my wife, who didn㽶Ƶֱt come because she didn㽶Ƶֱt think I㽶Ƶֱd win,㽶Ƶֱ quipped writer-director Jesse Eisenberg, who also co-starred in the film.

Claymation caper 㽶ƵֱWallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl㽶Ƶֱ won awards for best animated feature and best family and children㽶Ƶֱs film.

Sci-fi epic won prizes for sound and visual effects, while blockbuster musical 㽶Ƶֱ took the costume and production design trophies.

Rising stars and lifetime honors

Most BAFTA winners are chosen by 8,000 members of the U.K. academy of industry professionals, with one 㽶Ƶֱ the Rising Star Award 㽶Ƶֱ- selected by public vote from a shortlist of nominees. This year㽶Ƶֱs winner was David Jonsson, star of high finance TV drama series 㽶ƵֱIndustry㽶Ƶֱ and London rom-com 㽶ƵֱRye Lane.㽶Ƶֱ

㽶ƵֱStar, I don㽶Ƶֱt know,㽶Ƶֱ he said. 㽶ƵֱBut rising, I guess.㽶Ƶֱ

The prize for best British debut went to Rich Peppiatt, writer-director of Irish-language hip-hop drama 㽶ƵֱKneecap.㽶Ƶֱ

㽶ƵֱWillow㽶Ƶֱ and 㽶ƵֱReturn of the Jedi㽶Ƶֱ actor Warwick Davis received the academy㽶Ƶֱs top honor, the BAFTA Fellowship, for his screen career and work to create a more inclusive film industry.

The 3-foot, 6-inch (1.1-meter) actor founded a talent agency for actors under 5 feet tall, because, he said, 㽶Ƶֱshort actors weren㽶Ƶֱt known for their talent, just their height.㽶Ƶֱ

㽶ƵֱThis is the best thing that㽶Ƶֱs ever happened to me 㽶Ƶֱ and I㽶Ƶֱve been in 㽶ƵֱStar Wars,㽶Ƶֱ㽶Ƶֱ Davis said as he accepted his award.

This awards season has been clouded by last month㽶Ƶֱs , and BAFTA chairwoman Sara Putt sent a message of strength to everyone affected,

The event was without a dash of royal glamour this year. Neither , who is honorary president of the British film academy, nor his wife Kate attended the ceremony, which coincided with school holidays for their three children.

William, 42, sent a video message, recorded during a visit to meet students at the London Screen Academy on Wednesday.

During the visit, the heir to the throne discussed his own viewing habits, saying he㽶Ƶֱd watched World War II drama 㽶ƵֱDarkest Hour㽶Ƶֱ and had begun postapocalyptic TV drama 㽶ƵֱThe Last of Us.㽶Ƶֱ He said he found it 㽶Ƶֱquite full on㽶Ƶֱ and didn㽶Ƶֱt make it to the end.

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Hilary Fox contributed to this story.

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A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the Academy Awards are on March 2, not March 3.

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press





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