“Slumdog” Sweeps BAFTA Awards

A scene from "Slumdog Millionaire." Photo courtesy Fox Searchlight.

As expected, Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” led this year’s Orange British Academy Film Awards, handed out this evening at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London.  The film earned seven awards - best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best editing, best score, best sound, and best cinematography.

Oddly enough, one award the film didn’t win was Outstanding British Film, which was given to James Marsh’s “Man on Wire.” However, it still took best film honors, giving it a clean sweep of every major precursor: WGA, DGA, PGA, SAG Ensemble, Golden Globe, Critic’s Choice, and BAFTA.  The only other film to have won all of these honors is 1999’s “American Beauty.”

Other major winners included Mickey Rourke for best lead actor for his work in “The Wrestler,” “The Reader”‘s Kate Winslet for best lead actress, and supporting actors Penelope Cruz and Heath Ledger for their work in “Vicky Christina Barcelona” and “The Dark Knight,” respectively.

Last year, BAFTA was the only precursor to rightly predict all of the acting winners at the Oscars.

The complete list of announced winners:

Best Film:  “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Director:  Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Original Screenplay: Martin McDonagh for “In Bruges”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Film Not in the English Language: “I’ve Loved You So Long”
Best Animated Film:  “WALL-E”
Best Leading Actor:  Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”
Best Leading Actress:  Kate Winslet, “The Reader”
Best Supporting Actor:  Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
Best Supporting Actress:  Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Best Music: AR Rahman, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Editing: Chris Dickens, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Production Design: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Best Costume Design: Michael O’Connor, “The Duchess”
Best Sound: “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Special Visual Effects:  “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Best Makeup and Hair: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Outstanding British Film:  “Man on Wire”
Carl Foreman Award: Steve McQueen, “Hunger”
Orange Rising Star Award: Noel Clarke

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