Sam Mendes’ WWI epic came away with seven awards, while ‘Joker’ collected three (including for best actor).
The 2020 BAFTA Awards belonged largely to one film, 1917.
Sam Mendes’ WWI epic cleaned up on Sunday night at the Royal Albert Hall, adding to its growing haul of honors in the U.S. with seven awards on home soil, including for best film, director and cinematography.
Elsewhere, Joker came away with three wins, including a best actor nod for Joaquin Phoenix and the British Academy’s inaugural casting award; Renee Zellweger earned best actress honors (with presenter Hugh Grant congratulating his former Bridget Jones’s Diary co-star with “Well done, Jones”); Brad Pitt was tapped as best supporting actor for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; and Laura Dern was named best supporting actress for Marriage Story.
Towards the end of the ceremony, hosted by Graham Norton, BAFTA president Prince William gave a speech in which he criticized the academy’s recent diversity crisis, following a year in which no black talent was nominated in the main acting categories.
“We find ourselves talking about the need to do more to address diversity in this sector,” said the royal. “This can not be right in this day and age.”
William was also witness to at least one Megxit joke when Margot Robbie read out Pitt’s acceptance speech, saying that he planned to call his award “Harry” as he was excited to “bring it back to the U.S.”
hollywoodreporter.com / balkantimes.press