Fox’s The Revenant took charge of the leading categories to take five wins including Best Film and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio at the BAFTA Film Awards.
Director Alejandro G Iñárritu, who missed out here last year with Birdman, won the best director honour this time. The Mexican director described the win as “overwhelming.” He said DiCaprio’s “talent and commitment” to the “risky project” had “kept the film breathing.” Emmanuel Lubezki, the cinematographer, won for a third consecutive year, and the flick also nabbed the Sound award.
While receiving the award, DiCaprio, who portrays fur-trapper Hugh Glass, said he was “humbled and honoured” and praised the influence of British actors on his acting career. Brie Larson, who plays a kidnapped mother in Room, won the best leading actress award.
Interestingly, both supporting acting honours went to British winners. Steve Jobs star Kate Winslet was named best supporting actress. Grabbing her statuette, Winslet praised her fellow nominees saying it had been “an extraordinary year for women.” She also gave thanks to the real Joanna Hoffman, Jobs’ loyal assistant, who she said was “so wonderful telling her stories to me.”
Mark Rylance won best supporting actor for his role as a British-born Soviet agent in Bridge of Spies.
The first award of the night, for outstanding British film, went to period drama Brooklyn, in which Saoirse Ronan plays a young Irish woman who emigrates to New York.
The ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House on Sunday, February 14 was hosted by Stephen Fry.