At the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday, Conclave, a drama centered on the election of a new Pope, and The Brutalist, an immigration-themed epic, emerged as the biggest winners.
Directed by German filmmaker Edward Berger, Conclave won four awards, including Best Film and Best British Film. This marked the first time a film had won both categories in the same year since 1917, a war drama that triumphed in 2019. Additionally, the movie secured wins for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing.
Meanwhile, American director Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist also claimed four awards. Corbet won Best Director, while Adrien Brody earned Best Actor for portraying Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor László Tóth. The film also took home awards for Best Original Score and Best Cinematography.
Among other notable winners were Mikey Madison, who won Best Actress for Anora, Kieran Culkin, awarded Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain, and Zoe Saldaña, who received Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez.
In the weeks leading up to the Oscars, Anora, a film about a New York stripper’s whirlwind romance with the son of a Russian oligarch, had gained significant momentum as a Best Picture contender. However, it ended the night with wins for Best Actress and Best Casting.
Madison’s victory came as a surprise despite her critically acclaimed performance in Sean Baker’s film. Accepting the award, she expressed her shock: “Wow, I really wasn’t expecting this. I probably should have listened to my publicist and written a speech or something!”
The 25-year-old actress, known for roles in Better Things, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Scream, has now stepped into the spotlight with her leading role in Anora. In her speech, she took a moment to acknowledge sex workers: “I want to take a moment to recognize the sex worker community. I see you, you deserve respect and human decency. I will always be an ally and a friend.”
Demi Moore, who had been winning Best Actress awards at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards for her role in The Substance, was widely expected to take the BAFTA as well. While her loss does not diminish her chances at the Oscars, Madison’s win adds intrigue to the competition.
The Substance, a horror film where Moore plays a TV aerobics presenter who takes a black-market drug to transform into a younger version of herself, won Best Makeup and Hair. Packed with graphic effects, the movie is also a frontrunner in the same category at the Oscars.
Films That Won the Most Awards
- Conclave– 4
- The Brutalist– 4
- Wicked– 2
- Emilia Pérez– 2
- Anora– 2
- Dune Part 2– 2
- A Real Pain– 2
- Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl– 2
Leading the nominations with 12, Conclave follows a group of cardinals gathered in Rome to elect a new Pope, featuring Ralph Fiennes. Berger expressed deep gratitude for winning Best Film and described receiving the Best British Film award as “a huge, huge honor.” He humorously acknowledged his non-British background, stating, “Best British and I’m not even from here, so I feel so welcome in your midst.”
BAFTA rules require films in the British category to have significant creative contributions from British individuals. During his speech, Berger reflected on the current political climate, stating, “We live in a time of a crisis of democracy,” and concluded with a Leonard Cohen quote: “There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”
Brody, accepting his Best Actor award for The Brutalist, described the film as “really about the pursuit of leaving something meaningful,” while Corbet expressed being “humbled and very grateful.”
The ceremony, hosted by David Tennant at London’s Royal Festival Hall, opened with the actor wearing a kilt and leading a performance of I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers, joined by James McAvoy and Colman Domingo.
This year’s awards season has been marked by unpredictability, with no single film dominating the event. Instead, various films shared the honors.
For the third consecutive year, no British actors won in any of the four major acting categories at Britain’s most prestigious film event.
Notable Films That Missed Out
Despite multiple nominations, some highly anticipated films left empty-handed, including:
- A Complete Unknown(Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet)
- Nosferatu
- Blitz
- Gladiator II
- The Apprentice
Emilia Pérez and Its Controversy
The French-produced Emilia Pérez tells the story of a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender transition to leave behind a life of crime. In recent weeks, the film faced controversy over offensive social media posts made by its lead actress, Karla Sofía Gascón.
Despite concerns that the backlash might impact its award prospects, the film won Best International Film and Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña, who is now seen as a strong contender at the Oscars.
Director Jacques Audiard acknowledged the cast while accepting the international film award, as did Saldaña in her speech.
Kieran Culkin’s victory for A Real Pain was largely anticipated. His co-star, Jesse Eisenberg, who also wrote and directed the film, accepted the award on his behalf.
Eisenberg’s film, centered on two cousins exploring their Jewish grandmother’s roots in Poland, also won Best Original Screenplay.
Actor and TV presenter Warwick Davis was honored with the BAFTA Fellowship, the highest recognition given by the British Academy. He dedicated the award to his late wife, saying, “My wonderful wife Sammy, who died almost a year ago,” and also expressed gratitude to his mother, calling her his “first agent.”
In Memoriam Segment
The annual tribute segment honored film industry members who passed away over the past year, including Dame Maggie Smith, James Earl Jones, David Lynch, Dame Joan Plowright, and Donald Sutherland.
Other Notable Wins
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Part 2 won awards for Special Effects and Sound.
The blockbuster musical Wicked earned Best Production Design for British artists Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales. It marked Crowley’s first BAFTA win after six nominations, while Sandales had won twice before. The film also took home Best Costume Design.
Aardman’s latest Wallace and Gromit installment, Vengeance Most Fowl, was named Best Animation. Surprisingly, this marked the studio’s first-ever BAFTA in the category. Additionally, it won the inaugural Best Children and Family Film award.
Irish rap group Kneecap won Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer. Their Irish-language film, a semi-fictionalized depiction of the band’s formation, was celebrated as more than just a film. Director Rich Peppiatt remarked, “Kneecap is more than a film, it’s a movement,” adding that all languages and cultures should be respected.
The Best Documentary award went to Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, chronicling the life of the actor best known for playing Superman. The film explores Reeve’s journey following a horse-riding accident that left him paralyzed a decade before his passing in 2004. His children took the stage to honor their late father.