Stars glitter on red carpet at UK's BAFTA awards
British and US movie stars turned out in force on Sunday for the BAFTAs, Britain's top film accolades, a ceremony that will be watched partly for what light it sheds on the outcome of the Oscars in two weeks' time.
February 14, 2011 / 09:27 IST
British and US movie stars turned out in force on Sunday for the BAFTAs, Britain's top film accolades, a ceremony that will be watched partly for what light it sheds on the outcome of the Oscars in two weeks' time.
Jesse Eisenberg, nominated for best actor in "The Social Network", was one of the first to walk the red carpet where hundreds of fans waited for autographs in the rain.Director Tim Burton and actor Kevin Spacey soon followed with their arrivals at the Royal Opera House in central London, as did singer Paul McCartney.Barbara Hershey and Helena Bonham Carter, both nominated for the best supporting actress award, also attended, followed by young actors Andrew Garfield and Harry Potter star Emma Watson, who shook hands with the crowd.Best actor nominee Colin Firth, who is up for his role in "The King's Speech" as a stammering King George VI, was whisked past while pregnant Natalie Portman, nominated for best actress in "Black Swan", was not present.The King's Speech is the bookmakers' favourite to be crowned best film at the BAFTAs.Firth, who last year won a best actor BAFTA for "A Single Man", is also tipped by betting firm William Hill to scoop the best actor category and Tom Hooper the best director prize.The royal biopic leads the field with 14 BAFTA nominations, ahead of ballet drama "Black Swan" which garnered 12 and "Inception", starring Leonardo DiCaprio, with nine.Climbing story "127 Hours" and Western remake "True Grit" earned eight nominations apiece, while "The Social Network," which tells the tale of the founding of the Facebook website, has six.The outcome of the BAFTAs will be followed closely, with the awards season in full swing, but they have only a patchy record in identifying future Oscar winners.BAFTA voters have tended to favour home-made productions, as have British gamblers, partly explaining the overwhelming betting odds in favour of The King's Speech.Firth is up against Spain's Javier Bardem ("Biutiful"), Jeff Bridges (True Grit), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) and James Franco (127 Hours) for best actor.His co-stars in The King's Speech -- Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush -- were nominated for best supporting actress and actor, respectively.Portman is contesting the best actress award, with both Annette Bening and Julianne Moore nominated for lesbian family drama "The Kids Are All Right".Pete Postlethwaite, the Oscar-nominated actor who died earlier this year, received a posthumous supporting actor nomination for his performance in "The Town".Christopher Lee, best known for his role in horror classics, will receive an Academy Fellowship in honour of a career spanning six decades. The fellowship is BAFTA's highest honour. Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Sean Connery, Elizabeth Taylor and Vanessa Redgrave are among the previous recipients. Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
