British BAFTA winner Thandie Newton

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, or BAFTA as it is more commonly known, has raised its profile in recent years by bringing forward its award ceremony to take place before the American Oscars.

However, hopes that home-grown films would triumph over Hollywood productions were dashed as American movies swept the board, winning all the major awards including Best Film, Best Actor and Best Actress. Ang Lee’s ‘Brokeback Mountain’ enjoyed particular success, winning four BAFTAs in total.

Fans and supporters of British Cinema were particularly disappointed that ‘The Constant Gardener’, featuring British stars Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes, won only one award despite having received ten nominations.

One consolation prize for the UK was the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role which went to Thandie Newton for her performance in ‘Crash’. Thandie, who was born in Zambia to a Zimbabwean mother and a British father, impressed the Academy with her portrayal of a woman confronting her racial prejudices.

It was also a disappointing night for Keira Knightley who failed to be nominated for her role in the adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’. However, she is still in the running for an Oscar having been nominated in the Best Actress category.

In fact, the UK is well-represented in this year’s Oscar nominations. British actresses Judi Dench and Rachel Weisz hope to win Best Actress and Best supporting actress respectively, whilst ‘The Constant Gardener’ has received four nominations including best adapted screenplay.

In the Best Animation category, the ‘claymation’ film ‘Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit’ is another UK hopeful. Its director, Nick Park, told us that he just made films for the love of it, but he admitted, “It is great to have this kind of recognition.”