By Marie-Louise Gumuchian
LONDON (Reuters) -Drama “Oppenheimer”, a three-hour epic about the making of the atomic bomb during World War Two, led the early wins at the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday.
One of the highest-grossing films of 2023, “Oppenheimer” picked up prizes for editing and cinematography and supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr early in the ceremony. It has the most nominations for Britain’s top movie honours, with 13.
“I’m so grateful I’m going to give you my life story in 30 seconds,” Downey Jr, who last won a BAFTA in 1993 for “Chaplin”, said in his acceptance speech.
“I share this with my fellow nominees, this has been an exceptional year.”
“Oppenheimer” is favourite to win the night’s top prize, best film, as well as best director for Christopher Nolan.
Courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Fall”, in which a writer is the main suspect in her husband’s death, won the first prize of the night, original screenplay.
“The Zone of Interest”, about the commandant of Auschwitz and his family living next to the Nazi death camp, won best film not in the English language.
They are also in the running for best film, alongside sex-charged gothic comedy “Poor Things”; Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon”, about the murders of members of the Osage Nation in the 1920s; and “The Holdovers”, a comedy set in a boys’ boarding school.
“Poor Things”, which has 11 nominations, won the early special visual effects category. Its star, previous BAFTA and Oscar winner Emma Stone is favourite to win the leading actress category.
None of the best director contenders has previously won the award and four out of the six are first-time director nominees, including the only woman on the list, Triet.
“I’m very surprised to be the only woman,” Triet told Reuters. “Things are not coming naturally so we have to push doors open.”
“Barbie”, the highest grossing film of 2023, has five nominations overall.
As well as a spate of celebrities attending the ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall by the River Thames in central London, the guest list also includes BAFTA President Prince William.
Known as the BAFTAs (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), the ceremony is being hosted by actor David Tennant.
(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Additional reporting by Sarah Mills; Editing by Hugh Lawson and David Holmes)
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