Orange British Academy Film Awards 2005
Filmfocus talk to the stars in leicester square.
London, 12/02/2005

- Report
- Image Gallery
- Full list of Winners

When we described The British Academy Film Awards as the premiere night for British film, we were clearly understating things a little. Dashing from red carpet to press centre to theatre we passed fans, stars and press who all claimed it an incredible experience. This year proved, once and for all, that the BAFTAs have landed as one of the most important awards ceremonies in the world.

And it was a big night for The Aviator, which swept four awards, while Vera Drake picked up three.

The stars from both films, along with so many more, were out in force tonight for the ceremony. Among the attendees, The Aviator's Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Martin Scorsese, Vera Drake's Imelda Staunton, Phil Davis and Mike Leigh, Shaun of the Dead's Simon Pegg, as well as Pierce Brosnan, Clive Owen, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Craig, Emma Watson, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Charlie Kaufman and the sublime Gillian Anderson.

Catching up with the crew of The Aviator before the awards were announced, Cate Blanchett said that "the amazing thing about working with [Martin Scorsese] is that he's a real visionary; a remarkable director," adding that there'd be a few "punches in the air" if The Aviator took home some awards tonight. Speaking of her win for Elizabeth, a good few years ago, Blanchett said, "BAFTA changed my life."

While Scorsese failed to win for Best Director, his film did pick up the Best Film award. Scorsese told us beforehand that it'd be "very satisfying" to win tonight, adding, "I am a great admirer of British cinema since the 1930s and 40s. It gives me a new energy when I see the best coming out of England. Every two or three years is a whole new cycle of tough and young filmmakers and even the older ones are making good films".

The Aviator himself, Leonardo DiCaprio was on hand during the award. "It's unlike anything I have ever encountered," he told us of his BAFTA experience, "It's very intense and very loud. It's my first time here. We've already essentially won in so many different ways [for The Aviator] by being nominated. It's a cliché to say that but it's very true. The movie has been recognised for its overall achievement. Any win tonight would be an extra bonus."

And awarding Best Film to Scorsese's The Aviator was Richard Gere, in town to premiere his new film with Jennifer Lopez, Shall We Dance next week, who said that the BAFTAs were, "a big party, to tell you the truth. I had no idea it was going to be this big and this crazy; I think it's bigger than the Academy Awards."

Another big winner tonight, of course, was Vera Drake, and Best Actress winner Imelda Staunton was overwhelmed by events when we caught up with her before the ceremony. "It's very lovely to be here on British soil," she told us, "The thing is, [the results are] out of my hands, there's nothing I can do. I am here with a lot of mates and I'm going to have a fantastic evening."

The Best Supporting Actor winner, Clive Owen, told us that winning a BAFTA "means an awful lot. Just to be here really celebrating British films is great. It's a bigger deal now [since it was moved to before the Oscars] and the bottom line is that it's a celebration of British films. I've spent most of my career here and it's just lovely to be invited to the parties!"

Presenting an award for Best Musical Score, actress Juliette Lewis told us that it was "extraordinary and exciting" to be asked to be a part of the BAFTAs and added that, "people are really nice when they cheer and it's, I don't know, it's just really exciting."

Pierce Brosnan was remaining tight lipped on his relationship with Bond, clearly preferring to leave things for EON and MGM to announce, and we'd like to think that after last week's title announcement he might have another in him, but he told us that it was an "honour" to present Best Director, an award that went to Mike Leigh for Vera Drake. He added, "It's my first time at the BAFTAs. It's wonderful, it's a bit of pomp and glory and whatever; it's fun, it's a celebration."

The Thomas Crown Affair star spoke briefly of his work in The Matador, "It's just gone to the Sundance Festival," he said, adding "I've just been offered a role with Danny De Vito and Morgan Freeman."

On receiving the Carl Foreman award for Special Achievement by a British Actor, Director or Producer for her work on A Way of Life, director Amma Asante told the assembled audience at the Odeon, Leicester Square that she was "honoured."

Jamie Foxx took home Best Actor for his work on Ray, although he couldn't be at the ceremony tonight, and the film also won a BAFTA for Best Sound.

Also honoured tonight was My Summer of Love which won Best British Film. Charlie Kaufman took home the gong for Best Original Screenplay for the fantastic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, while a record number voted Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban the Best Film in the public award, Orange Film of the Year, and The Motorcycle Diaries won the award for Best Film Not in the English Language. There's a full winner list below.

IMAGE GALLERY:

The winners are in and they're right here on FilmFocus.Co.UK:

BEST FILM:
Winner: The Aviator
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Finding Neverland
The Motorcycle Diaries
Vera Drake

ORANGE FILM OF THE YEAR:
Winner: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
The Day After Tomorrow
Shrek 2
Spider-Man 2
Troy
Shark Tale
I, Robot
Scooby-Doo 2
The Incredibles

BEST BRITISH FILM:
Winner: My Summer of Love
Dead Man's Shoes
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Shaun of the Dead
Vera Drake

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT BY A BRITISH FILMMAKER IN THEIR FIRST FEATURE:
Winner: Amma Asante - Director/Writer (for A Way of Life)
Andrea Gibb - Writer (for Afterlife)
Matthew Vaughn - Director (for Layer Cake)
Nira Park - Producer (for Shaun of the Dead)
Shona Auerbach - Director (for Dear Frankie)

BEST DIRECTOR:
Winner: Vera Drake - Mike Leigh
The Aviator - Martin Scorsese
Collateral - Michael Mann
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Michel Gondry
Finding Neverland - Marc Forster

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Winner: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Charlie Kaufman
The Aviator - John Logan
Collateral - Stuart Beattie
Ray - James L White
Vera Drake - Mike Leigh

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Winner: Sideways - Alexander Payne / Jim Taylor
The Chorus - Christophe Barratier / Philippe Lopes-Curval
Closer - Patrick Marber
Finding Neverland - David Magee
The Motorcycle Diaries - José Rivera

BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE:
Winner: The Motorcycle Diaries - Michael Nozik / Edgard Tenembaum / Karen Tenkhoff / Walter Salles
The Chorus - Arthur Cohn / Nicolas Mauvernay / Jacques Perrin / Christophe Barratier
A Very Long Engagement - Francis Boespflug / Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Bad Education - Agustín Almodóvar / Pedro Almodóvar
House of Flying Daggers - Bill Kong / Zhang Yimou

BEST ACTOR:
Winner: Jamie Foxx - Ray
Gael Garcia Bernal - The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de Motocicleta)
Jim Carrey - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator

BEST ACTRESS:
Winner: Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake
Charlize Theron - Monster
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Kate Winslet - Finding Neverland
Ziyi Zhang - House of Flying Daggers (Shi Mian Mai Fu)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Winner: Clive Owen - Closer
Alan Alda - The Aviator
Jamie Foxx - Collateral
Phil Davis - Vera Drake
Rodrigo De La Serna - The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de Motocicleta)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Winner: Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
Heather Craney - Vera Drake
Julie Christie - Finding Neverland
Meryl Streep - The Manchurian Candidate
Natalie Portman - Closer

BEST MUSIC:
Winner: The Motorcycle Diaries - Gustavo Santaolalla
The Aviator - Howard Shore
The Chorus - Bruno Coulais
Finding Neverland - Jan A P Kaczmarek
Ray - Craig Armstrong

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Winner: Collateral - Dion Beebe / Paul Cameron
The Aviator - Robert Richardson
Finding Neverland - Roberto Schaefer
House of Flying Daggers - Zhao Xiaoding
The Motorcycle Diaries - Eric Gautier

BEST SOUND:
Winner: Ray
The Aviator
Collateral
House of Flying Daggers
Spider-Man 2

BEST EDITING:
Winner: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Valdís Óskarsdóttir
The Aviator - Thelma Schoonmaker
Collateral - Jim Miller / Paul Rubell
House of Flying Daggers - Cheng Long
Vera Drake - Jim Clarke

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:
Winner: The Aviator - Dante Ferretti
Finding Neverland - Gemma Jackson
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Stuart Craig
House of Flying Daggers - Huo Tingxiao
Vera Drake - Eve Stewart

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
Winner: Vera Drake - Jacqueline Durran
The Aviator - Sandy Powell
Finding Neverland - Alexandra Byrne
House of Flying Daggers - Emi Wada
The Merchant of Venice - Sammy Sheldon

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
Winner: The Day After Tomorrow
The Aviator
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
House of Flying Daggers
Spider-Man 2

BEST MAKE-UP AND HAIR:
Winner: The Aviator - Morag Ross / Kathryn Blondell
Finding Neverland - Christine Blundell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Amanda Knight / Eithné Fennell / Nick Dudman
House of Flying Daggers - Kwan Lee-Na / Yang Xiaohai / Chau Siu-Mui
Vera Drake - Christine Blundell

BEST ANIMATED SHORT:
Winner: Birthday Boy - Andrew Gregory / Sejong Park
City Paradise - Erika Forzy / Gaëlle Denis
Heavy Pockets - Jane Robertson / Sarah Cox
His Passionate Bride - Sylvie Bringas / Monika Forsberg
Little Things - Daniel Greaves

BEST SHORT FILM:
Winner: The Banker - Kelly Broad / Hattie Dalton
Can't Stop Breathing - Ravinder Basra / Amy Neil
Elephant Boy - René Mohandas / Durdana Shaikh
Knitting a Love Song - Debbie Ballin / Annie Watson
Six Shooter - Mia Bays / Kenton Allen / Martin McDonagh

MICHAEL BALCON AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT:
Winner: Angella Allen

ACADEMY FELLOWSHIP:
Winner: John Barry