BAFTA 2001

Nominations by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) reflected many of the same choices of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Academy Awards).

The Orange British Academy Film Awards winners were revealed to an audience of 1,700 at a spectacular awards ceremony held at the Odeon Leicester Square in central London on February 25th, 2001. Broadcast live on Sky One, presenters included Robert Altman, Annette Bening, Goldie Hawn, Elton John, Christina Ricci, Hugh Laurie, Hugh Grant, Roger Moore, Thandie Newton, Rachel Weisz, and Dame Maggie Smith. Nominees in attendance included Tom Hanks, Jamie Bell, Russell Crowe, Juliette Binoche, Hilary Swank, Kate Hudson, Michelle Yeoh, Joaquin Phoenix and Albert Finney.

Gladiator appears to be heading for Oscar glory after winning the British award for Best Film. The BAFTA awards, the British equivalent to the Oscars, have been criticized in the past as being too British, but this year's list of winners represented a rather broad spectrum. Julia Roberts took home the award for best actress, while Jamie Bell, the astounding young lead actor from the film Billy Elliott, took home the best actor award. In the supporting categories, winners included Benicio Del Toro for his role in Traffic, and Julie Walters for her role in Billy Elliot. The directing award went to Ang Lee for his Mandarin masterpiece Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

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The Orange British Academy Film Awards Winners

25 February 2001

Gladiator, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Billy Elliot led the honours at The Orange British Academy Film Awards.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Gladiator picked up four awards each, with three BAFTA awards going to the British movie Billy Elliot.

The multi-nominated Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon received The David Lean Award for Achievement in Direction for Ang Lee, The Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music, Costume Design and Film not in the English Language.

Ridley Scott's blockbuster Gladiator took four awards including Best Film, Editing, Cinematography and Production Design. It also won the Orange Audience Award.

For their performances in Billy Elliot, Jamie Bell beat off heavyweight nominees Russell Crowe, Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks and Geoffrey Rush to take Actor in a Leading Role and Julie Walters received the BAFTA Award for Actress in a Supporting Role. The film also won The Alexander Korda Award for the Outstanding British Film of the Year.

Julia Roberts won the award for Actress in a Leading Role for her role in Erin Brockovich, beating Juliette Binoche, Kate Hudson, Hilary Swank and Michelle Yeoh.

Benicio Del Toro picked up Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in Traffic, which also received the award for Adapted Screenplay. Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous also received two awards, one for Original Screenplay and one for Sound.

Following in the footsteps of previous recipients Elizabeth Taylor and Sir Michael Caine, Albert Finney received The Academy Fellowship. The Fellowship is the highest accolade given by the British Academy in recognition of a consistently high standard of work in film.

Casting Director Mary Selway was awarded The Michael Balcon Award for outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. Her work includes Withnail and I, Out of Africa, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Notting Hill and Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

Other films individually honoured included The Perfect Storm for Achievement in Special Visual Effects with Make Up/Hair going to The Grinch. Shadowscan won Short Film with Short Animation going to Father and Daughter.

Pawel Pawlikowski (Writer/Director The Last Resort) received The Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer in British Film.