Share

Three Billboards wins and women make waves at BAFTAs

London — Ferocious female-led tragicomedy Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was the big winner Sunday at the British Academy Film Awards in London, where women demanding an end to harassment, abuse and inequality dominated the ceremony.

Martin McDonagh's film about a bereaved mother seeking justice won five trophies including best film, outstanding British film and best actress, for Frances McDormand.

Producer Graham Broadbent said the movie is "the story of a woman taking on the establishment and status quo."

"It seems more timely now than we could ever have imagined," he said.

Writer-director McDonagh said it was fitting, in the year of the "Time's Up" campaign, that Three Billboards is "a film about a woman who refuses to take any shit anymore."

"Our film is a hopeful one in lots of ways, but it's also an angry one," McDonagh said. "As we've seen this year, sometimes anger is the only way to get people to listen and to change."

McDonagh won the original screenplay prize for Three Billboards, which also netted Sam Rockwell the supporting actor trophy. Allison Janney was named best supporting actress for playing ice skater Tonya Harding's domineering mother in I, Tonya.

Guillermo del Toro won the directing prize for monster fantasy The Shape of Water, which also took trophies for music and production design.

Gary Oldman, the favourite among bookies, won the best actor prize for playing British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.

The British prizes, known as BAFTAs, are considered a key indicator of likely success at Hollywood's Oscars in two weeks' time.

The film awards season in the United States and elsewhere has been overshadowed by the allegations of sexual harassment and abuse levelled at scores of entertainment figures since women began coming forward to accuse Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein last year.

England's Old Vic Theatre has been rocked by allegations against former artistic director Kevin Spacey. London police are also investigating nine claims of sexual assault by Weinstein.

The red carpet and the auditorium at London's Royal Albert Hall were a sea of black as actresses such as Lupita Nyong'o, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lawrence and Margot Robbie eschewed color as a statement against sexual misconduct and gender inequality.

Several actresses brought feminist activists as guests, and men showed solidarity with "Time's Up" lapel pins.

McDormand opted to wear black and red rather than all black, and noted: "I have a little trouble with compliance."

"But I want you to know that I stand in full solidarity with my sisters tonight in black," she said.

On the red carpet, actress Andrea Riseborough, who brought U.K. Black Pride founder Phyll Opoku-Gyimah as her guest, said she also hoped the film industry was on the road to greater equality and diversity.

"It's more likely we'll see an alien onscreen than we'll see an Asian woman at the moment, which is disgraceful," Riseborough said.

Prince William — the British Academy's president — and the Duchess of Cambridge were guests of honour at Sunday's ceremony, hosted by Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley. Kate acknowledged the evening's muted fashion by wearing a dark green Jenny Packham dress with black belt.

The call to wear black put Kate in a delicate position, because the royal family is careful to avoid political statements.


Ahead of the ceremony, almost 200 British women in entertainment called for an international movement to end sexual misconduct.

Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Naomie Harris, Emma Watson and Gemma Arterton were among signatories to a letter saying that 2018 should be "the year that time was up on sexual harassment and abuse."

The stars called for an end to impunity for abusers and announced a fund to support women and men battling workplace abuse, modeled on the "Time's Up" movement in the U.S.

Former Harry Potter star Watson has given the fund 1 million pounds ($1.4m), according to its page on the Go Fund Me website.

The ceremony honoured several generations of talent. Filmmaker James Ivory, 89, took the adapted screenplay prize for Call Me By Your Name.

The 80-year-old director Ridley Scott, whose films include Blade Runner, Alien, Thelma and Louise and Gladiator, received the academy's highest honour, the BAFTA Fellowship.

Daniel Kaluuya, the 28-year-old British star of Get Out, won the rising star award and made a plea for public arts funding, which helped him get his start.

Kaluuya, who is also Oscar-nominated, joked that success meant taking Ubers rather than the subway.

"I get that Prius everywhere," he said.


Here is the full list of winners:

Best Film

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Outstanding British film

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Leading Actor

Gary Oldman ("Darkest Hour")

Leading Actress

Frances McDormand ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri")

Supporting Actor

Sam Rockwell ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri")

Supporting Actress

Allison Janney ("I, Tonya")

Director

Guillermo del Toro ("The Shape of Water")

Original Screenplay

Martin McDonagh ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri")

Adapted Screenplay

James Ivory ("Call Me by Your Name")

EE Rising Star

Daniel Kaluuya

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

"I Am Not a Witch", Rungano Nyoni (Writer/Director), Emily Morgan (Producer)

Film not in the English language

"The Handmaiden"

Documentary

"I Am Not Your Negro"

Animated Film

"Coco"

Original Music

Alexandre Desplat ("The Shape of Water")

Cinematography

Roger Deakins ("Blade Runner 2049")

Editing

Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss ("Baby Driver")

Production Design

Paul Austerberry, Jeff Melvin, Shane Vieau ("The Shape of Water")

Costume Design

Mark Bridges ("Phantom Thread")

Makeup and Hair

David Malinowski, Ivana Primorac, Lucy Sibbick, Kazuhiro Tsuji ("Darkest Hour")

Sound

Alex Gibson, Richard King, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo, Mark Weingarten ("Dunkirk")

Special visual effects

Richard R. Hoover, Paul Lambert, Gerd Nefzer, John Nelson ("Blade Runner 2049")

British short animation

"Poles Apart"

British short film

"Cowboy Dave"

(Photos: AP)

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE