British Academy Film Awards

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British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards Statuette
Awarded for	The best in film
Presented by	British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Country	United Kingdom
First awarded	1947
Official website

The British Academy Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is often cited as the British equivalent to the Oscars.^[1][2][3] In 2008, it took place in the Royal Opera House, having taken place since 2000 in the flagship Odeon cinema on Leicester Square. The 2009 ceremony was also held at the Royal Opera House^[4], on 8 February.

History

A statue of the BAFTA mask at one of the ceremonies.

BAFTA was founded in 1947 as The British Film Academy, by David Lean, Alexander Korda, Carol Reed, Charles Laughton, Roger Manvell and others. In 1958, the Academy merged with The Guild of Television Producers and Directors to form The Society of Film and Television, which eventually became The British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1976.

BAFTA's stated charitable remit is to "support, develop and promote the art forms of the moving image, by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public". In addition to high profile awards ceremonies BAFTA runs a year-round programme of educational events including film screenings and tribute evenings. BAFTA is supported by a membership of around 6000 people from the film, television and video game industries.

The Academy's awards are in the form of a theatrical mask designed by American sculptor Mitzi Cunliffe, which was commissioned by the Guild of Television Producers in 1955.

Annual ceremony

The location for the 2008 ceremony.

The ceremony used to take place in April or May, but from 2002 onwards it takes place in February in order to precede the Oscars. The awards are mostly open to all nationalities, though there is an award for Best British Film and Best Newcomer.

Location

The most recent ceremony took place at the Royal Opera House, breaking tradition as it had previously taken place (since 2000) in the flagship Odeon cinema on Leicester Square.

Multiple nominations

35 actors have been nominated for two or three performances (for different films, in leading or supporting) in the history of the ceremony: Miranda Richardson, Anthony Hopkins, Geoffrey Rush, Al Pacino, Robert Redford, Michael Caine, Billie Whitelaw, Walter Matthau, Elliott Gould, Goldie Hawn, George C. Scott, Marlon Brando, Donald Sutherland, Richard Burton, Jack Lemmon, Bibi Andersson, Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Katharine Ross, Lee Marvin, Richard Attenborough, Jack Nicholson, Gene Hackman, Marcello Mastroianni, Rachel Roberts, Katharine Hepburn, StĂŠphane Audran, Dustin Hoffman, Jodie Foster, Sean Penn, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, Mia Farrow, Barbra Streisand, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Meryl Streep.

Lists of BAFTA film awards

James McAvoy and Anne-Marie Duff attending the ceremony in February 2007

Film

• BAFTA Award for Best Film (since 1948)
• BAFTA Award for Best British Film (see BAFTA Award for Best Film)
• BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Film (see BAFTA Award for Best Film)
• BAFTA Award for Best Short Film (since 1980)
• BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film (since 2006)

Crew

Honorary

• BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award (since 1971)

See also

• British Academy Television Awards
• BAFTA Scotland
• BAFTA Cymru

References

External links

• Official site at BAFTA.org
• BAFTA Awards database
• Museum of Broadcast Communications: BAFTA
• IMDB: BAFTA