'Oppenheimer' leads early wins at BAFTA Film Awards

"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, including a best director prize for Christopher Nolan. "Oppenheimer" had the most nominations for Britain's top movie honours, 13 nods. Nolan had led odds to win best director, his first such BAFTA Award.

"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, including a best director prize for Christopher Nolan. One of the highest-grossing films of 2023, it also picked up awards for editing, cinematography, original score and supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr. "Oppenheimer" had the most nominations for Britain's top movie honours, 13 nods.

Nolan had led odds to win best director, his first such BAFTA Award. "I have so many people to thank for this, an incredible cast... an incredible crew," he said in his acceptance speech. Courtroom drama "Anatomy of a Fall" 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 prizes for outstanding British film, the film not in the English language and sound. The three movies 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. Da'Vine Joy Randolph won the supporting actress prize for her role in "The Holdovers".

"Poor Things" won costume design, make up and hair, special visual effects and production design prizes. Its star, previous BAFTA and Oscar winner Emma Stone is favourite to win the leading actress category. Best documentary went to "20 Days in Mariupol", journalist Mstyslav Chernov's personal account of the siege of the Ukrainian city in 2022.

"This is not about us, this about Ukraine, about people of Mariupol... the day before yesterday another Ukrainian city has fallen... many cities before that," Chernov said in his acceptance speech. "So the story of Mariupol is a symbol of everything that happened, a symbol of struggle."

"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.