British period dramas Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love dominated the nominations with mentions in virtually every category at the 51st British Academy Film Awards, announced today, including best film.
Actress Kate Winslet unveiled the shortlist today at the Bafta building in Piccadilly, London, which featured several nominations for Little Voice, including Michael Caine for best actor, after he was snubbed by the Oscars.
Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love are in the running for best direction, actress and Geoffrey Rush earned nominations as supporting actor for both films.
Shakespeare picked up a further supporting actor nomination for Tom Wilkinson, a best actor nomination for Joseph Fiennes and a supporting actress nomination for Dame Judi Dench - who is also in the running for an Oscar.
Brenda Blethyn, another Oscar hopeful, is also up for a supporting actress title for Little Voice, while Jane Horrocks is nominated for best actress for the same film. She is up against three further Oscar nominees - Emily Watson, for Hilary and Jackie, Shakespeare in Love's Gwyneth Paltrow and Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth.
Saving Private Ryan and The Truman Show are the other short-listed films in the best film category. Winslet said today that she was particularly pleased to see the latter in the running for an award, but she paid tribute to the state of the British screen industry.
"This year it really does feel like it's been a great year for British film," she said.
This year's event is to be held at a new venue, the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, on April 11 and will be hosted by Jonathan Ross, the new host of BBC 1's Film 99, at what is being billed as a "spectacular" bash.
Ross said today the film awards were timely as he will just have taken over his new TV job from Barry Norman.
"By the time I do the awards I will either have earned my spurs and that theme music, or they will announce I couldn't make the awards after all and Rory Bremner is again available," he joked.
He said he regarded the Baftas as the "thinking person's Oscars".
The presenter was only able to stay at this morning's announcement for a few minutes as he was flying to LA to work on coverage of "the dumb person's Baftas", he added.
There was no nomination for Sir Ian McKellen, who had been short-listed for an Oscar for his role in the film Gods and Monsters. However, his co-star Lynn Redgrave was nominated for a best supporting actress title for the same film.
Winslet said today it was a wonderful feeling to be nominated for a British Academy Film Award, even though she missed out on any for this year's ceremony. "I remember when I was nominated for Sense and Sensibility, it was so exciting and to hold one of these awards - it's a great heavy thing, but it's a wonderful honour," she said.
Asked what she was doing at the moment she replied: "I have just got married so I'm enjoying prioritising a bit and enjoying the important things in life."
