WINNING PICTURE
Emma Stone beats Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Natalie Portman and Amy Adams to collect prized gong
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were special guests among the stars of the big screen at last night’s 70th EE British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall. Upbeat musical La La Land triumphed over gritty dramas on the night.
HOLLYWOOD MUSICAL La La Land didn’t quite sweep the board at last night’s EE British Academy Film Awards – but it did manage to win five of the 11 categories it was nominated in.
The Damien Chazelle directed musical, which stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, won best film, best director and leading actress along with best original musical and cinematography.
La La Land fended off competition from I, Daniel Blake, Arrival, Manchester By The Sea and Moonlight to scoop best film – one of the most coveted prizes of the night.
The film’s producers accepted the award on stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London, joined by members of the cast including actress Stone.
Stone hinted at the turbulent political climate as she accepted her Bafta for leading actress.
Stone beat Hollywood stalwart Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Natalie Portman and Amy Adams to win the gong for her role in La La Land.
After thanking the film’s director, Damien Chazelle, and her leading man, Ryan Gosling, an emotional Stone said: “I don’t know if you realise this, this country and the US, and the world seems to be going through a bit of a time, just a bit and in a time that is so divisive I think it’s really special we were all able to come together tonight, thanks to Bafta, and to celebrate the positive.”
Damien Chazelle won the director award for La La Land.
The leading actor Bafta was awarded to Casey Affleck for Manchester By The Sea. Affleck beat Andrew Garfield, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and Viggo Mortensen.
Affleck said: “The reason I act is because when I was a young kid, my mother would take me to meetings for children of alcoholics.
“It was therapy but it was acting and acting has been that for me ever since and it’s a privilege to get to do this for a living.”
British star Dev Patel won the supporting actor award for his role in Lion, a true story about a child separated from his family in India and adopted by a family in Australia.
A huge round of applause went through the Royal Albert Hall as Patel approached the stage to pick up his prize.
He said he was “overwhelmed” to win the accolade. Patel, who stars opposite Nicole Kidman in the film, said: “Oh my God this is so overwhelming.
“I sit at home and watch this with my family, who are here with me tonight, and it’s such an overwhelming feeling.”
Kenneth Lonergan picked up the original screenplay award for Manchester By The Sea. The director said he was “overwhelmed” and that he never expected to be on the Royal Albert Hall’s stage.
The Bafta for animated film was awarded to Kubo And The Two Strings.
Director Travis Knight described the film as a “wholehearted labour of love that was five years in the making”.
The Jungle Book picked up the Bafta for special visual effects.
Bafta rising star winner Tom Holland has said he is looking forward to getting tips on playing Spider-Man from Andrew Garfield.
Holland made his debut as Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War and his first standalone film will be unveiled later this year, three years after Garfield last appeared in the role.
Oh my God this is so overwhelming. I sit at home and watch this. Dev Patel