LONDON (AP) — Papal thriller “ Conclave ” leads the race for the 78th British Academy Movie Awards on Sunday, with genre-bending musical “ Emilia Pérez ” dealing with a take a look at of whether or not a multi-pronged backlash has made the previous prize favourite an awards-season pariah.
A plethora of film stars — together with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet, Timothée Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan — are due on the pink carpet at London’s Roya Pageant Corridor. The awards, often called BAFTAs, shall be watched for clues about who will triumph at Hollywood’s Academy Awards subsequent month.
“Conclave” is nominated in 12 classes, together with finest image, finest director for Edward Berger and finest actor for Ralph Fiennes, enjoying a cardinal corralling conniving clergy as they elect a brand new pope.
Mexico-set melodrama “Emilia Pérez” has 11 nominations, together with finest image and finest director for Jacques Audiard.
Greatest-actress nominee Karla Sofía Gascón, who stars because the movie’s titular transgender ex-cartel boss, shouldn’t be anticipated to attend the ceremony. Gascón has withdrawn from selling the movie, which has 13 Oscar nominations, amid controversy over her social media posts disparaging Muslims, George Floyd and variety on the Oscars.
Audiard has referred to as the remarks “absolutely hateful.” The musical, shot in France with a largely non-Mexican solid, has additionally confronted criticism from Mexicans for what some see as its cliched and exploitative depiction of the nation. Some LGBTQ+ teams have derided its portrayal of trans folks.
From the BAFTAs to the Oscars
The British prizes — formally referred to as the EE BAFTA Movie Awards — could give hints of who will win on the Oscars on March 3, in an unusually hard-to-call awards season.
One of the best-film contenders are “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez,” Brady Corbet’s 215-minute structure epic ” The Brutalist,” Sean Baker’s Brighton Seashore tragicomedy “ Anora ” and the James Mangold-directed Bob Dylan biopic “ A Complete Unknown.”
“The Brutalist” has 9 nominations, whereas “Anora,” the sci-fi epic “Dune: Part Two” and musical “Wicked” have seven every.
“A Complete Unknown” acquired six nominations, as did the Irish-language hip-hop drama “Kneecap,” whose nominations embody finest movie not within the English language.
Nominees within the class of excellent British movie embody Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Steve McQueen’s “Blitz,” Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” and “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” which can also be up for finest animated characteristic.
The main actor favourite is “The Brutalist” star Adrien Brody, who faces stiff competitors from Fiennes and Chalamet, who performs the younger Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.”
The opposite male actors nominated are Hugh Grant for his creepy function within the horror movie “ Heretic,” Colman Domingo in real-life jail drama “ Sing Sing ” and Sebastian Stan for his portrayal of a younger Donald Trump in “ The Apprentice.”
Whoever takes the very best actress award shall be a first-time BAFTA winner.
Nominees are Gascón, Demi Moore for body-horror movie “ The Substance,” Mikey Madison for “Anora,” Ronan for “The Outrun,” Cynthia Erivo for “Wicked” and Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Mike Leigh drama “Hard Truths.” Erivo or Jean-Baptiste can be the primary non-white performer to win the main actress BAFTA.
What’s new and the place to look at
Britain’s movie academy launched modifications to extend the awards’ variety in 2020, when no ladies had been nominated as finest director for the seventh yr working and all 20 nominees within the lead and supporting performer classes had been white
The voting course of was modified so as to add a longlist spherical within the choice earlier than the ultimate nominees are voted on by the academy’s 8,000-strong membership of trade professionals.
Contenders for the Rising Star award, the one prize determined by public vote, are performers Mikey Madison, Marisa Abela, Jharrel Jerome, David Jonsson and Nabhaan Rizwan.
“Willow” and “Return of the Jedi” actor Warwick Davis will obtain the academy’s prime honor, the BAFTA Fellowship, for his display profession and work to create a extra inclusive movie trade.
Final month’s devastating Los Angeles wildfires could solid a pall over the ceremony, hosted by former “Doctor Who” star David Tennant. Jamie Lee Curtis, a supporting actress nominee for “The Last Showgirl,” shall be absent as a result of the fires delayed filming on her present work. Co-star Pamela Anderson will settle for the prize for Curtis if she wins.
The occasion can even be with no sprint of royal glamour this yr. Neither Prince William, who’s honorary president of the British movie academy, nor his spouse Kate are attending.
It can embody a efficiency by grown-up boyband Take That, whose 2008 hit “Greatest Day” options on the “Anora” soundtrack. Jeff Goldblum will play piano throughout the ceremony’s tribute to individuals who have died up to now yr.
The ceremony airs on BBC in the UK and BritBox in North America, beginning at 1900GMT (2 p.m. EST).
