The organisers of the Orange British Academy Film Awards, Bafta, are confident the February 10 event will not be caught up in the WGA strike turmoil.
"Neither Bafta nor our broadcaster (the BBC) is in dispute with the Writers Guild of America; while we hope for the sake of the whole international industry that the dispute is resolved, we look forward to recognising and rewarding great film-making talent from around the world at our ceremony," said Bafta chief executive Amanda Berry recently.
The Bafta nominations were announced in London this week, with Joe Wright's Atonement securing 14 nods, including best film, best British film, best director, best actress (Keira Knightley), best actor (James McAvoy), best adapted screenplay and best supporting actress (Saoirse Ronan). The other best film nominees are Ridley Scott's American Gangster, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's The Lives Of Others, Joel and Ethan Coen's No Country For Old Men and Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood.
The nominations produced few major surprises beyond the absence of some of the most widely admired US contenders. Into The Wild and The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford were among the most critically lauded films of the past year and the lack of a best supporting actor nomination for Casey Affleck is a surprise.
History shows Bafta voters have clear favourites who they like to reward time and time again, which has resulted in two nominations for Cate Blanchett this year (I'm Not There, Elizabeth: The Golden Age), a best actor nomination for George Clooney (Michael Clayton) and a best actor nomination for Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood), who must now be considered the front-runner in the category.
However, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street was only nominated for make-up and costume design when Tim Burton and Johnny Depp might have considered themselves Bafta favourites. Could the lack of a screener have damaged its chances'
BEST FILM
American Gangster, Brian Grazer, Ridley Scott
Atonement, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Paul Webster
The Lives Of Others, Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann
No Country For Old Men, Scott Rudin, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
There Will Be Blood, JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson, Daniel Lupi
BEST BRITISH FILM
Atonement, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Paul Webster, Joe Wright, Christopher Hampton
The Bourne Ultimatum, Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley, Paul L Sandberg, Paul Greengrass, Tony Gilroy, Scott Z Burns, George Nolfi
Control, Orian Williams, Todd Eckert, Anton Corbijn, Matt Greenhalgh
Eastern Promises, Paul Webster, Robert Lantos, David Cronenberg, Steve Knight
This Is England, Mark Herbert, Shane Meadows
THE CARL FOREMAN AWARD (UK director, writer or producer for first feature)
Chris Atkins (writer-director), Taking Liberties
Mia Bays (producer), Scott Walker: 30 Century Man
Sarah Gavron (director), Brick Lane
Matt Greenhalgh (writer), Control
Andrew Piddington (writer-director), The Killing Of John Lennon
DIRECTOR
Joe Wright, Atonement
Paul Greengrass, The Bourne Ultimatum
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, The Lives Of Others
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country For Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Steven Zaillian, American Gangster
Diablo Cody, Juno
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, The Lives Of Others
Tony Gilroy,M
Shane Meadows, This Is England
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Christopher Hampton,Atonement
Ronald Harwood, The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
David Benioff, The Kite Runner
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country For Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
The Kite Runner
The Lives Of Others
Lust, Caution
La Vie En Rose
ANIMATED FILM
Ratatouille
Shrek The Third
The Simpsons Movie
BEST ACTOR
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy, Atonement
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Ulrich Muhe, The Lives Of Others
BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
Keira Knightley, Atonement
Ellen Page, Juno
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men
Paul Dano, There Will Be Blood
Tommy Lee Jones, No Country For Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Kelly Macdonald, No Country For Old Men
Samantha Morton, Control
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton.
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