Ben Stansall—AFP
Hit musical now set for Oscars domination later this month.
Hollywood musical La La Land picked up five British Bafta film awards on Sunday, including best director and actress, paving the way for Oscar success later this month.
The dreamy tribute to the heyday of Hollywood musicals was named best film, while also picking up gongs for cinematography and original music, in the ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Accepting the award for best director—beating off competition from the likes of Ken Loach and Tom Ford—Damien Chazelle said it was an “incredible honor” and a pleasure to be there along with those behind the film.
Leading actress Emma Stone, who plays an aspiring actress in La La Land, took on a political tone in her acceptance speech. “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,” she said.
A throwback to Hollywood’s Golden Age, La La Land took home seven Golden Globes in January and has been nominated for 14 Oscars. The best actor Bafta award went to Casey Affleck, for his role in the drama Manchester By The Sea, beating Ryan Gosling who was nominated for La La Land.
Flying the flag for U.K. filmmaking was Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake, which won the outstanding British film but lost out in four other categories. Set in Newcastle, northeast England, the film tells of one man’s battle against the bureaucracy of Britain’s social welfare system.
Accepting the award for outstanding British film, 80-year-old Loach said filmmakers stand “with the people” and took aim at the government. “The most vulnerable and poorest are treated by the government with a callous brutality that is disgraceful,” he said.
Ahead of the awards ceremony, he urged the public to become active in politics. “You should know which side you’re on and why and get in and take part in politics. There is no time now to sit on the fence,” he told AFP.
A complete list of winners from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts:
Best film: La La Land
Outstanding British film: I, Daniel Blake
Leading actor: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)
Leading actress: Emma Stone (La La Land)
Supporting actor: Dev Patel (Lion)
Supporting actress: Viola Davis (Fences)
Director: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
Original screenplay: Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea)
Adapted screenplay: Luke Davies (Lion)
EE rising star: Tom Holland (upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming)
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer: Under the Shadow, Babak Anvari (writer/director), Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill, Lucan Toh (producers)
Film not in the English language: Son Of Saul
Documentary: 13th
Animated film: Kubo And The Two Strings
Original music: Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)
Cinematography: Linus Sandgren (La La Land)
Editing: John Gilbert (Hacksaw Ridge)
Production design: Stuart Craig, Anna Pinnock (Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them)
Costume design: Madeline Fontaine (Jackie)
Make up and hair: J. Roy Helland, Daniel Phillips (Florence Foster Jenkins)
Sound: Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariepy Strobl, Sylvain Bellemare (Arrival)
Special visual effects: Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez (The Jungle Book)
British short animation: A Love Story
British short film: Home