The 79th BAFTA Film Awards, held in London on Sunday night, saw 'One Battle After Another' dominate with six prizes, including Best Film and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson. The ceremony, hosted by 'The Traitors' star Alan Cumming, featured lighthearted moments such as handing out British snacks to Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner, and playfully calling out Paul Mescal for being on his phone.
In a major upset, Robert Aramayo won the Best Actor award for his role in the indie biopic 'I Swear', beating frontrunners like Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Aramayo also received the EE Rising Star Award earlier in the evening. His film tells the story of Tourette Syndrome campaigner John Davidson, who attended the ceremony. Host Alan Cumming addressed the audience twice, asking for understanding regarding involuntary vocal tics that included strong language.
Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' made history with three wins, becoming the most decorated film from a Black director at the BAFTAs. It won Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson. Coogler, the first Black winner in the original screenplay category, used his speech to encourage writers to draw inspiration from love and empathy.
Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her role in 'Hamnet', which also took home the award for Outstanding British Film. In an endearing speech, Buckley forgot some of her fellow nominees' names, joking that she should have brought her notes. Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for 'One Battle After Another', while 'Frankenstein' led the craft categories with wins in production design, make-up and hair, and costume design.
'Sentimental Value' became the first Norwegian film to win a BAFTA, taking the prize for Best Film Not in the English Language. 'My Father's Shadow' won Outstanding British Debut. The ceremony featured performances by K-pop group KPop Demon Hunters and Jessie Ware, who sang 'The Way We Were' during the In Memoriam segment.
