Dark comedy thriller One Battle After Another dominated the 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) after winning six major awards, including Best Film and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson.
The film bested major contenders such as the period drama Hamnet and the vampire thriller Sinners in the top categories. It also won awards for Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, and Editing.
In his speech, Anderson encouraged filmmakers to keep creating without fear.
“We have a line from Nina Simone that we used in our film: ‘I know what freedom is: It’s no fear.’ Let’s keep making things without fear. It’s a good idea,” he said.
Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film, beating out co-star Benicio del Toro and other nominees.
in the Best
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Meanwhile, Sinners, which leads this year’s Oscar nominations, secured three awards, including Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler, Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and Best Original Score.
Robert Aramayo won the Best Actor award for his role in I Swear, beating a star-studded lineup that included Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for Hamnet, which also received Outstanding British Film.
The ceremony, held at the Royal Festival Hall within London’s Southbank Centre, was attended by Prince William and Princess Kate, with Alan Cumming serving as host.
