The BAFTA Film Awards kick off Sunday with Edward Berger’s tense Vatican drama ‘Conclave’ securing a commanding 12 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Ralph Fiennes. Meanwhile, Jacques Audiard’s musical ‘Emilia Pérez’—once an Oscars darling—faces scrutiny over its polarizing depiction of Mexico and star Karla Sofía Gascón’s inflammatory social media posts.
Fiennes delivers a career-defining performance as a cardinal navigating papal politics, solidifying ‘Conclave’ as the frontrunner. However, ‘Emilia Pérez’—despite its 11 BAFTA nods—struggles to regain momentum. Gascón, nominated for Best Actress as a transgender cartel leader, withdrew from promotional events after backlash over remarks about Muslims and George Floyd. Audiard condemned her comments as
“absolutely hateful,”while Mexican critics lambast the film’s reliance on stereotypes and non-local casting.
This year’s BAFTA nominations highlight a fractured awards season. Contenders for Best Picture include:
- ‘Conclave’ (12 nominations)
- ‘Emilia Pérez’ (11 nominations)
- Brady Corbet’s sprawling architectural epic ‘The Brutalist’ (9 nominations)
- Sean Baker’s Brighton Beach dramedy ‘Anora’ (7 nominations)
- James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’ (6 nominations)
Adrien Brody (‘The Brutalist’) and Timothée Chalamet (‘A Complete Unknown’) challenge Fiennes in Best Actor, while the Best Actress race features six first-time BAFTA hopefuls. Cynthia Erivo (‘Wicked’) or Marianne Jean-Baptiste (‘Hard Truths’) could make history as the first non-white winners in this category—a milestone following BAFTA’s 2020 diversity reforms after seven consecutive all-white acting nominee lists.
Hosted by David Tennant, the ceremony will proceed without ‘The Last Showgirl’ nominee Jamie Lee Curtis, whose attendance was derailed by Los Angeles wildfires. Royal glitz also dims as Prince William and Kate Middleton skip the event.
Warwick Davis (‘Willow’) receives the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship for championing inclusivity, while Take That’s live performance of ‘Greatest Day’ pays homage to ‘Anora’s’ retro soundtrack. With the Oscars looming on March 3, tonight’s results could reshape Hollywood’s biggest race.
