The papal drama 'Conclave' emerged as the best film at the 78th edition of the BAFTA Awards for British cinema, achieving the coveted 'white smoke'. It tied in the number of awards, four in total, with the film 'The Brutalist'. The latter stood out by winning the golden statue in two main categories: best leading actor and best direction.
This year, the BAFTAs seemed to favor brutalism, not only due to the multiple awards for 'The Brutalist', directed by American Brady Corbet, but also because the ceremony was held for the third consecutive year at the Royal Festival Hall in London, a brutalist-style building on the banks of the River Thames.
Scottish actor David Tennant, known for his role in 'Doctor Who', returned as the host of the ceremony. The gala began with him wearing a traditional tartan kilt and showcasing his characteristic British humor throughout the two and a half hours of the event.
The film 'Conclave', directed by German Edward Berger, repeated the success achieved in 2023 with 'All Quiet on the Western Front' by taking home the award for best film. Although it did not achieve a double win, 'Conclave' maintained expectations as it was favored in the nominations, securing four of the twelve masks it was nominated for.
American Adrien Brody won his first golden statue for his role in 'The Brutalist', where he portrayed Hungarian and Jewish architect László Toth. On the other hand, Mikey Madison surprised by winning 'Best Leading Actress' for her performance in 'Anora', surpassing other candidates like Demi Moore and Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón.
'Emilia Pérez', the film starring Gascón, won in the categories of best film in a foreign language and best supporting actress for Zoe Saldaña. Despite the uproar over old racist posts on social media, 'Emilia Pérez' managed to stand out at the BAFTAs.
In an edition filled with music, with numerous films inspired by this art, the British band Take That and 'Wicked' actor Jeff Goldblum were in charge of entertaining the gala with their musical performances. The presentation of the BAFTA of Honor to Warwick Davis was handled by actor Tom Felton, in an emotional moment that closed the evening.
