News

A film about a fantasist fish isn’t the most obvious subject for Christmas Day – except when it’s based on a children’s story by prolific British author Julia Donaldson and her longtime illustrator Axel Scheffler.

“Tiddler” is the twelfth of Donaldson and Scheffler’s collaborations to be adapted by U.K. production company Magic Light Pictures and, in keeping with previous adaptations, boasts an all-star voice cast, including “Ted Lasso’s” Hannah Waddingham as the narrator..

Speaking at a press event in November, Donaldson said the book, which is also called “Tiddler,” features one of her favorite plot devices, in which Tiddler – a naughty school-aged fish who is always late for class because he’s dreaming up “tall tales” – is accidentally kidnapped before finding his way home by tracing his own story through the various undersea creatures who have heard it. “I think actually it’s the best...

Fish Fable

The BBC and Magic Light Pictures have released a first look at their Christmas animated adventure, “Tiddler,” adapted from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler‘s picture book for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The story follows a little fish with a big imagination who gets lost in the ocean and is saved by his storytelling.

Hannah Waddingham leads the cast as narrator, stating: “The books and films of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler have been, without a doubt, the greatest cornerstone of my daughter’s and my life together. They are the most beautiful marriage of animation and voice, perfectly cast.”

The voice cast includes Lolly Adefope, Jayde Adams, Rob Brydon, and child actors Reuben Kirby and Theo Fraser. Directed by Andy Martin and Alex Bain, written by Michael Bohnenstingl, and produced by Barney Goodland and Martin Pope, the film was acquired by Charlotte Moore and Nawfal Faizullah for the BBC.

Butterfly Vision producer Darya Bassel and Call Me By Your Name executive producer Naima Abed are among 17 independent producers selected for Ace Animation Special, the animation business programme of European network Ace Producers.

The 17 producers will take part in the workshop from March 19-24 in Dingle, Ireland, in collaboration with the Animation Dingle festival.

Scroll down for the full list of producers

Now in its fifth edition, the workshop aims to show how to diversify business by developing and producing feature and series animation productions, for theatrical, broadcast and streaming release.

Producers will attend with animated features and series projects in early development,...

Apple TV+ celebrates the holidays this year with an expansive line-up of programming for the whole family. From the debut of the Apple Original special,“The Velveteen Rabbit,” based on the beloved children’s classic written by Margery Williams, to the brand new holiday-themed film “Hannah Waddingham: Home For Christmas,” which features the Emmy Award-winning “Ted Lasso” actor; along with all-new holiday special episodes from “The Snoopy Show,” “Frog and Toad,” “Sago Mini Friends” and “Shape Island,” Apple TV+ is your home to celebrate the season.

Apple TV+ will also provide special free windows to stream iconic holiday specials from Mendelson/Melendez Productions and Peanuts Worldwide. “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will be available for all to see Saturday, November 18 through Sunday, November 19 and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be available Saturday, December 16 through Sunday, December 17. This programming is available to subscribers now and every day.

Julia Donaldson’s “Romeo and Juliet”-inspired story “The Smeds and The Smoos” is set to be adapted for a BBC Christmas special starring Oscar-nominee Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water”), “Bridgerton’s” Adjoa Andoh and comedian Bill Bailey.

Oscar-nominated production company, who have previously adapted nine of Donaldson’s children’s books for the BBC, will once again take the helm on the project, which will also be based on Axel Scheffler’s original illustrations, with Blue Zoo Animation Studio providing animation services.

Donaldson and Scheffler are the duo behind iconic children’s stories including “The Gruffalo.”

Daniel Snaddon (“The Snail and the Whale”) and Samantha Cutler will direct based on a screenplay by Julia Smuts Louw. René Aubry is composing the music.

“The Smeds and The Smoos” tells the story of two aliens – Bill and Janet – from warring families who fall in love. Faced with their tribes’ disapprobation,...

Exclusive: European organization Ace Producers has unveiled the 17 producers who will participate in the third edition of its Ace Animation Special workshop. Scroll down for the list.

The initiative is deigned to provide extensive knowledge of how to diversify by developing and producing long-form, feature film and series animation for international audiences across cinema, broadcast and streaming,

It will run May 30 – June 4 in Dublin, Ireland and will include sessions on story development, international production workflows, the creative dynamics of animation production, financing strategies and international distribution. There will also be sessions on physical line production as well as case studies on completed animation projects.

Experts consulting on this year’s edition include Sebastien Onomo (Final Touch Studios), Simon Quinn (Big Fat Studio), Martin Pope (Magic Light Pictures), and Marleen Slot (Viking Film).

Producers applied with animated features and series projects in early development. The selected list are:

Ivan Agenjo, Peekaboo Animation,...

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are Britain’s answer to Dr. Seuss.

Ever since publishing “The Gruffalo” — written by Donaldson and illustrated by Scheffler — in 1999, the duo have delighted millions of children with their stories of robber rats, wandering whales and fantastical fish.

In 2009, U.K. production company Magic Light Pictures turned “The Gruffalo,” about a little mouse who ventures into a deep, dark wood, into a 30-minute animated special voiced by James Corden and Helena Bonham Carter. It turned out to be the first of nine animated adaptations of Donaldson and Scheffler’s works.

(Magic Light also manage licensing for the books and films. In Britain alone, the Donaldson/Scheffler empire includes theme park rides, exhibitions, toys and educational materials. “It’s quite frightening,” says Scheffler of what he calls “Gruffalo madness.”)

Their latest holiday special, which airs in the U.K. on Christmas Day and will be rolled...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best Live Action Short Film

Updated: Feb. 25, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: There seems to be a strong three films at the top Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Human Voice” (with Tilda Swinton), Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe’s “Two Distant Strangers” (with Joey...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best Animated Short Film

Updated: Feb. 25, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: The Academy announced the shortlist for the animated short contenders, and they produced an interesting crop of selections. Netflix is placing all their power and influence behind the emotional “If Anything Happens I Love You.

Olivia Colman (“The Crown”), Matt Smith (“Doctor Who”), Patricia Allison (“Sex Education”) and Rob Brydon (“The Trip” franchise) lead the voice cast of BBC animation special “Superworm.”

Based on the book “Superworm,” written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the half-hour show will air over Christmas on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

The show follows Superworm, who is a hero always on hand to help out all the other animals and insects, whose latest challenge is to fight the wicked Wizard Lizard and his servant Crow.

Colman said: “This is such a lovely project to be involved with. When reading the script, and imagining all those goings on at the end of the garden, I could really get a feel for the pure fun and joy that the film will bring. I’ve always loved these charming productions at Christmas and I’m delighted to be voicing the narrator.

The BBC is once again turning to Oscar-nominated Magic Light Pictures for its latest animation special. The studio behind The Gruffalo will bring Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s book Superworm to life with a cast including Olivia Colman and Matt Smith.

Colman will narrate, while Smith will feature as hero Superworm. They are joined by Patricia Allison (Sex Education) as Butterfly, and Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey) as the Crow.

Super-long and super-strong, Superworm is always on hand to help out other animals and insects, but when he is kidnapped by wicked Wizard Lizard and sidekick The Crow, his friend Butterfly must come to the rescue.

Superworm is directed by Sarah Scrimgeour and Jac Hamman, from a script by Max Lang and Suzanne Lang. The producer is Barney Goodland, with executive producers Martin Pope and Michael Rose for Magic Light. The composer is Rene Aubry, while animation services are provided by Blue Zoo Animation Studio.

‘Isle Of Dogs’ and ‘Coraline’ producers among industry experts set to guide the cohort.

European organisation Ace Producers has unveiled the 18 independent producers for its upcoming animation-focused initiative, the Ace Animation Special, set to take place in June.

The programme is aimed at experienced producers who want to develop and produce long animated features and series for an international audience.

Originally meant to run March 21-26 during Ireland’s Animation Dingle festival, it has been postponed to late June 2021 in Dublin as a result of the ongoing virus crisis. However, the selected producers will kick off the initiative with a virtual session in March,...

A record 92 animated short films have qualified for the 92nd Academy Awards, a list that will be winnowed to 10 contenders when shortlist is announced Dec. 16. Alongside entries such as Sony’s “Hair Love” and Magic Light Pictures’ “Zog,” challengers include lauded films from animators such as Tomek Popakul’s “Acid Rain,” Siqi Song’s “Sister” and Theodore Ushev’s “The Physics of Sorrow.” Ranging from studio darlings to festival gems, the diversity of projects in the category makes for a somewhat unpredictable race, yet each year a handful of shorts float to the top, generating awards season buzz.

1. Curse of the Monkeybird (Warner Bros.)

Director: Pete Browngardt

Producers: Pete Browngardt, Sam Register

The slapstick “Indiana Jones”-inspired 2D short features classic Looney Tunes characters searching for a cursed treasure inside a jungle temple. “It was a dream come true to be able to write and direct a Porky Pig and Daffy Duck cartoon from scratch,...

Sally Hawkins (Paddington), Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey) and Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones) are lending their voices to BBC One and Zdf Christmas special The Snail And The Whale.

UK production outfit Magic Light Pictures is behind the well-sold book adaptation about the epic journey of a tiny snail who longs to see the world and manages to hitch a ride on the tail of a huge humpback whale. Hawkins will voice the snail, Brydon the whale and Rigg will be the narrator.

Written in 2003 by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, creators of the hit children’s book and TV adaptation The Gruffalo, the picture book is published by Macmillan Children’s Books.

The half-hour kids’ content was acquired for BBC One by Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, and Tommy Bulfin, Commissioning Editor, BBC. It is directed by acclaimed animation directors Max Lang and Daniel Snaddon who...

Annecy — At Annecy to talk audiences through “Zog,” the latest in a line of hugely popular of painstakingly crafted half-hour films for the BBC and Zdf whose lineage stretches back through “Revolting Rhymes” to the “The Gruffalo,” London-based Magic Light Pictures has confirmed a swathe of sales on its upcoming half-hour, “The Snail and the Whale.”

The film will premiere in the U.K. on BBC1 as a highlight of its Christmas schedule in 2019. Alongside core partner Zdf in Germany, further confirmed pre-sales include France Televisions; Svt (Sweden), Dr (Denmark), Rte (Ireland), ABC (Australia), Showmax (Africa), Czech Television, Noga in Israel; Vpro in the Netherlands; and Slovenia’s Rtv.

“The Snail and the Whale” will also be released in cinemas in France next year by Les Films Du Preau.

Described as a delightful tale of adventure and friendship, “The Snail and the Whale” follows the amazing journey of a tiny...

The classic children’s tale The Velveteen Rabbit is getting a new TV adaptation that will feature a mix of live-action and animation.

The series is being developed by Tom Bidwell, who recently worked on the series adaptation of Watership Down for BBC and Netflix. He’s also teamed up with Magic Light Pictures, who has worked on animated specials that include adaptations of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes and several of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s books, including The Gruffalo, Stick Man, and Zog.

The Velveteen Rabbit was written by Margery Williams , and the classic 1922 story centers on a boy and his beloved toy rabbit.

At first a brand-new toy, now a threadbare and discarded nursery relic, the velveteen rabbit is saved from peril by a magic fairy who whisks him away to the idyllic world of Rabbitland. There, he becomes "Real," a cherished childhood companion who will be loved for eternity.

The writer of upcoming BBC and Netflix series “Watership Down” and the producers behind hit animated specials including “The Gruffalo” are adapting the classic children’s tale “The Velveteen Rabbit” for TV. Magic Light Pictures and Tom Bidwell are in development on the project and already talking to broadcasters.

For U.K.-based Magic Light, it will mark a move into a hybrid style of live-action and animation. Its previous animated specials include popular adaptations of Roald Dahl’s “Revolting Rhymes” and several of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s books, including “The Gruffalo,” “Stick Man,” and “Zog,” which will be a highlight of the BBC’s 2018 Christmas schedule in the U.K.

Bidwell is the creator of the BAFTA- and International Emmy-nominated “My Mad Fat Diary” and the Oscar-nominated short “Wish 143.” He comes to “The Velveteen Rabbit” project off the back of a BAFTA win for his work on Cbbc series “Katy.

Annecy, France — If the animated art and family film distribution business remains as lively as the 10th anniversary celebration of Gkids, the emblematic U.S. distributor, held at the Annecy Festival, then it will be in very good health indeed.

Not that the business’ prospects are negative at all. The Gkid 10th anni party proved something of a metaphor, for the company and the business.

First, it was held in France. The Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival was the place where Gkids could to get together the largest number of friends, reasoned Gkids founder Eric Beckman.

To celebrate, Gkids snagged the Mifa Chill-Out Lounge, Annecy Festival prime real estate, a Mifa market outhouse overlooking the town’s lake and steep-backed mountains. That in turn is a reflection of the industry position Gkids now commands at Annecy.

“When we started, we were total outsiders, my first time at Annecy we were kind of tip-toeing around,...

The BBC has announced its upcoming new drama series for 2015.

Head of Drama Ben Stephenson revealed at an event last night (November 19) that several new dramas will be shown next year, along with the previously announced SS-gb, The Dresser, Undercover, and the return of Top of the Lake and a new Luther miniseries.

One of Us will be a modern thriller set in the Scottish Highlands and Edinburgh, and is written by The Missing's Harry and Jack Williams.

The four-part series revolves around a double murder which shatters two families living next to each other, and focuses on the relatives as they grieve their losses and deal with the consequences.

The writers said: "We're excited to be telling a modern-day parable that explores big themes and ideas through the lens of a very personal, character-driven story".

Cuffs will be an eight-part cop drama from Julie Gearey (Prisoners' Wives), airing on BBC One.

Marks the first time a Latin American film has taken the top prize at the animation festival, which has also set the dates for its next edition.Scroll down for full list of winners

Brazilian director Luiz Bolognesi’s Rio 2096: A Story of Love and Fury has won the top Crystal prize for best feature-length animation at the 37th Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

The film, produced by Buriti Filmes and Gullane, captures four distinct periods in Brazilian history through a central protagonist who lives for 600 years.

Rio 2096 is the first Latin American film to win the top prize at the lakeside festival at the foot of the French Alps.

Also in the feature-length category, French Marc Boréal and Thibaut Chatel’s My Mommy is in America and She Met Buffalo Bill was granted a special mention.

Spanish Fernando Cortizo Rodriguez’s stop motion film The Apostle won the Audience Award.

Shorts

The Crystal...

Room on the Broom is destined to become a children’s classic. The magical feature you and your kids return to time and again. The one they remember when they are grown and enjoy sharing with children of their own.

The beloved book, by author and Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson and her longtime collaborator illustrator Axel Scheffler, has sold over two and a half million copies since 2001 and has already spawned a stage show and shelves of toys, puzzles and activity books. A favourite in households up and down the land, anticipation for the animation’s debut was high when it aired on the BBC this Christmas. It did not disappoint.

Simon Pegg narrates the witty tale of a generous Witch and her antisocial suspicious cat, accumulating passengers and misplacing possessions as they whoosh through stormy skies and blue. Clever interpretation of the original drawings breathes back-story and charming...

BBC Earth, the global natural history brand for BBC Worldwide, and Indian entertainment giant, Reliance Big Entertainment, are to partner on three motion pictures. All three films will be distributed by Reliance's international film sales and financing subsidiary, Im Global. The deal was jointly announced today by BBC Worldwide's Managing Director of Global Brands, Marcus Arthur and Im Global Founder and CEO Stuart Ford. The first theatrical feature to be co-produced under the relationship will be the $65m 3D live action feature Walking With Dinosaurs 3D inspired by the BBC's landmark Walking With Dinosaurs brand. The picture will be co-directed by Pierre De Lespinois of Los Angeles and Alaska based 3D studio Evergreen Films and BBC Earth's Neil Nightingale (formerly the Head of the BBC Natural History Unit). BBC Earth and Evergreen Films will be working with Academy Award winning animation house Animal Logic (Happy Feet) and leading...

BBC Earth, the global natural history brand for BBC Worldwide, and Indian entertainment giant, Reliance Big Entertainment, are to partner on three motion pictures. All three films will be distributed by Reliance's international film sales and financing subsidiary, Im Global. The deal was jointly announced today by BBC Worldwide's Managing Director of Global Brands, Marcus Arthur and Im Global Founder and CEO Stuart Ford. The first theatrical feature to be co-produced under the relationship will be the $65m 3D live action feature Walking With Dinosaurs 3D inspired by the BBC's landmark Walking With Dinosaurs brand. The picture will be co-directed by Pierre De Lespinois of Los Angeles and Alaska based 3D studio Evergreen Films and BBC Earth's Neil Nightingale (formerly the Head of the BBC Natural History Unit). BBC Earth and Evergreen Films will be working with Academy Award winning animation house Animal Logic (Happy Feet) and leading...

BBC Earth, the natural history brand for BBC Worldwide, and Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.s Reliance Big Entertainment Tuesday announced a deal to partner on three motion pictures for the global audience.All three films - .Walking with Dinosaurs 3D., .Africa 3D. and .Life. - will be distributed by Reliance Entertainment.s international film sales and financing subsidiary Im Global, a statement by the groups said..By partnering Reliance Big Entertainment, we have the opportunity to realise a long-held ambition of making BBC Earth 3D feature films,. said Marcus Arthur, BBC Worldwide.s managing director of global brands...Earth. demonstrated the huge appetite of audiences for quality natural history filmmaking and the 3D experience of .Walking with Dinosaurs. and .Africa. will allow audiences to immerse themselves in our incredible content as never before..This pact with BBC Earth is another major global project for the Anil Ambani Group after the...

BBC Worldwide and Reliance Big Entertainment have pacted to co-produce and distribute three movies that will kick off with a 3D live action feature Walking With Dinosaurs, budgeted at $65 million.

The agreement involves BBC Earth, the BBC’s natural history brand, which oversaw the six-part TV documentary Walking With Dinosaurs, which first aired in the U.K. in 1999.

The film version will be co-directed by Pierre De Lespinois of 3D studio Evergreen Films and BBC Earth’s Neil Nightingale (formerly the head of the BBC Natural History Unit). BBC Earth and Evergreen will also work with animation house Animal Logic (Happy Feet) and animation producer Jinko Gotoh (9, Finding Nemo) on the film.

BBC Earth will also partner with Evergreen for the second picture in the pact -- the $25m documentary feature Africa 3D which will be filmed alongside Africa, the BBC’s upcoming television series.

All three films under the...

HollywoodNews.com: Come meet “Wild Target” Director Jonathan Lynn (“The Whole Nine Yards,” “My Cousin Vinny”) in a Q&A following the Hollywood Film Festival screening on Sunday, Oct. 24, 5 p.m. at the Hollywood ArcLight Cinema. For more info and to buy tickets, click here.

Review: It’s been a while since a breezy, British action comedy has arrived on U.S. shores; their heyday being in the ‘80s when such titles like “A Fish Called Wanda” and “Time Bandits” held their place on the marquee.

When it comes to mobsters, guns and laughs, British director Jonathan Lynn knows a thing or two about crafting a crowd pleasing caper. Lynn is so good at it, Hollywood tapped him for his stylings with “The Whole Nine Yards,” “Sgt. Bilko” and “My Cousin Vinny.” With “Wild Target,” Lynn comfortably returns to the London stomping ground which he made famous with the...

Wild Target (aka: Petits meurtres à l'anglaise ) will be opening in French cinemas on 7 July, and there is much going on there to promote the film! Firstly, Allocine.fr has uploaded two new clips from the film. The first is from the car park where we first meet Tony; the second is an exciting taste of the car chase through London! They are now on YouTube for faster viewing: Clip 1 | Clip 2 In a press release from Rezo Films , there are some new quotes from director Jonathan Lynn and producer Martin Pope about their decision to cast Rupert for the part of Tony: “It’s Martin [Pope] who thought of Rupert Grint,” adds Jonathan Lynn. “I thought it was a fantastic idea….” For the producer [Pope], this choice was necessary. “There are not a lot of actors around 20 years old who can embody this type of character, to play him this well and who are international stars.

Expanding from its rent-a-system roots, Freestyle Releasing has splashed out a seven-figure sum for U.S. distribution rights to assassin thriller "Wild Target," starring Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt.

Directed by Jonathan Lynn ("The Whole Nine Yards"), "Target" was produced by Martin Pope and Michael Rose via U.K.-based CinemaNX. The acquisition is Freestyle's first all-u.S. rights acquisition, on which it partnered with Joanne Storkan of Honest Engine Films.

Freestyle will begin the pic's platform rollout on Oct. 8.

"Target" follows the story of a middle-aged assassin (Nighy) drawn to one of his intended victims (Blunt). Additional cast include Rupert Everett and Rupert Grint, best known for his recurring role in the "Harry Potter" film series.

Freestyle co-toppers Mark Borde and Susan Jackson said in a statement the deal signals the company's diversification into film acquisition and distribution after a six-year history as a distributor-for-hire.

Borde negotiated the deal...

The Hurt Locker was named Best Film at the British Academy Film Awards, held at London’s Royal Opera House. The film also won five other awards: Director for Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to win the award, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing and Sound.

Avatar won the BAFTAs for Production Design and Special Visual Effects. Up took home the awards for Animated Film and Music. The Young Victoria won the Costume Design and Make Up & Hair awards.

Carey Mulligan was awarded the BAFTA for Leading Actress for An Education. The Supporting Actress BAFTA went to Mo’Nique for her role in Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. Colin Firth won the Leading Actor award for A Single Man and the Supporting Actor award was presented to Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds. All four were first-time winners.

Up in the Air won the BAFTA for Adapted Screenplay. A Prophet...

Honoring the best and brightest in entertainment, the 2010 Orange British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) took place in London, England on Sunday evening (February 21).

Held at the Royal Opera House, the big winner ended up being "The Hurt Locker" - which took home Best Director, Original Screenplay and Film on its way to six total awards.

Meanwhile, Carey Mulligan was named Best Actress while Colin Firth scooped up the Best Actor trophy during the evening ceremony.

Other winners included "Twilight" actress Kristen Stewart, who received the Rising Star Award while Vanessa Redgrave was presented with the Academy Fellowship.

The complete list of 2010 BAFTA winners is as follows:

Best Film

Avatar - James Cameron, Jon Landau

An Education - Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey

Winner: The Hurt Locker - Nominees Tbc

Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire - Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness

Up In The Air - Ivan Reitman,...

Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" was the big winner at the 2010 Orange British Academy Awards. The Iraq War drama won best film, best director, best original screenplay, best cinematography, best sound and best editing.

"Avatar," nominated in eight categories, won the special visual effects and production design awards.

Colin Firth for "A Single Man" was named best actor, while Carey Mulligan received the best actress award for "An Education." Mo'Nique and Christoph Walt continued to dominated the awards season as each picked up the best supporting actress and actor awards respectively.

2009 BAFTA Awards Winners (highlighted)

Academy Fellowship

Vanessa Redgrave

Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema

Joe Dunton

Best Film

Avatar James Cameron, Jon Landau

An Education Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey

The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier, Greg Shapiro

Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness

Up In The Air Ivan Reitman,...

As the great and good are quickly ushered out of London's salubrious Royal Opera House, shoved into the nearest waiting limo and whisked to their respective after-show parties, the time has come to tally and take stock of the big winners at this year's British Academy Film Awards.

As with all of the major films awards of 2010 thus far, the big battle at this year's Baftas was between James Cameron's Avatar and his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker and the big winner on the night was Ms Bigelow who blew away all the competition with a grand total of six awards including (surprisingly but brilliantly) Best Film and Best Director. Avatar, meanwhile, was relegated to two relatively minor awards for Best Production Design and Best Special Effects.

Quite how this will affect the runners and the riders for this year's Oscars remains to be seen but it...

Well, here we are Live at the 2010 Orange BAFTA Awards and I can’t describe what the atmosphere is like. We’re currently waiting for the awards themselves to start and while you’re getting your beverage of choice, check out the photos that I took from the red carpet which I’ll get posted here as fast as I can.

I’ve placed all the nominees below and we’ll be updating them as each winner is announced live from the awards. Each time a winner is announced, I’ll change the winner to bold and red so that you can spot them easily.

Remember, this is a completely interactive evening so please comment on what you think of the results, check out our live tweets here and discuss away as much as you can. Remember to hash-tag your tweets with #BAFTA and then they’ll be easy to...

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has narrowed down its longlist and unveiled the nominations of the 2010 BAFTA awards. "Avatar," "The Hurt Locker," and "An Education" each scored eight nominations but "District 9" was close behind with seven.

"Inglourious Basterds" and "Up in the Air" both received six nominations. The awards will be revealed in London on Feb. 21.

Here's the complete list of the Orange British Academy Film Award Nominations

Film

"Avatar," James Cameron, Jon Landau

"An Education," Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer

"The Hurt Locker," nominees to be confirmed

"Precious," Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness

"Up in the Air," Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Daniel Dubiecki

Director

"Avatar," James Cameron

"District 9," Neill Blomkamp

"An Education," Lone Scherfig

"The Hurt Locker," Kathryn Bigelow

"Inglourious Basterds," Quentin Tarantino

Original Screenplay

"The Hangover," Jon Lucas, Scott Moore

"The Hurt Locker," Mark Boal

"Inglourious Basterds," Quentin Tarantino

"A Serious Man," Joel Coen,...

An Education, Avatar, and The Hurt Locker each saw eight nods as this year’s BAFTA awards nominees were announced Thursday. District 9 came in with seven while Up In The Air and Inglourious Basterds both received six nominations.

Here’s the list of nominations for the Orange British Academy Film Awards:

Best Film

Avatar James Cameron, Jon Landau An Education Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey The Hurt Locker Nominees Tbc Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness Up In The Air Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Daniel Dubiecki

Outstanding British Film

An Education Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey, Lone Scherfig, Nick Hornby Fish Tank Kees Kasander, Nick Laws, Andrea Arnold In The Loop Kevin Loader, Adam Tandy, Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche Moon Stuart Fenegan, Trudie Styler, Duncan Jones, Nathan Parker Nowhere Boy Robert Bernstein, Douglas Rae, Kevin Loader, Sam Taylor-Wood, Matt Greenhalgh...

The nominations for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards were announced this morning, and leading with eight each are An Education, Avatar, and The Hurt Locker. The line-up looks much like what we’ve seen in earlier awards with the obvious skew towards British-born selections like Carey Mulligan, underrated comedy In the Loop, and first time director Duncan Jones.

Notable snubs include Bright Star shut out in every category but costume, Avatar missing a spot for screenplay to The Hangover, and Sam Rockwell for Moon.

Winners will be announced February 21. Here are the nominees:

Best Film

Avatar James Cameron, Jon Landau

An Education Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer

The Hurt Locker Nominees Tbc

Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness

Up In The Air Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Daniel Dubiecki

Outstanding British Film

An Education Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer, Lone Scherfig,...

Robert here, with a quick take on the BAFTA Nominations announced this morning. Here are the nominees with a few comments.

Best Film

Avatar

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire L

Up In The Air

Ahhh, the days of five nominees flashing back. All expected to make the Oscar final 10 (and perhaps a little helpful push for the sophisticated An Education).

Outstanding British Film

An Education

Fish Tank

In The Loop

Moon

Nowhere Boy

Director

Avatar James Cameron

District 9 Neill Blomkamp

An Education Lone Scherfig

The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow

Inglourious Basterds Quentin Tarantino

Those who believe District 9 is peaking will have much to squawk about here. It will still take much to break into what's the current expected five. Still, thank you BAFTA for throwing in a few differences here and there.

Original Screenplay

The Hangover Jon Lucas, Scott Moore...

The Brits certainly like our flicks with Avatar and The Hurt Locker scoring eight nominations each from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). However, they didn’t overlook one of their own accomplished films with An Education also grabbing eight nominations. But what’s really impressive about the BAFTA nominations isn’t where they’ll most likely overlap with the Oscar nominations, but where they’re going to diverge. District 9 has seven nominations and matches Avatar in every category except Best Picture and Best Director (but it also has a Best Screenplay nomination, while Avatar does not). I am a little surprised that in their Best Supporting Actor category, they overlooked Peter Capaldi for In the Loop, but you have to love a country where Andy Serkis can get nominated for Best Actor (that’s not meant ironically; it truly is great–we should’ve nominated...

Check out the full list of the 2010 Orange British Academy Film Awards below!

Best Film

Avatar James Cameron, Jon Landau

An Education Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey

The Hurt Locker Nominees Tbc

Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness

Up In The Air Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Daniel Dubiecki

Outstanding British Film

An Education Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey, Lone Scherfig, Nick Hornby

Fish Tank Kees Kasander, Nick Laws, Andrea Arnold

In The Loop Kevin Loader, Adam Tandy, Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche

Moon Stuart Fenegan, Trudie Styler, Duncan Jones, Nathan Parker

Nowhere Boy Robert Bernstein, Douglas Rae, Kevin Loader, Sam Taylor-Wood, Matt Greenhalgh

Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer

Lucy Bailey, Andrew Thompson, Elizabeth Morgan Hemlock, David Pearson Directors, Producers –

Mugabe and the White African

Eran Creevy Writer/Director – Shifty

Stuart Hazeldine Writer/Director – Exam

Duncan Jones Director...

After the trial run that was the Golden Globes, award season is getting into full swing proper with this morning's announcement of the BAFTA award nominations. Films getting the nod include Avatar (obviously!) and some perhaps more deserving films such as The Hurt Locker and our very own An Education - which have all collected nominations in eight categories.

See below for the full list.

Best Film

Avatar James Cameron, Jon Landau

An Education Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer

The Hurt Locker Nominees Tbc

Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness

Up In The Air Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Daniel Dubiecki

Outstanding British Film

An Education Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer, Lone Scherfig, Nick Hornby

Fish Tank Kees Kasander, Nick Laws, Andrea Arnold

In The Loop Kevin Loader, Adam Tandy, Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche

Moon Stuart Fenegan, Trudie Styler, Duncan Jones,...

2009 was an amazing year for British film. The BAFTA longlist has James Cameron’s Avatar and Jason Reitman’s Up In The Air go up against Tarantino’s glorious Basterds and our pick of the year, Duncan Jones’ sublime Moon, we also have A Single Man and An Education showcasing a wealth of talent.

In The Loop is picking up screenwriting awards and Carey Mulligan’s disappointment at the Golden Globes earlier this week may be short lived. Will Avatar leaves will a handful of golden faces to go with its solar system of globes? That so many great films are being placed under a BAFTA shaped spotlight is a testament to the variety and capability of the actors, directors and crews working today.

The BAFTA shortlist is a clear indication that there is much to celebrate in the industry and while the winners may divide critics and audiences when...