Conclave has taken the top prize at this year’s BAFTA film awards, winning best film as well as outstanding British film.
Based on Robert Harris’s 2016 novel of the same name, and centred around the selection of a new pope, the movie also won best adapted screenplay and best editing.
Thanking his ensemble cast as he accepted the award, director Edward Berger said: “What you did to me on set when I watched you was pure magic, it was beyond my grasp or understanding.”
It’s not the first BAFTA success for the filmmaker, who swept the board two years ago with his remake of All Quiet On The Western Front, taking seven prizes.
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Despite being the most nominated movie of the night, Conclave did not take any of the acting prizes, with its star Ralph Fiennes losing out to The Brutalist lead Adrien Brody in best actor.
Brody’s portrayal of Hungarian architect Lazlo Toth making his way in America after World War II saw the 51-year-old actor bag his first BAFTA statuette.
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New York-born Brody said the gong was “incredibly meaningful”, adding: “England has felt quite a bit like home lately.”
The three-and-a-half-hour-long epic also took best director, best original score and best cinematography.
Accepting his director award, Brady Corbet, told the audience that despite being “humbled” and “grateful” for his win, there really was “no such thing” as best director.
Conclave and The Brutalist were joint-winners across the night, taking four gongs each.
Anora, about a Brooklyn sex worker who marries into money, saw its break-out lead star, Mikey Madison take the top prize, after many had forecast a win for Demi Moore.
Accepting her award, the 25-year-old actress took her moment on the stage to honour the sex worker community, who she said had helped her immeasurably in her preparation for the role, telling them: “I see you. You deserve respect and human decency. I will always be a friend and an ally.”
Anora also took the casting prize.
Emilia Perez, which has come under fire in recent weeks following resurfaced tweets from its lead star Karla Sofia Gascon, took best film not in the English language. Gascon was not at the event.
An emotional Zoe Saldaña, took best supporting actress for her outstanding performance in the musical – in which she acts, sings and dances – telling the audience her win was “so validating” and “a true honour”.
As she accepted her prize the 46-year-old star said: “I was told not to cry by my children, so I’m going to try. This is so validating because the very few times I tried to go for roles with a British accent I was told this isn’t going to happen.”
She ended her emotional speech by saying: “Films are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds and I hope Emilia Perez did something like this, because voices need to be heard, just not my English accent.”
Saldana, who won in the same category at the Golden Globes last month will be hoping to follow up her success with an Oscar in March.
An early front-runner in awards season, mostly Spanish language movie Emilia Perez had already been under fire from parts of the trans community for what some considered to be a retrograde step in representation, as well as those who objected to stereotypical depictions of Mexicans, as well as its handling of the sensitive topic of narcotics crime, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
Kieran Culkin, 42, won best supporting actor for his role in comedy A Real Pain, with his co-star and the film’s writer Jesse Eisenberg accepting the gong on his behalf due to a member of Culkin’s family being unwell, meaning he was in New York to be by their side.
The movie, about two cousins revisiting their family history in Poland, also took best original screenplay.
Body horror The Substance took a well-deserved win for best makeup and hair, despite Moore missing out on the best actress win.
Back to host for a second year running, Scottish actor David Tennant opened the show singing The Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).
With 42 gongs to hand out, from a host of star presenters, the first awards of the night went to Dune: Part Two which took special visual effects.
Elsewhere, Wallace And Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl bagged best children’s and family film as well a best animated feature.
Accepting his second prize, Aardman director Nick Park joked: “I didn’t actually write a second speech.”
Republican Irish-language band Kneecap lived up to their promise, with the film’s director Rich Peppiatt taking outstanding debut.
The music biopic about Mo Chara, Moglai Bap and DJ Provai (who wore his trademark balaclava in the colours of the Irish flag on the red carpet) had been up for six BAFTAs, despite missing out on making it to the Oscars shortlist last month.
While it was up for seven awards, BAFTA voters didn’t seem to be feeling too much of the Wicked magic, with the Wizard Of Oz prequel taking two prizes, best production design and best costume design.
Meanwhile, Dune: Dune Part Two performed well in the technical categories, winning best sound and best visual effects.
Despite being up for six awards, A Complete Unknown, went home empty handed.
Lack of gongs aside, the movie’s star Timothée Chalamet still managed to cause plenty of buzz on the night, thanks to the fact he was accompanied to the ceremony with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner, who is part of the Kardashian clan.
In a pre-announced win, British star Warwick Davis, best known for fantasy film Willow and the Harry Potter movies, was awarded the prestigious BAFTA film fellowship for both his performing and advocacy work.
The In Memoriam section of the night was led by Wicked star Jeff Goldblum playing As Time Goes By on the piano as late stars including Dame Maggie Smith, David Lynch and Dame Joan Plowright were honoured.
Alien Romulus star David Jonsson won the only publicly voted award of the night, the rising star, celebrating up and coming talent.
And in a balloon-filled performance, Take That’s current line up of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen performed their hit Greatest Day, which features heavily in Anora.
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