Steve McQueen’s powerful film 12 Years a Slave clinched the top accolade at this year’s BAFTA awards.
The historical drama, which tells the true story of a free African-American man wrongfully forced into slavery, secured the Best Film award ahead of American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Gravity and Philomena.
But it only managed one win elsewhere, winning Best Actor gong, which went to Chiwetel Ejiofor for his stunning role as Solomon Northop.
Co-stars Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o both failed to win in their categories with the former surprisingly losing out to African actor Barkhad Abdi for his villainous turn in Captain Phillips.
Another key award it missed out on was Best Adapted Screenplay which went to Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope’s poignant script for Philomena.
Sci-fi thriller Gravity eased its way to six BAFTA wins including Best British Film as well as another Best Director accolade for filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron. It also won Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects and Best Film Music.
Despite being absent from the ceremony, Jennifer Lawrence secured another Best Supporting Actress award for her role in American Hustle. The 70s-based crime thriller also won Best Makeup and Best Original Screenplay for Eric Warren Singer and writer/director David O. Russell.
There was no shock in the Best Actress category as Cate Blanchett was named Best Actress for her performance in the Woody Allen drama Blue Jasmine. She has now won all the key awards and is surely the undisputed favourite to win the Oscar.
Elsewhere, The Great Gatsby won two awards for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design while Rush (Editing), Frozen (Animated Film) and The Great Beauty (Foreign Language Film) were the other victors on the night.
Dame Helen Mirren was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship for her outstanding contribution to cinema in the past forty years.
Finally, young British actor Will Poulter won the Rising Star Award for his promising career which has seen him appear in the likes of Son of Rambow, Wild Bill and We’re the Millers.
The full list of winners are below:
BEST FILM
12 Years a Slave
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
Gravity
BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity
BEST ACTOR
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave
BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Barkhad Adbi – Captain Phillips
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
David O. Russell & Eric Warren Singer – American Hustle
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope – Philomena
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Great Gatsby
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Emmanuel Lubezki – Gravity
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Great Gatsby
BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
American Hustle
BEST EDITING
Rush
BEST SOUND
Gravity
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Gravity
BEST FILM MUSIC
Steven Price – Gravity
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Frozen
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Great Beauty
BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Act of Killing
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
Kieran Evans (writer-director, Kelly + Victor)
BEST BRITISH SHORT FILM
Room 8
BEST BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
Sleeping with the Fishes
BAFTA FELLOWSHIP
Dame Helen Mirren
RISING STAR AWARD
Will Poulter