BAFTAs 2024: Hits and misses at the British Academy Film Awards

BAFTA 2024 concluded with the biggest win for Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan, who is possibly the British film industry’s most celebrated and successful filmmaker of the century. He won his first Best Director BAFTA for Oppenheimer, a biopic on the father of the atomic bomb. The film showed his struggles as he dealt with his conscience after his invention led to the death of millions. The film was also named Best Picture. 

Christopher Nolan broke his jinx this year as he had previously been nominated for eight BAFTAs but barring an honourary award in 2010, had never won an award. Oppenheimer dominated most parts of the BAFTAs as it took home seven wins, including Best Actor for Cillian Murphy and Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr.

While Oppenheimer picked up seven wins, the BAFTAs were shared more widely as Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things starring Emma Stone took five awards, including Best Actress. In her speech, Emma Stone thanked her mother, “because she’s the best person in the world. Without her, none of this would exist, including my life. So thank you, mom!”

Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest took three awards – Best Sound, Outstanding British Film and Best Film Not in the English Language. Speaking about the film’s message, producer James Wilson brought up the issue of the perils of selective empathy. A friend had recently written to him, he said, explaining that they “couldn’t stop thinking about the walls we construct in our lives which we choose not to look behind”.

Among those that didn’t find a mention at the BAFTAs was The Holdovers. While the film’s lead actor Paul Giamatti missed the big win, it picked the casting award for Susan Shopmaker and Supporting Actress for Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

Other than the hits and misses, a Stop the War Coalition poster with the message "Gaza: Stop the Massacre" was put up on the red carpet by Ken Loach and The Old Oak filmmakers.

There was also Bollywood representation at BAFTAs this year as Indian actress Deepika Padukone took to the BAFTA 2024 stage to present an award in the Film Not In The English Language category. Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest was named as the winner in the category. The actress was named as a presenter at the BAFTAs earlier this month along with international celebrities like Cate Blanchett, David Beckham, Dua Lipa and others.

The BAFTA fellowship went to Samantha Morton, who dedicated her award to “every child in care today, or who has been in care, or who is suffering, or who didn’t survive”.

Meanwhile, Michael J Fox received a standing ovation as he came on the stage to present the award for best film. Back To The Future star Fox, who has been battling Parkinson's disease, entered in a wheelchair before standing at the podium. Notably, the film Still: A Michael J Fox Story, based on his life, was also up for the Best Documentary BAFTA.