Iraq war drama sweeps to glory at Bafta awards

Kathryn Bigelow won the best director award for her work on the film.

Colin Firth won best actor for his role in A Single Man, while Carey Mulligan took the best actress award for her part in An Education.

Hollywood heartthrob Matt Dillon awarded the supporting actress category to Mo'Nique for her role in Precious, beating British actresses including Anne-Marie Duff.

The outstanding British film gong was scooped by Fish Tank, which beat movies such as An Education and In The Loop.

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer was won by David Bowie's son Duncan Jones, who directed low-budget film Moon.

The supporting actor award was presented to Christoph Waltz for playing a bloodthirsty Nazi in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

He described the award as "beautiful and terrific".

Paying tribute to director Tarantino, he said: "No Quentin, no Inglourious Basterds... no Quentin, no Christoph at the Baftas or anywhere else."

The Hurt Locker also took the awards for best cinematography, best editing, best sound and best original screenplay, triumphing again over blockbuster Avatar.

After being crowned best director, Bigelow described the gong as "beyond our wildest imagination".

She said: "This is so unbelievable, we're just so deeply honoured and humbled."

She said the film had put "a bit of a spotlight on a very, very difficult situation".

The award was presented by Dustin Hoffman.

Twilight heart-throb actor Robert Pattinson presented the original screenplay award to Mark Boal for his role in the drama.

Boal said: "This is really a wonderful honour...I was very fortunate on this picture to have tremendous actors.

"I'd like to thank them for this and also Kathryn Bigelow...It was an unpopular story about an unpopular war."

Bigelow, who received the gong from Clive Owen, beat off competition from ex-husband, Avatar director James Cameron, among others to win her award.

"I was so, so lucky to have an incredible cast and crew...," she said.

"This is really amazing and humbling..."

She added: "I would like to dedicate this to never abandoning the need to find a resolution for peace."

Firth was recognised at the Orange British Academy Film Awards, as the Baftas are formally known, for his portrayal of a gay academic battling grief in A Single Man.

He told the audience: "What Tom Ford doesn't know is I have the e-mail in my outbox telling him I could not possibly do this.

"I was about to send this when a man came to repair my fridge... I don't know what's best for me so I would like to thank the fridge guy."

Acting legend Vanessa Redgrave received a standing ovation as she received the Academy fellowship, the highest accolade the British Academy bestows on someone for "outstanding and exceptional" contribution to film.

The award was introduced by Prince William, who was making his first appearance at the awards, and actress Uma Thurman.

Redgrave, 73, whose daughter Natasha Richardson died following a skiing accident last year, has had a long and successful movie career spanning six decades.

Prince William, who was dressed in a sharp Saville Row suit and greeted by screaming admirers, is taking over from Lord Attenborough to become the academy's fifth president, something he described as a "very great honour".

Speaking prior to the ceremony at London's Royal Opera House, Prince William said: "The visual arts are such a vital part of what makes up the fabric of this nation.

"I feel especially honoured by this appointment."