1917 dominates at the BAFTAs

Sam Mendes' World War I drama 1917 won big at the 2020 British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, taking home seven prizes, including best film and best director.

The BAFTAs are the British equivalent of the Oscars. Last month, 1917 was the surprise winner of several Golden Globes, including best drama motion picture.

Joaquin Phoenix won best actor for Joker, while Renée Zellweger won best actress for Judy, her third BAFTA award. Parasite, the first Korean film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, won BAFTAs for best film not in the English language and best original screenplay. Laura Dern was named best supporting actress for her performance in Marriage Story, and Brad Pitt won best supporting actor for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Pitt was unable to attend the ceremony due to family obligations, and his co-star Margot Robbie joked he would name his award "Harry" because "he is really excited about bringing it back to the States with him."

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Leading up to Sunday, there were complaints about the lack of diversity, with no actors of color nominated in the main acting categories and no women in the running for best director, The Guardian reports. Prince William, the president of BAFTA, said during his closing remarks that there is a "need to do more to ensure diversity in the sector and the awards process. That simply cannot be right in this day and age."