BAFTA Winners: 'Conclave' & 'The Brutalist' dominate Awards

Papal selection thriller "Conclave" and period drama "The Brutalist" were the big winners at the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday, winning four prizes each.

"Conclave," which had led nominations with 12 nods, won the night's most coveted award, best film, outstanding British film, best adapted screenplay, and best editing.

"We live in a time of a crisis of democracy, and institutions that are usually used to bring us together are used to pull us apart," "Conclave" director Edward Berger said in his acceptance speech for the Outstanding British Film award.

"And sometimes it's hard to keep the faith in that situation, but that's why we make movies, and that's why we made this movie."

"The Brutalist," a three-and-a-half hour tale about a Hungarian immigrant architect trying to rebuild his life in the United States post-World War Two, was considered a frontrunner for best film. It won the Best Director award for Brady Corbet and the Best Actor award for its star, Adrien Brody.

"This film is really about this pursuit of leaving something meaningful, and I think that is something we can all relate to," Brody said in his acceptance speech.

"The Brutalist" also won original score and cinematography.

In one of the night's big surprises, Mikey Madison won the leading actress category for portraying an exotic dancer in "Anora" who becomes involved with a Russian oligarch's son.

Many had considered the frontrunners to be Demi Moore, who has received multiple honors for her performance in body horror "The Substance," and Briton Marianne Jean-Baptiste, for her critically acclaimed portrayal of a woman struggling with depression in "Hard Truths."

"I really wasn't expecting this," Madison said.

"I want to take a moment to recognize the sex worker community ... you deserve respect and human decency. I will always be your friend."

"Anora" is considered a strong awards season contender after it and director Sean Baker triumphed at the Critics Choice Awards and the Producers and Directors Guild of America Awards ahead of next month's Academy Awards. The Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown" was also up for best film.

Saldana, Culkin win

Fellow best film nominee Emilia Perez, which combines the diverse genres of musical and crime, triumphed in the film category but not in the English language category.

"This is too nice; you shouldn't have done that," director Jacques Audiard said, accepting his award. "This award is not just for me but everyone who worked tirelessly on this film."

He thanked the film's cast members, including an absent Karla Sofia Gascon, who had been nominated for leading actress.

Zoe Saldana won supporting actress for her portrayal of a lawyer who helps a Mexican cartel leader, played by Gascon, fake his death and transition from a man to a woman.

"Emilia Perez" had been an early awards frontrunner. Still, its campaign lost steam following the controversy surrounding Gascon, who has apologized for past social media posts denigrating Muslims and other groups and said she would go silent to help the movie ahead of the Oscars.

In the supporting actor category, Kieran Culkin won for the dramedy "A Real Pain." The movie also picked up the best original screenplay for writer-director Jesse Eisenberg.