The Russian invasion “shocked the world with images and stories telling of a truly horrific and heartbreaking situation,” as British Academy President Krishnendu Majumdar said at the start of BAFTA awards ceremony. On the red carpet, some stars wore badges or ribbons in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, including Golden Globe nominee Benedict Cumberbatch.

The most celebrated event in the British film industry calendar returned for its first live edition since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with it came a renewed energy.

While the ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall had several no-shows among nominees, co-stars stepped up to accept awards on the winners’ behalf, as was the case for Jane Campion, whose best director award was picked up by the lead of The Power of the Dog,  Benedict Cumberbatch. Campion’s producer Tanya Seghatchian paid tribute to her, calling her “a visionary who has marked the last thirty years of cinema”.

Campion becomes the third woman to win the BAFTA for best director after Chloé Zhao last year for Nomadland, and Kathryn Bigelow in 2009 for The Hurt Locker .

After the Golden Globes in January and the Directors Guild of America on Saturday, Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog continues its collection of awards with the prizes for best film and best director.

While presenting the award for Best Direction, Andy Serkis slammed UK Home Secretary Priti Patel over the handling of the crisis, saying Ms. Patel’s latest film “All refugees are welcome but some are more welcome than others’ ‘is “total hell”. Australian actress Rebel Wilson, who hosted the ceremony, gave the middle finger to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Fortunately, in all sign languages, it’s a gesture for Putin,” she said, introducing Emilia Jones, who was sang dubbed in sign language.  Jones was nominated for the Best Actress award for her portrayal in CODA of a music-loving teenager, the only hearing person in a deaf family. CODA, an American remake of the French film La Famille Bélier, has also entered the history of the BAFTAs with Golden Globe winner Troy Kotsur, who became the first deaf actor to win a prize as  Best Male Supporting Actor. “I think it’s great that you recognize my work on the other side of the ocean, it’s really incredible,” he reacted as he received his award, his interpreter by his side.

Will Smith won Best Actor for his portrayal of the father and coach of tennis champion sisters Serena and Venus Williams in King Richard, while  Joanna Scanlan won Best Actress for After Love, in which she plays a woman discovering her deceased husband’s secrets. Joanna Scanlan paid tribute by receiving the award to her husband, “living proof that there is no After Love “.

Golden Globe winner and nominee Dune, an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel by Denis Villeneuve, did not win any of the most prestigious awards. The space opera has amassed 11 nominations (the record for this year) and left London with five awards, notably for special effects, original music, and cinematography. Also nominated for Best Film, Golden Globe nominee Belfast, in which Kenneth Branagh pays homage to his hometown, retracing the journey of a kid from Northern Ireland traumatized by the civil war and who finds refuge in the cinema, walks away with the prize of the Best British film.

Among other awards,  Ariana DeBose won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for West Side Story, while director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car won Best Foreign Language Film, both previous winners of Golden Globes in this category. Named in particular for the best film and the best direction, Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Licorice Pizza left with the prize for Best Original Screenplay.

FULL LIST OF RECIPIENTS.