Some people complain that the Hollywood Academy is enamored of British productions and talent. Well, then perhaps Hollywood and the United Kingdom should switch academies, for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts can't get enough of Hollywood fare. (See full list of BAFTA nominations here.)
James Cameron's Hollywood blockbuster Avatar, Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker, and Lone Scherfig's British-made coming-of-age tale An Education lead the race of BAFTA award nominees, with eight nominations apiece. All three are up for best film (An Education is also up for Best British Film), and so are Lee Daniels' urban drama Precious and Jason Reitman's socially conscious comedy-drama Up in the Air. All three films in the running in the animated feature category are US productions: Up, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Coraline.
Inglourious Basterds, Up in the Air, and the US/New Zealand/South African production District 9 each earned six nods. Precious got four. Eight of the nominated films in the best screenplay categories are either American productions or co-productions, which also dominate the technical and crafts categories. But British film workers shouldn't despair.
Movies made in the UK actually dominate the Outstanding British Film and the Outstanding Debut by a British Director, Writer or Producer categories. British talent even managed to squeeze into the Hollywood-dominated acting categories, although a couple of those were shortlisted for their work in American films, e.g., Colin Firth up for a best actor BAFTA for A Single Man, and Christian McKay in the running for best supporting actor for Me and Orson Welles.
Photo: The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment)