Author: By Arifa Akbar, Arts Correspondent

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts moved its ceremony to fall
before the Oscars rather than afterwards in 2001, but few could then have
imagined the Baftas would become such reliable predictors for what would
claim victory at the American Academy Awards.

Yet the industry has witnessed a growing connection between the two
ceremonies. More Bafta winners have followed up with an accolade at the
Oscars. All five films nominated in in the Best Film Bafta category this
year ? Avatar, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Precious and Up in the Air ?
feature in the same category in this year’s Oscars. Four out of five
Bafta-nominated screenplays are also Oscar nominated as well as directors
and lead and supporting actors and actresses.

Some in the film industry now claim that the British awards ceremony is
casting a greater influence over its bigger, more lavish Hollywood
counterpart. Variety magazine recently suggested that the two academies have “gradually
converged in their selections”, culminating last year when they picked
the same five nominees and winner for best picture, the British independent
film Slumdog Millionaire.

It is impossible to say for certain whether this recent convergence is
coincidental or meaningful, said Variety, but the magazine noted that the
two academies have some overlapping decisions. In its analysis of the past
eight years of Bafta and Oscar wins, it discerned an undeniable correlation
across 10 major categories including best film and best actor/actress.
Variety stated: “You almost certainly won’t win an Oscar if you don’t
get nominated for a Bafta. If you win a Bafta, you will get nominated for an
Oscar.”

Barry Norman, the veteran film critic, said that it had become apparent in the
past few years that Bafta-nominated British films were being picked up by
Oscar judges who may otherwise not even have seen them, due to their limited
release in American cinemas, citing An Education and In the Loop ?
relatively small-budget British films ? as examples. “What Bafta
decides for their nominations must give Oscar voters ideas. I sure there is
an influence, certainly over what gets an Oscar nomination, and especially
with relatively small British films that would only have a limited
distribution in the United States; many such British films have art-house
distributors,” he said.

Amanda Berry, chief executive of Bafta, said many Bafta members felt that the
British ceremony had in the past been obscured by the after-glow of the
Oscars. Members debated changing the awards’ date for two years before they
did it, partly because “we didn’t want to become a carbon copy of the
Oscars. We wanted to retain our uniqueness”. She said the date was
finally moved so that “we could fit into that film window between the
Golden Globes and the Oscars”. The ceremony has become a hot ticket
with a growing list of A-list attendees.

Ms Berry added: “I would hope we have some influence over the Oscars. We
share some of the same members. I feel a level of pride (in the hit rate of
winners at the Baftas who go on to win at the Oscars),” she said.

She dismissed the idea that Bafta’s choices are becoming more influenced by
Hollywood tastes. “We are sometimes criticised for not doing enough for
British film, but by creating a very international ceremony we are setting
ourselves up to compete with the very best in the world.”

Bafta vs Oscars: The winners

2001

Baftas: Jamie Bell, Julia Roberts, Gladiator

Oscars: Russell Crowe, Julia Roberts, Gladiator

2002

Baftas: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Lord of the Rings (Fellowship of the
Rings)

Oscars: Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, A Beautiful Mind

2003

Baftas: Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, The Pianist

Oscars: Adrien Brody, Nicole Kidman, Chicago

2004

Baftas:  Bill Murray,  Scarlett Johansson, Lord of the Rings (The Return of
the King)

Oscars: Sean Penn, Charlize Theron, Lord of the Rings (The Return of the King)

2005

Baftas: Jamie Foxx, Imelda Staunton, The Aviator

Oscars: Jamie Foxx, Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby

2006

Baftas: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Reese Witherspoon, Brokeback Mountain

Oscars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Reese Witherspoon, Brokeback Mountain

2007

Baftas: Forest Whitaker, Helen Mirren, The Queen

Oscars: Forest Whitaker, Helen Mirren, The Departed

2008

Baftas: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Atonement

Oscars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, No Country for Old Men

2009

Baftas: Mickey Rourke, Kate Winslet, Slumdog Millionaire

Oscars: Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Slumdog Millionaire

View full article here