'Rings' wins best film BAFTA

LONDON, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" was the big winner Sunday, picking up five British Academy Film Awards including best film and the Orange award -- the top film prize as voted by the public.

The BAFTA best film winner has gone on to win the best picture Oscar four out of the last six years. The exceptions occurred in 1995, when "Sense and Sensibility" won the top BAFTA and "Braveheart" won the Oscar, and 1997, when "The Full Monty" won the BAFTA and "Titanic" took the Oscar.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" also won Sunday for best director (Peter Jackson), visual effects and makeup/hair.

Russell Crowe was named best actor Jennifer Connelly won for best supporting actress for "A Beautiful Mind."

"I love my job and I don't think I do it that well," said Crowe in his acceptance speech, "but keep on disagreeing with me."

Judi Dench was named best actress for her performance as the writer Iris Murdoch in "Iris." Her co-star, Jim Broadbent, won best supporting actor for his other major role of the year in "Moulin Rouge," director Baz Luhrmann's fanciful take on dancehall Paris at the dawn of the 20th century. "Moulin Rouge" also won for sound and music.

"Gosford Park" won for best British film and best costume design. "Amélie" won for best screenplay and production design. "Amores Perros" won for best foreign language film. "Shrek" -- which had previously won a BAFTA for best children's film -- took another prize Sunday for best adapted screenplay.

The award for cinematography went to Roger Deakins for the Coen brothers' "The Man Who Wasn't There," and "Mulholland Drive" won for best editing.

Warren Beatty became only the eight American to receive a BAFTA Fellowship award. A joint fellowship was awarded to the long-time filmmaking team of James Ivory, Ismail Merchant and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.

Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli accepted a special award for their company, Eon Productions, which makes the James Bond movies. Veteran stunt coordinator and action director Vic Armstrong was honored with the Michael Balcon award for outstanding British contribution to cinema.