BAFTA 2012 Shortlist Unveiled

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) have announced the nominations for this year’s BAFTA awards only days after the Golden Globes.
Scottish film-maker Lynne Ramsay and actress Tilda Swinton are among the British names in contention for awards at this year’s Baftas.
Ramsay is the only British name up for best director, for We Need To Talk About Kevin, a film about the mother of a boy who goes on a high-school killing-spree.
Actress Tilda Swinton is up against Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams for in the best actress category for her part in Ramsay’s film, alongside Viola Davis for The Help, Berenice Bejo for top-nominated film The Artist, and Williams for her role in My Week With Marilyn.
Meryl Streep’s portrayal of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Michelle Williams’s role as Marilyn Monroe have put them head-to-head. Streep has already won a Golden Globe for her role in The Iron Lady, and is tipped for an Oscar.
Silent film The Artist has scooped the largest number of nominations with 12. Cold War thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy follows with 11, including a leading actor nod for Gary Oldman.
His rivals at the awards, the biggest event in the British film calendar, include heartthrobs Brad Pitt for Moneyball and George Clooney for The Descendants.
Meanwhile Martin Scorsese's Hugo was given nine nominations, with Scorsese also in line to receive this year's BAFTA Fellowship accolade.
Stephen Fry will host The BAFTA Film Awards 2012 from London's Royal Opera House on Sunday, 12th February.
(LB/GK)