Live from the Red Carpet BBC News: The Baftas

It is the biggest night of the year in British film. Hello and welcome

to the Royal Albert Hall in London for this BBC News shall programme

for the annual British Academy Film Awards. I am Jane Hill and with me

for the next hour and a half or so is the film critic Jason Solomons

and the fashion writer Lorraine Candy. All the stars will be writing

here on the red carpet very shortly and we will be talking to plenty of

them. Let's start our special programme here tonight by reminding

ourselves which films are nominated in that all-important category, best

film. I'm human. Oh, my God. That's

incredible. Jesus Christ! Who is first in this queue? Do you mind if

this young lass signs on first? There you go. Go back to your desk,

let her sign-on and do the job the taxpayer pays you for. I don't care

if I know where I go... URA janitor will stop. So what? You can do that

anywhere. There are plenty of clogged up toilets in this town. I

am in the hockey team. I work on George's boat two days a week. I

have two girlfriends. I'm in a band. Why didn't you come home when you

were supposed to? And who is you? Nobody. I found him yesterday. Some

boys chased him. He's scared more than anything. He wouldn't tell me

where he lived. And so that is just a reminder of

that all-important category, Best Film. Welcome to the Royal Albert

Hall where members of the public have defied my expectations yet

again. Some of them were telling me they queued here yesterday to get

the wristband you have to get if you want to come and stand on the side

of the red carpet here. They were queueing in the Baltic London

temperatures for 18 hours. That is how keen they were to get here and

see everyone on the red carpet. Eddie Redmayne is among those and

they are therefore not going to be disappointed because the arrivals

have started early. He will be presenting an award tonight. For the

last couple of years it has been all about him. Tonight he is here to

present an award. With me this evening the film critic Jason

Solomons and Lorraine Candy, the fashion writer from the Sunday

Times, keeping a BDI on all the comings and goings on the red carpet

-- a BDI. My colleague Lizo Mzimba is at the far end of the red carpet,

some way away from me tonight and you will be talking to people when

they arrive and some early arrival is already? Yes, I am joined by one

of the most famous names in cinema now, Daisy Ridley. You are going to

present an award tonight and also Eagle Huntress is up for an award.

You must be used to this now? I am not. I have not done a red carpet

for a long time. The last time was the Oscars. It is amazing being on

British soil and it is great to be in Britain with people who are very

kind and very excited. It is wonderful. Eagle Huntress is a

wonderful story about female empowerment? I just absolutely loved

the film and it so happens it is a similar theme that I am very happy

to be speaking about really. And we finally have the title for the next

Star Wars film. You pleased you have not given it away? Hilariously, my

trainer said they have released the title and I said what? Ryan had told

me last year so I was there with my little secret and it was all over

the Internet. I was like, I missed the hype! I I put the title to the

back of my mind so I would not slip up by accident. How exciting is it

keeping all of those secrets? The film is out in December and you

filled the macro filmed it months ago? I have been filling my time

with lots of things. It gets easier. Seven was harder. Eight, people ask

less questions. Because people have a grasp on what it is, they have

more idea what it could be. They are shouting for you as they always are.

Have a lovely evening. Thank you. They are shouting here already. We

hear the rip every year. It is so hard to hear anything over the

harbour. It is one of the things which makes the BAFTAs so much fun

-- we hear it every year. It is a really, really lovely atmosphere

here tonight. Let's get some quick opening thoughts from Jason and

Lorraine. There has been so much talk about La La Land. It is great

fun and uplifting but it is a love letter to Los Angeles and this is

the British Academy we are talking about. Do you think they will talk

about it differently? We tend to be in thrall to the LA but we have to

do it back and we say we're here at the Royal Albert Hall, can we do

things differently? It would be surprising if La La Land did not win

Best Film, it has 11 nominations but there are other films to be

considered. Films like Moonlight which I know has been beguiling

Academy members here. It is poetic and it is a film which seeps into

your soul. Has it done enough to trip but La La Land on the red

carpet? I think it is a possibility that is why we have things in the

balance. It would not be a shock if La La Land wins eight, nine or ten

awards. I love it. I think it is charming and the is terrific. It is

fooling people because it is not an old-fashioned musical. It is a young

musical. It is very much about now. It is a very modern score. The two

leads where their musical chops lightly. Ryan Gosling is cool and

effortless but they are very aware it is the 21st century. They are not

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers or Jean Kelly and Leslie Caron. I find

it charming and light but some people have been disappointed that

it did not change their lives. It is a musical, movie, it will not do

that, I am sorry! But it does have the power to change people was that

lives. It depends if the voters will go for something with heft behind it

or they will say it is freezing cold, I want the son of La La Land.

The stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are both due on the red carpet

tonight. Brain Candy, what should we look out for? What trends have you

been spotting? This is a really big night for British fashion. It would

be great to see the British design houses, the British designers being

represented. We saw a London designer being worn by Daisy Ridley.

I would like to see more of that. We will see Burberry, Stella McCartney

and big British brands as well and hopefully some of the sunshine that

La La Land brought us as well because yellow is the big colour

this season. It is a difficult colour to wear! We should mention as

well the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be here tonight as

well. Always fascinating to see what the Duchess is wearing and

presumably, no doubt she will be wearing British? Yes, what she is

wearing and he will be wearing will be fascinating. She often wears

Alexander McQueen. But she always looks amazing whatever she wears. We

will look out for that to the other end of the red carpet to Lizo

Mzimba. I am joined here by a man who is a double nominee.

You have two, one for directed screenplay and adaption. It is Tom

Ford. You adapted this from a book called Tony and Susan? It is by

terrific writer who is no longer with us. You had to change quite a

lot of it? I did but these stories spoke to me. It is about loyalty and

hanging on to people in your lives you laugh and not letting them go. I

am a very loyal person. That spoke to a -- people you love. But I did

have to make it cinematic. How much of yourself did you put into the Amy

Adams character? When you are writing all of the characters you

cannot help but put yourself in. Something has to speak to personally

and you have to exaggerate that when you work on something. Tom Ford,

thank you for talking to us. That takes us from the world of

fashion, Tom Ford is still a fashion designer but also directs the odd

film on the side. He does. He has a very stylised look at everything. He

shows in LA now, not here. I suspect if Amy Adams is here she will be

wearing Tom and Juliet as well. He made Nocturnal Animals which if

anyone who knows me and follows no Twitter will know it was one of my

least favourite films of the season but very stylish and fantastic

cinematography. What are your thoughts? It has nine nominations

here. At the Oscars, it was almost completely shut out of it. Where it

plays to the BAFTA voters is very important. Tom Ford won best

director at the Venice home Festival for Nocturnal Animals. It was deemed

very stylish and a very powerful film. Amy Adams had a strong

performance and Jake Guillen Hall as well. It seems to have lost

momentum. -- Jake Gyllenhaal. It left to bitter taste in the mouth.

His previous film with Colin Firth was very gentle and beautiful but in

Nocturnal Animals, all the seven years he has been waiting to bring

us another film, there are some very difficult scenes two digests. There

are scenes of rape. The backlash against that film has been pretty

harsh. I think it is a film about the power to hurt people and it is a

fairly vicious film. It is also about how much Tom Ford hates Texas

as well. He is still wrangling about that. But it is a very stylish film.

Can you mask the intent of the film by style alone? I can agree with

people who don't like it. It is a bitter, bitter peace. But Amy Adams

herself is very watchable. She is a real darling of the awards season

and we should mention that she is also an Arrival which is nominated

for Best Film. Amy Adams is kind of the next Meryl Streep. She is always

nominated. Sometimes when you do lots of work it cancels each other

out because you cannot vote for her in all films. Arrival of the sci-fi

film from Denis Villeneuve. It is a big film with big themes about alien

contact and she is a linguist who makes alien contact. It is a film

which blows people's minds. It did not do that for me, I found it a

disappointing movie but that is the joy of these awards season is

because some people will like certain films and some will not.

Then you will get a massive format Arrival with big effect against a

British film like I, Daniel Blake or Nocturnal Animals which has a

different feel to its artistic nature. Amy Adams is an award stable

but she never manages to convert these things to winds. She is the

perennial bridesmaid on the red carpet. She also could have been in

La La Land, she has red hair, she sings and dances, she is Emma Stone

by another name. Remind us who votes and who makes up the decisions

tonight? There are about seven members of the British Academy. In

the Oscars they have several thousand but they all come from

film. The BAFTAs have people who work in television and also work in

the gaming industry which always surprises people. They put a lot of

money and British wealth into the gaming industry and they get to vote

in the BAFTAs as well. It will be strange if they vote for Nocturnal

Animals instead of the films with big special effects. The BAFTAs are

very different to any other voting body in the world of cinema because

they are made up from people in other genres and categories and

crafts. While you are explaining that we are looking at pictures of

Eddie Redmayne. Lorraine, the last time you and I were on the red

carpet, you were talking about a photo issued you did with Eddie

Redmayne and he is hugely important to men's fashion? He is. He has been

hugely supportive. I think it is important to talk about what the men

wear on the red carpet because we should not be defining women by what

they wear on the red carpet. Fashion in this country ?28 billion to the

economy. It is the second biggest employer in the UK. Evenings like

this are really important. These are showcases for the big fashion

houses. Why would he be wearing Dior? Is that a deal. This is the

British Academy. Finding I think there are just a lot

of ceremonies he has to go to. A lot of ceremonies, a lot of red

carpets, so here's varying it. He is so friendly, he talks to everybody.

He has just done about five selfies here and he is incredibly popular as

a British actor. An awful lot of people screaming for

him behind us, for sure. He is very popular among the early arrivals. We

have reflected, Jason, on the Best Film category. Of course, another

thing that sets BAFTA apart, that category of Best British film. I

personally would be astonished if I, Daniel Blake does not win this, but

what are your thoughts? Well, that is nominated in the best

British film category and the Best Film category. If it does not win

one of them, something has gone a bit wrong. It is not feature at the

Oscars or anywhere else really, other than the European film awards,

so this is a uniquely British film. It is Ken Loach's film, of course, I

think a tremendously important film, a kind of state of the nation

address. Is it a film that BAFTA members, who tend to be more liberal

and metropolitan elite, are seeing and saying, that is how the other

half live, and it is sort of a dose of medicine and not real? I think

this one is one of ten large's very finest works. I think it is a

tremendously important film everyone needs to say, and a dose of salts

for the nation. It really makes you sit up and see what is happening to

Britain today. There was a piece in the paper today is a job centre is

not like this, the staff are not like this. Can Loach is saying,

actually, I went round to a lot of them. Some people are like there's

some other time. It is not a documentary, it is a drama about

what can happen in a certain situation. I think he does it

brilliantly. Hayley Squires is nominated. She is

due to be here tonight. Let's now had to Lizo again.

Thank you. I am joined by Kenneth Lonergan, the man behind Manchester

by the Sea. You have a nomination for directing and four Original

Screenplay. Congratulations, first of all. This is a very sad story

about a man coping with grief. How do you make sure the town is not too

unremittingly grim throughout it? I think with all the sorrow the

characters go through, there is quite a lot of love in the story,

and the characters are trying very hard to take care of each other,

which is something that happens in life. When things go wrong, you

often find people rallying around each other and showing up for each

other and doing their best for each other. I find that encouraging and

inspiring, and I hope the film is about that as much as anything.

So you think it is a mixture of grease, relationships, family?

I think it is about coping with things that none of those wants to

cope with, but the fact that people do cope with them, and it is about,

if a character has been hit harder than anyone has deserves to be had,

but he is still showing up, trying to make arrangements and look after

his nephew, and doing it out of the love he has for his brother and his

brother had for him. In many ways, the film seems to be about that more

than anything else. It premiered more than a year ago at

the Sundance festival. What are the last 12 months been like, seeing it

go from strength to strength, both distribution wise, and in the way

that audiences and critics have related directly macro it is great.

You hope your works will be liked. Your first duty is to make it as

good as you can, and then you hope people will like it, and to have

such wonderful distribution, with Studio Canal and Amazon in the

States, and the performances and people responding, it is all you can

ask for. You must be delighted that Casey

Affleck and Michelle Williams, with only 11 minutes' screen got

nominations as well. Yes, well, she is brilliant, and it

is a performance that pervades the movie. Every scene she has, she is a

knockout. She can do anything. I'm not surprised at all sea is getting

all this attention. Thank you so much for your time.

Manchester by the Sea, a film we have not touched on this far, Jason.

I would say that is in a category film that you really appreciate. It

is beautifully and shot, without possibly enjoying it. I know Casey

Affleck is nominated for a lark in this award season, but his character

is not the most likeable. Yes, it is about a janitor from

Boston, a call back to his hometown, the titular Manchester, which is a

rather snowy place near Boston. He has to go back there because his

brother has died and he has inherited his nephew, played by

Lucas Hedges, and has to run into his ex-wife, played by Michelle

Williams. There is a secret buried in his past. What is it? That is

basically the film. It reveals their pain, and he is a very pained lead

character who doesn't change much over the course of the movie. It is

an incremental change, if you like, a thawing of that frost. We see the

tiny changes are everything. A little goes a long way in this

movie. Not a lot happens, and yet, everything happens, in a way. Kenny

Lonergan, the director that Lizo was talking to, he has brought moments

of the everyday integrates drama. A very fine director. But my favourite

is the Lizo will speak to next. That had there now.

Yes, I am joined by Barry Jenkins, the man behind the firm moonlight.

You have got a nomination, and the film is up for best screenplay. What

has it been like, taking this film around the world?

It has been amazing. The movie has been met with a lot of love.

People are finding a way to see themselves in these characters, and

that's all you can ask from an audience.

And of course, with the rows over diversity in the last couple of

years, moonlight has been one of the films at the forefront of what many

people say our award juries making the right decision this year.

Yes, and I am proud to be in that place. I am very proud of that. I

think the awards season, the divers make up this year, is more

reflective of the world I live in and the industry I work in, so it

heartens me we are able to be a part of reflecting that world.

Your film is relatively low-budget compared to something like La La

Land, but it has had a massive impact. For you, what were the main

challenges of getting a movie like this made, and it seems to be out of

proportion to the impact it has made?

There weren't many challenges. Once the companies came on board, the

budget was what it was. I think we are all craftspeople, and can work

with big or small tools. The tool, the budget, on this film was small,

but it did not change the mode of expression. We approached it as if

we had unlimited resources. It felt like a luxury to have $1.5 million,

but these companies really had our backs, so everything I have ever

done, including short films, this is probably the easiest I have made,

because I always have felt supported.

What is the message of your film? Is it about acceptance?

I think it is about that, but more than that, about human expression.

We don't ignite as a society that we are always giving feedback to

people, telling them to behave in a certain way. They should have the

freedom to decide who they are one themselves. That is the ultimate

message of the film. Barry, thank you for your time. An

outstanding movie. Yes, I quite agree with ??MACRO1

there. I felt sorry Barry Jenkins was not nominated for best Director,

even though his film Moonlight is in the best film category. As we

reflected at the beginning, it could not be more different than La La

Land, but it is a thoughtful, beautiful piece.

Absolutely. The story of a young boy growing up, told in three chapters.

We see him at eight years old, we see him as a teenager having a Tough

life in high school, coming to terms with his sexuality, and then as a

grown-up, he has completely changed. He is played by three different

actors who don't really look the same, but that is the point. It is

about toughness and growing up. I almost want to spoil what Moonlight

is, because when you watch it, you don't know what you are going to

get. It has also got nominees for Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali,

who I think is tremendous. We see him there in one of the key scenes

of the film, where he is teaching a child, nicknamed Little, to swim.

Naomie Harris plays his mother. The film has toughness and tenderness in

equal measure, and can really break your heart and make you cry in

various places where you were not expecting it. What is different

about Moonlight is, it is a sort of tone poem. We don't normally see

films like this nominated at the top echelons of best picture. This might

have slipped down the cracks eight years ago and nominated at film

festivals like Sundance, but because of the drive to look for films that

are different, that old black and African-American stories, Moonlight

suddenly finds itself front and centre, and carries it beautifully.

It is the sort of film we could have overlooked, and I am so delighted it

has got eight Oscar nominations and as many BAFTA nominations as it has.

It is putting people in the spotlight like Mahershala Ali.

He is fantastic, isn't a tee yes, he was in house of cards.

-- House Of Cards. And Naomie Harris, an extraordinary performance

from there. And she really thought twice about

taking a role, because it is not giving anything away to say that her

character has a drug addiction, which plays into the relationship

with the sun, and from everything I have read, she had some misgivings

about playing that sort of character with all the drug problems

associated with it again, as might be perceived.

I think if you years ago, for African-American films, there were

too many characters who were, for example, crack addicts. For example,

Ali Barry in Jungle Fever. She realised she wanted to play

different kinds of characters, but that this was a different kind of

character, there was something very special about her. She needed three

days' work on this film, but this is the one that will change her career

and life, it is a fantastic performance. I'm delighted for her.

I think she has been a fine actress for a long time and not able to find

parts like this in Britain. Real shame, I think, that she has had to

go to the US to get a part like this. I am thrilled she has, and her

career will escalate from here. Absolutely. We will find out in a

few hours whether she wins tonight. An excellent performance.

Let's also remind people, the Bafta also gives a fellowship every year,

and this year, it is going to someone you particularly admire and

like? There are two reasons I watch films,

Mel Brooks and Woody Allen, and tonight, Mel Brooks is 87 years old

and getting a fellowship from BAFTA. He said he is not overwhelmed, he is

just whelmed by it, but I think Mel that is something. He did The

Producers, one of the funniest scripts ever written, and then

History Of The World Part one, Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. He

is a zany in his comedy, but he has something to do their words say

about now. I wouldn't be surprised if the funniest moment of the night

came from Mel Brooks. We look forward to that later in the

ceremony. Nicole Kidman arriving, very bravely taking off her jacket!

Perhaps we will hear from parent little later. As we hear that would

see these images of Nicole Kidman, let's go to Lizo as well.

Yes, I am joined by the Director of Arrival, nine nominations, including

a best Director nomination for you. An incredible sci-fi film with an

unusual narrative structure, how difficult was it balancing all those

elements? We spent a lot of time in the

editing room. A long creative process, because exactly as you

said, the elements were not obvious. By far the most difficult movie I

ever made. Balancing the intellect and the emotions was hard to do.

And what is Amy Adams, who plays the crucial central role in this movie,

bring to it? Intelligence, intelligence, and

intelligence. And Grace, and she has the movie on her shoulder. She was

my news. She was the main inspiration for this movie. -- my

muse. She is a fantastic actress, and it was a massive honour for me

to work with her. And not only astonishing visually,

the sound in this movie, along with it take to balance all those

elements? Which is the more challenging?

-- how long did it take? Yes, it is always tricky to train

create new alien sounds, create a language, so that was a long

process. We were working with the sound crew based in New Zealand.

They worked with people from Montreal, so it was like a

Commonwealth team working from everywhere on the planet to try to

create those fantastic sounds, the way that my aliens are speaking.

Thank you so much for talking to us. So, Denis Villeneuve, I know he is

nominated, and that's what counts. Let's look at this beautiful shot

here, looking at the Royal Albert here, looking at the Royal Albert

Hall. Regular watchers of this programme will know that we have

moved location this year. For many years, this has come from the Royal

Opera house in London's Covent Garden. We have moved a couple of

miles away down to the Albert Hall, and it looks absolutely beautiful

here tonight. The film critic Jason Solomons Whitney, and Lorraine Candy

at their word, editor of style at the Sunday Times. Lorraine, quick

thought in terms of what we have seen so far. Still many more people

to come down the red carpet, but do you have any thoughts so far? Some

of the women, I want to give them a jumper?

It is great that it is at the Albert Hall. The British fashion awards

were here last year, and they were fantastic as well. Seeing a lot of

women being incredibly brave with this shoulder -- off the shoulder

garments, and Nicole Kidman must be freezing!

The wonderful rates Paul. We love him. Very versatile. I think perhaps

he is presenting a -- and awards tonight, and that is way he is here.

Rafe Spall. We are just looking at Nicole Kidman. I feel as if I see

her in so many adverts these days, I have lost track of who she

advertises, but does she have a particular connection with Armani?

No, she has been close to the house, but she worked with a lot of design

and beauty houses as well. She is always on the front row in Paris and

Milan. She travels around a lot. I think Armani is a heritage brand, so

she will have a long relationship with them, and it is quite

revealing. Yes! Do they look at the weather

forecast before they come?! I think people will have changed

their minds at the last minute, actually. Just give as a reminder of

how important this can be. We are here at the British Academy Awards.

There I suggest, in terms of the fashion publicity, is it a

competition to try and dress and Oscar winner as well?

It is absolutely huge for the fashion industry, because it is a

huge shop window into some of the biggest design houses. Everything

that they make getting a high profile is what drives sales, and

that drives their retail, so it is very important to them. Often, they

establish long-running relationships with female actresses, bringing them

to the shows. There are a lot of actresses who have bespoke clothes

made for them this evening, so some will be mature dresses worth up to

?10,000. Usually, the jewellery arrives at the early part of the

evening with a bodyguard, said that the jewellery houses, bowled Dari,

Tiffany, Will Atkinson in bodyguards all around London today to make sure

there are items are safe and the red carpet. These items are

photographed, and with Instagram and social media, they are photographed

endlessly. Well, as the cries from the crowd

behind us get ever louder, if we can hear ourselves think and talk,

Jason, let's also mentioned the fact that there is the rising star award,

again, one of the things that is just a little different about the

BAFTAs, a nice little touch that is a little different, and the only

award that is voted for by members of the public.

Yes, that is right, which is quite interesting. It gets people

involved, and they can tweak away. What happens is, someone from the

most popular film will win, so someone from Star Wars, they will

win, and Kristin Stewart a few years ago for Twilight, you might as well

give them the award right now. But this year, we don't have that. We

have people who are indeed bubbling under. Ruth Negga is probably the

most interesting, because she is a rising star at the BAFTAs, but also

nominated for Best actress at the BAFTAs. I would say that is fairly

risen, if you ask me! She is a film not many people will have seen yet

that is recently out in the UK, a crucial film, and interracial

romance film in which she gets married to Joel Egerton, who is not

nominated. A great performance from her in this film, much done with her

eyes. Very tender and delicate performance. She has been rising for

a while in the UK, but to see her here is very interesting. Whether

she will win the category, I don't know, but as the Oscar-nominated and

is probably enough for her. She is up against Lucas Hedges, who I

mentioned earlier, from Manchester by the Sea, the nephew who has to be

adopted. He is very, very good, the nephew

who is only 20. Many of these stars are terribly

annoying, because they are very young and have great careers ahead

of them! Tom Holland, here's a young British actor, the son of the

broadcaster Dominic Holland. He is Spiderman in the new Spiderman

movie. He is only 20. Yes, wonderful young actor. And Laia

Costa, many will not know her name, but she is an interesting film, all

done in one shot, which takes place in Berlin. Then we have someone who

I think is probably at the top of a game by now.

I think we can say that. Let's go to laser.

Yes, I am with Nicole Kidman, nominated for Lion, an incredible

story. So emotional. What was your reaction when he first heard about

the story? Well, I read it, and I was really

moved by it. Then I found out it was a true story and I was gobsmacked

that it had actually happened. And then I got to be in the film.

The Director asked me, and he said, would you like to play the role? She

really wants you to play there. It is always a lovely feeling when the

person it is based on wants you to play them.

Do you feel more pressure when portraying a real-life person?

Sorry, what was the question? Do you feel more pressure when portraying a

real-life person. I don't know if you feel more

pressure. You feel a sense of obligation and responsibility to be

true to their spirit and essence and try to fulfil what they want,

because it is their life. Luckily, Sue was very, very embracing and

very comforting, and very supportive.

Nicole, thank you so much for your time.

Nicole Kidman, and we had not spoken much about Lion. I loved it. I loved

it so much more than I expected too, for some reason. If you have not

seen it, take tissues, I would say. A wonderful story, very moving. It

is very slow-paced, I will say. But it is beautiful cinematography as

well. We should add it as a true story as

well, all the more remarkable, because it is a about a little boy.

It is in three parts. In the first part, it is played by a beautiful

Indian eight-year-old who gets lost on a train, and is adopted on the

streets of Calcutta by Nicole Kidman. Dev Patel is also nominated

tonight. She broke my heart in this when she first receives the trial

from Lion, and says, I am going to adopt this kid. A beautiful

performance from there. She has curly hair in it, doesn't play the

glamorous Nicole Bittman role. I think it marks a new stage in her

career, this part. When she won the Oscar a long time ago, she has

really struggled to find parts that kind of match her talent, really,

and has been used by directors in different forms. I think this is the

best we have seen her for some time, so I'm delighted she is here to

celebrate that. She has also become the emblem for that movie, carrying

the movie, which people are crying about all over the country, about a

boy finding his home on Google Earth, when he is intending to go

home to India. There is not a dry eye in the house.

We spoke to Dev Patel just after he heard he had been nominated. He was

just so delightful. He called his mum, and then he spoke

to us! I think that was very sweet of him.

And he was busy filming in Mumbai at And he was busy filming in Mumbai at

the time, but very delighted, as if he can't believe how far he has come

from, as he would put it, his suburban north London upbringing.

A great story for Dev, but it couldn't happen to a nicer guy as

well. It is interesting to see his career go from Channel 4, Skins, the

big break of Slum Dog Millionaire, but he worked in US television for

Aaron Sorkin in The Newsroom as well. He has changed and sell

significantly as an actor, physically, for this role. He has

beefed up to play this guy. I think you will be an important British

actor in the years to come, because you mentioned the diversity issue,

this is a film with a story about people of colour, and last year, we

had hashtags. We will not get those of the BAFTAs this year. Things have

changed quite significantly, and Dev Patel is at the vanguard of that.

More from Lizo now. Thank you, I am with the Director

Ron Howard, who is nominated for the documentary the Beatles a week the

touring years. -- The Beatles: eight Days a Week - The Touring Years. So

much has been said about the Beatles over the past few decades, what

inspired you to make another story? I realised the perspective you can

now bring to the story, also because Paul and Ringo are willing to do

new, comprehensive interviews for us to build around, but I think that

perspective, it certainly reminded me that these young guys had

something to teach us today, their commitment to certain principles,

you know, whether they were artistic or moral. They really lived by them,

and that is to be acknowledged. As well as newly discovered footage,

there must have been a massive decision about what to actually

leave out of the documentary? You could have made something 12 hours

long? Certainly, and more. We wanted plenty of room for the music, first

and foremost. How many times does a and foremost. How many times does a

Director get the opportunity to get in that much great Beatles music?

But there was all the humour, and in all this personal drama, it was a

kind of coming-of-age story, the way they developed and threw down the

gauntlet. Through Lizo, -- Beatlemania, there was a lot of

drama as well. Well, Ron Howard, enjoy the evening.

Thank you very much. Ron Howard, he was on the red carpet

with his daughter Bryce Dallas Howard a little earlier. In the

background, at and I think we might hear from you surely, is Isabel

Huppert. Not nominated here, but she has an Oscar nomination? Yes, she

was nominated for an Oscar, great surprise for a French actress,

banana nominated here, which was equally so brightening. I think she

is an incandescent star. -- not nominated here. She is terrific in a

fungal Things To Come as well. I'm glad she is here, and hope she does

not make a wasted journey. -- a film called Things To Come. It is unusual

for her to push for a role get the Oscar nomination, and it does not

happen very often. I talked to very couple of weeks ago when the critics

awarded her a lifetime achievement award, and she said she did not

often get that spotlight and was delighted to be here.

Let's return to how we started our programme to commit more about La La

Land, back to Lizo for that. I am here with the Director of La La

Land, and the screenplay nominee. What has it didn't like, this

roller-coaster ride since you premiered in Venice?

It has been a roller-coaster ride. It has been amazing. The thing I

could not predict that has really may be happy is just that the movie

has connected with people all around the world. That is really so real to

me. Did you have any reservations about

making a musical at a time when people thought, no, we don't want to

see musicals any more? I did not have any reservations. I

think a lot of financiers had reservations. It is about six or

seven years to get financing, but no, all of us who made the movie

jumped in headfirst. I do so much for your time.

And if you stay with us for a second, we hope to get in a word

with Jacob? No, we can't. Do we have JK Rowling? We do! How are you? You

are live on BBC News. Hello, BBC News. Fantastic Beasts

and Where to Find Them, nominated for Outstanding British Film. You

must be thrilled as a writer and producer?

Yes, yes, I am genuinely over the moon, actually. It is amazing,

amazing. Even if we don't win, that is a huge nomination to get, so I am

really thrilled stop did you have any reservations about returning to

the wedding world you created with Harry Potter?

Absolutely, of course. The expectation is massive, the bar is

very high, and the only reason to return is if you have a story that

you still really wanted to tell, and I did have, and it has been

incredible, actually. I have loved it.

And preparations for the next movie coming along. Have you cast your

jumbled or yet? We're doing that right now, and it

is a massive thing, Dumbledore, my favourite character in the whole

series, so we're right in the middle of that right now.

You have been quite outspoken and social media recently about a lot of

things. How strongly do you feel about the political situation in the

world at the moment? Let's just say, it is an interesting

time to be writing a franchise about the rise of a populist maniac.

And I must ask, I know you are a huge Kennedys buff. Natalie Portman

nominated for Jackie, have you seen it?

I haven't, I genuinely want to see it, but I haven't.

I would be interested to know what you think as someone with a massive

interest in the Kennedys. Nice to see you as ever. Take care.

Well, Lizo keeping very, very busy at the far end of the carpet.

That is JK Rowling. Some interesting things going on with her on Twitter

recently as you may have seen. Before her, the Director of La La

Land. Look at this! The lovely Dev Patel. Hopefully, we will hear from

him in a moment. It might have struck people

watching, how young he is, that Director!

Yes, policemen and film-makers! Here 31 years old and nominated for best

Director. Film has been nominated, 11 nominations for La La Land. It

says to me that film is having to reinvent itself and get younger.

With him and Barry Jenkins, who Lizo or two earlier, the 37-year-old

Director of Moonlight, we are seeing a new movement, lots of new

film-makers coming through. I think it is very important film remains

relevant to young film-makers, because they could migrate to

television and Netflix. Lots of power there these days. It is

important that these film-makers want to make films for the communal

experience and the big screen. I think we're seeing an interesting

move this year. I think cinema has been to be honest, quite dull for

two years. La La Land and Moonlight have really altered the landscape

and change the way people shoot and receive films. They have given

things and new energy, and a spring in the step.

There is Amy Adams, who we have been speaking about as well. Lorraine,

putting you on the spot, do you have any idea who she is wearing? Very

difficult to see from the monitor. I tell you what's brilliant about Amy

and Emma Stone, the rise of the Red Hat. How that's become amazing

again. How women are asking for it as a hair colour. Tom Ford's film,

he has some redheads, Julianne Moore, Amy Evans on the young

actress Isla Fisher. There is your surrogate son, Dev Patel! This is

Andrew Garfield arriving but let's hear from Lizo.

I am joined by Dev Patel, best supporter actor nominee. Lion, what

an superb story, what did you think? I actually got sent the news

article. The fact these incredible news events actually happened and a

boy showed such adaptability, street smarts and resilience, it completely

moved me and I was obsessed with it from that moment on, where I was

knocking on the screenwriter's door trying to get an It's amazing

walking the red heart carpet having had that. Circle moment. What was

most difficult, the Australian accident or getting into the skin of

the Both. I had to change the way I sound and the way I look. It is

really going crazy! It nourished me as a human being. It took me to

places in the world I had never been to. I made a lifelong friend in the

director, I can't tell you how much I love him and respect him.

Thank you. Best of luck tonight. Thank you so much.

Dev Patel, who stars in Lion. That is Emma Stone, winner of the Golden

Globe for Best Actress in a comedy or a musical. Signing autographs. We

were just recollecting the rise of the redhead. It is Emma Stone. We

were saying at the start of the night, you were particularly

interested to see who she would be wearing this evening.

Nicole Kidman. We are, you will have gathered, very close to a large

group of members of the public who queued a time yesterday to stand on

the red carpet here. I have to tell you, there was a lot of love just

now for JK Rowling. They were screaming for her to come over. She

was busy having her photograph taken by the photographers just below us

here. But huge reception for her. That was very striking, I thought. I

think we can return to Lizo. Thank you. I'm joined by Hugh Grant,

another Best supporting actor nominee. She might do all the

singing in this movie but it is your character, Sinckler, at the centre

of it all, at the centre of gravity of the movie.

Well, you could argue that. The centre of gravity is the

relationship between the two of them. In the end it is a romance,

but a very weird one. How did you find playing a man in a

difficult position? He wants to be very supportive to his wife but he

also has realistic expectations and viewpoints on her abilities.

My character knows that my wife is the worst singer in the world but

has to pretend she's not. Partly out of love, but partly out of self

interest, because if that myth is exploded his whole world, which is

quite affluent, explodes. What was it like working with the

screen legend that is Meryl Streep? Well, of course, terrifying and a

treat in equal measures. Hugh Grant, thank you very much for

talking to us. Best of luck tonight. Hugh Grant, who stars alongside

Meryl Streep. Meryl Streep is due here this evening. Meryl Streep, who

now always gets referred to as that rather overrated actress! After what

Donald Trump said. She's got a few awards in her Cabinet. Do you think

she might get another one here today? Just thinking about that

category. Best Actress category... Meryl Streep is always in that

category. She's up against Emily Blunt and Amy Adams. I think...

Natalie Portman as well. Emma Stone, I think is so charming. We saw her

earlier. So charming, she sings and dances and carries the comedy, I

think it is Emma Stone's. We were talking about I, Daniel Blake, a

standout film from Ken Loach. Let's hear from him now.

I am with Ken Loach at this end of the carpet. A film, a very powerful

piece of work since you premiered it in Cannes. What's it like being

honoured with a BAFTAs and night for Best Film and Outstanding British

Film nomination? It's extraordinary. The film is so

different to all the razzmatazz here. It is quite strange having

made a film about people whose lives are thrown into chaos by the Social

Security system, to find yourself among those bullets and grammar. But

there you go, it's part of the contradiction of the film business.

It's nice that people liked the film. I mean, it's good for the

film, so that's OK. How important our events like this,

bringing a message home that you want to get to as many people as

possible? It gives the film prominence and a

profile and we've been very lucky with awards this year. The Academy

Awards obviously helped. So yeah, we are, more people know about it,

maybe more people will go on fear. Then the people who it's really

about, they might see some, a real campaign to get things changed.

How pleased were you to see Hayley Squires getting a best supporting

actress nomination for the movie? She is a terrific girl and a

brilliant actress, obviously. As is Dave Jones as Daniel break. I'm

really chuffed Hayley, she's going to do lots of great work in her

career and she's a fine writer, too. She is someone to watch.

Thank you for your time. Ken Loach, the director of I, Daniel

Blake. You wouldn't have been able to hear that, Jason, but

particularly paying tribute to Hayley Squires, saying he thinks she

has a fantastic future ahead of her. A very strong performance by her.

I love her in this film, she is absolutely incandescent. She plays a

sort of beating heart of this movie. I, Daniel Blake is the title but it

is really about her, her struggles as a single mum. She's been shoved

out of London and has to go and live in Newcastle and fight... It's

almost a tigerish performance, a tigress protecting her young in this

movie, trying to do everything to survive. Ken Loach has this

marvellous facility for picking unknown actors and making them

absolutely give the performances of their lives that the find their

careers. I think Hayley Squires is one of those. She is nominated

tonight in the supporting category, which I think is right, I would love

to see her win that. It is such a British performance, as well. Such a

British actress but becoming brilliant at this awards season,

growing into this and becoming glamorous and really fighting for

that role. Ken Loach, he's about to join Lizo, we can probably hear from

her shortly. She was fantastic, and Dave Johns as

well, who plays the title character. Let's hear from her now.

Yes, I'm with Hayley Squires, best supporting actress nominee, what was

your reaction when you heard? One of shock and excitement but yes,

shock. How have you found the reaction to

the movie over the past few months? It's been massive. We've had a

massive outpouring from community groups, from people who recognise

something in I, Daniel Blake to be relevant in their lives, either

happen to them or their family members. The outpouring of people

talking about it, writing about it, getting in touch with us and wanting

to do something about it is massive. A very moving scene with your

character in a food bank. How did you prepare for something like that?

I met with the food bank where we shot the scene and spoke to the

people who worked for the charity that run the food bank. Myself and

Ken talked in depth about people who end up in those circumstances, we

talked about hunger and what that does to the body and then tried to

go in and be as truthful as possible in those circumstances.

Thank you so much for talking to us this evening.

Hayley Squires, wishing Lizo a lovely evening. It might be her who

ends up having a lovely evening, I think that's the way these things

are meant to go! The star of I, Daniel Blake. Amy Adams again. We

are in a striking vantage point is here because things are very

different here. It is not the Opera house, the Albert Hall, a new setup

and louder than ever, if that's possible!

We arrived this balcony where it is almost like a holding pen, whether

celebrities are taken off to have their photos taken. Celebrities on

their head. The lovely thing is I got a really good look at Amy Adams'

dress is beautiful. We just trying to reattach

microphone. We are looking at pictures now of Barry Jenkins, the

director of Moonlight. One of my favourite films of this season.

Jason mentioning the fact he is only 37 years old. We hope we will see

more fantastic features from him. I think we can hear you properly,

Lorraine. We were reflecting on Amy Adams, a simple dress, but the green

is so beautiful. Lovely, beautiful green dress. Tom Ford Cape. There is

Gucci and Dior. Osmond. Dev Patel was wearing a Burberry tuxedo. It is

great. You can see them here close up.

And you've been reminding us just how important, how influential and

how useful that is for all those fashion houses you've just named.

Yes, the world stage. Photographed here, Cena list-macro and then all

the red carpet gaffe brings and websites around the world will have

them in the next few days. Probably the highest trafficked galleries.

You mentioned earlier the role of the jewellers or the jewellery

designers. We shouldn't forget that. I was particularly struck, I've

never been this close to a number of real a list stars before and I was

struck that I could have a fantastic sight line of Amy Adams' big drop

earrings. They come up, possibly some of these, with a bodyguard.

They do, most of the jewellery arrives with two or three

bodyguards. Probably thousands of pounds worth of jewellery sat down

there at the moment being worn. She's just about to have her picture

taken. Tremendously democratic, I think. A

holding pen of celebrities just beneath us. I could steal some of

their earrings. They are all waiting for their go on giving each other a

go. They also have to pass through Lizo before they get here. He has

one of the big stars of the night. I am with Emma Stone, Best Actress

nominee for La La Land. The film has gone down so well. Do you think part

of its appeal is people can relate to Maja's struggle, her wish to

better herself and move on in the world?

I'm not ever really sure what parts are the most resonant for people, I

think it's different parts for different people, but maybe, maybe

that part of wanting to believe in something against all odds and

trying to hold onto hope. And hold creativity, even when it seems

impossible. When was the first moment you knew this film is

something special and really hitting a nerve with audiences and critics,?

It was a special and overwhelming, very hot moment. There was no air.

We were sweating and teary and it was really special.

Thank you so much for your time this evening. Hope you have a good

evening at the ceremony. Thank you very much.

Excellent to hear from Emma Stone, nominated for her role in La La

Land, directed by Damien Chazelle. You are watching a special BBC News

programme from the Royal Albert Hall in London, the British film Academy

awards. I should give you a warning that there is an increasing amount

of flash photography into my's programme. The actors, actresses,

directors and producers are starting to ride thick and fast and the

photographers, a huge number of them... There is a lot of flash

photography tonight. I think you can safely expect that for the rest of

the programme. Hugh Grant just having his photo taken. And he stars

alongside Meryl Streep and she has just arrived. I forget how many

BAFTAs she has won but she certainly has a huge number of Oscars. She

hasn't got a huge amount of nominations, turning nominations

into a winners in the easiest thing to do. She doesn't always win. I

think tonight, we're not at the Opera house but she praised the

world's worst opera singer. As I say, we saw Emma Stone with the Lizo

earlier before. We were talking about her. She was wearing Chanel.

She is sparkling and incandescent, as she is in the film. Every now and

then Hollywood feels the need to anoint some new and we see that more

regularly now. This year I think is Emma Stone's year. This is the new

starlet they are putting forward and she has Mathilde over the years. She

worked with Woody Allen, she was in Crazy, Stupid Love. She has worked

with Woody Allen twice, and aircraft and become a tremendous actress.

What should other La La Land is a great feat. She dances amazingly but

not outstanding. She delivers her lines brilliantly, she has a

modernity and wit to her and has become almost like a Diane Keaton

figure, that we can... Every time she comes on screen thing, can I

love her any more and yes, you can. Very rarely on a cover of a

magazine. She's actually at the moment probably the most wanted in

terms of design houses dressing her. She's been very, very careful about

the kind of publicity she does. She rarely does an interview. She's very

rarely photographed out and about with the paparazzi. She's always

holding back, which makes are worth more. I think she's an extraordinary

new start and I think if she does go into fashion should be very powerful

because she is so beautiful to dress and a quirky looking girl.

We're just seeing Amy Adams again, that dress we were talking about a

few moments ago. You it was Tom Ford. He directed Nocturnal Animals.

It is one of the films that was talked about this year. She is also

in Arrival, in the Best Film category. She plays a linguist. I

like the idea behind Arrival. It is that notion that aliens arrive,

someone arrives from outer space, but you do not send in dance or

trips, you send in an interpreter to try to speak to them. She plays the

interpreter. That is right. I am a linguist myself, so I found it

touching, that you would invent a language to speak to them. The

talking and communication would be the way forward. It is a powerful

message. It is a film I saw before the political upheaval of these

days. Films like this, this is when cinema can be important, it can show

you how behaviours can work, what scenarios may be. Arrival is one of

those important movies. Not self-important, it is about the

practicalities of sci-fi. In the end, it is a film that comes down to

Amy Adams and the personal aspect of it. While it was being cosmic, it

had me. I loved it. There are some great effects. And Jeremy Renner,

who plays opposite her, he is very strong as well. I think we're

looking at Naomie Harris. We are. She is from Moonlight. She is

wearing Gucci. Yes, an extraordinary collection. It is so upbeat and

pretty. They had a new designer start two years ago. He brought a

new, feminine aesthetic. It has become the label to wear. I have

seen it for five times tonight. That is probably the biggest number of

times I have seen a designer tonight. That is interesting. She

looks so pretty. It is very feminine. You will no far better

than me, Lorraine, but I sensed that she is an actress who is very much

engaging with the fashion world as well. She was fabulous in The Theory

Of Everything, alongside Eddie Redmayne, one of her many strong

performances. There have been many others. I feel like I am seeing her

associated with bashing, is that the? Yes, she will be in the front

row at London fashion issue -- at London fashion week on Friday, it is

Paris after that. She will definitely be in the front row on

Monday next week. Is that one of her favourites? Yes, one of her brands.

You're watching BBC News, special coverage from the Royal Albert Hall

in London. We are building up to the British academy film awards. La La

Land is the film with the most nominations but that does not

necessarily translate to winning on the night. This is the favourite,

Meryl Streep, a favourite of so many. She has fabulous longevity,

superbly talented. I was chatting to lots of members of the public

earlier this afternoon. All those people who had been queueing up to

stand on the red carpet. I always say, who do you want to see, who are

you looking out for? Lots of them said Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone,

but some of them still say Meryl Streep. She has been with us for so

many years. Fantastic performances. People want to see her. People might

want to hear a speed give her a Golden Globe speech is anything to

go by. Will we have the same politicisation at the Baftas? I am

not sure. People are grown up with Meryl Streep in various ways. She

was an independent move like the Deer Hunter in the 1970s, and

Manhattan. All the way through the 1980s, those great roles, like

Silkwood, and the reboot through the 1990s, in films like the River Wild,

and Margaret Thatcher in the Ireland lady. Nevin Florence Foster Jenkins.

She has managed to get funnier as she has got older. Florence Foster

Jenkins is a great comedy performance. She has managed to grow

and almost be ageless. You think of her about you cannot pigeonhole her

as any sort of tight. She can change to become Margaret Thatcher budgie

can become Florence Foster Jenkins. Talking of costumes, you see them in

the red carpet. We sometimes forget how brilliant they are in cinema.

The costumes for Meryl Streep in Florence Foster Jenkins are things

of wonder, witty, extraordinary, creations that go with the

character. She is nominated for that as well, for her work on the film.

Emma Stone being very brave, signing lots of autographs. People around

her were trying to move her own. There is Emily Blunt, nominated for

a girl on a train. How much involvement does she have with the

fashion world? Not so much. Not as much as we noticed with Emma Stone

at the beginning. I am not sure what she is wearing. It is possibly

Gucci. It is really beautiful. She is not classically want to be seen

in the front rows. She is taken seriously as an actress and she

seems to be focused on that. It is funny the way these decisions are

taken. We do not know if that is driven by the fashion industry or

her personal choice. When you see her run the red carpet, you feel she

could win anything and she would stand out. You would think that

fashion designers would want to dress her. Yes, it is always about

time. Where people are filming and where they are in the world when the

collections dropped. Whether they can be photographed for the

campaigns as well. It is all about juggling the acting and the

campaigns they may be doing as well. Emily Blunt is nominated in the

leading actress category. She is alongside that very strong

contender, Emma Stone, that we've been talking about so much. Also

alongside Natalie Portman, who is wonderful in Jackie, and who is very

heavily pregnant. I presume that is why she not here tonight. Probably

not an airline that would want to take that on. Error where we saw a

brief shot of Tom Holland, young man, 20 years old, from London. He

is in the Rising Star category we talking about earlier. Yes, and Noel

Clarke, previous winner. We have segued beautifully. It can make a

career. Noel Clarke is a real ambassador for that Rising Star

award. It changed his life and his career. There is a reason for them

continuing that relationship with that award. It gives the Baftas a

little bit of a difference. People can be involved. The Oscars are

terribly high and mighty. You cannot be involved, but you can with the

Rising Star award. You can votes forehead and become part of the

ceremony. Bafta are keen to anoint new people and keep them as part of

the family. It is an ongoing relationship. As it is with fashion

houses, and film-makers and actresses. I mention Naomie Harris.

Sometimes I feel like we might lose some of her talent to America. It is

important we use them in British films and have parts for them that

are strong and make them proud to be in the British film industry. We

need are stars. We should treat them well. We should make sure they are

looked after, because they will just disappear. The only way to do that

is to make sure the work is good enough. Very interesting that we saw

Naomie Harris in that beautiful Gucci creation. This is Emma Stone.

That sums up the Baftas tonight. Emma Stone in La La Land, Naomie

Harris in Moonlight, perhaps to make of the strongest contenders at the

British academy film awards this evening, live from the Royal Albert

Hall in London. La La Land has the most nominations. We wait to see

whether it walks away with all the trophies. Emma Stone wearing Chanel.

Naomie Harris, as we were reflecting earlier, I really fantastic

performance in Moonlight. The two films could not be more different,

Moonlight about a young man growing up in a pure area of Miami in the

1970s. And Isabelle Huppert, who is nominated for an Oscar and will be

presenting an award here tonight. You're watching BBC News. And the

Royal Albert Hall, the new venue for this year for the Baftas. It really

does look beautiful. It is a particularly long red carpet. I feel

like it is about twice the length of the Opera house we're used to. And

on this bitterly cold night, some of the stars had been very good indeed

about staying and having their photograph taken and signing

autographs. That was Ken Loach, nominated for I, Daniel Blake. What

an extraordinary and lengthy career. He is 80 years old. Use a long red

carpet, lengthy career. It was 50 years ago he got his first Bafta

nomination. He has it that she has had a few nominations in between as

well. I will make some predictions. I think that Ken Loach will win for

I, Daniel Blake in the best British film. I think that La La Land will

win Best Film. You could not have two more different films carrying

away the major prizes. For the career alone, Ken Loach deserves it.

But for I, Daniel Blake, he double deserves it. There is controversy

around it because some people are not happy at the way the benefit

system is per trade. He would argue, and I can see over your shoulder,

doing some interviews, he would argue that he and his scriptwriter,

Paul Lafferty, who he works with a lot, did lots of research, and

conducted lots of interviews. Ken Loach was supposed to have retired

from making feature films. But poll uncovered this research and it was

too much like Ken Loach for him to refuse. If he had not made this

film, I am not sure there is a simple film-maker out there who

would have made it, certainly not in this way. -- a single film-maker.

And Arnold was nominated for American honey. She's influenced by

Ken Loach. Will she be making films like that? It Ken Loach does not

make that film, the stories do not get told. It is controversial, but

all the better for it. I am glad that people there to challenge it,

because they will find it is not a false note in that movie. As the

movie is constructed, people might say gets a bit melodramatic, but was

Charles Dickens. He is making a point and sometimes cinema has to

cut straight to the heart. That is what I, Daniel Blake does. There is

Hayley Squires, having her photograph taken on the way into the

Albert Hall. A young upcoming talent. Ken Loach and his producers

went through a long casting process. He wants to work with people who are

considered unknown. He did that with Hayley Squires and Dave Johns, who

plays the character Daniel Braid. He is a stand-up comedian. Ken Loach

does not want celebrity to detract from the message. For him, the

medium of cinema is to get across this political message. A big star

might detract from that. There is Dave Johns, who plays Daniel Blake.

There are a formidable pairing that movie. They put Newcastle on the

map. It does not get enough cinematic limelight. People in

Newcastle will be cheering that film. It represents that plays well.

Daniel Blake has been received with warmth in that place. When you look

at the list, the categories, do you think Hayley Squires would have a

chance? We have mentioned it before, but Naomie Harris is very good in

Moonlight. Viola Davis, we have not spoken about her much, but she is

strong in Fences. He has won Oscars for roles in the past. It is a

strong category. The supporting categories are more interesting than

the leading categories. The supporting roles lend a certain town

to a picture. The actor can be free of the burden of carrying the whole

movie and land a different tone to it. Hugh Grant is very funny in

Florence Foster Jenkins. I think Mahershala Ali is great as well in

Moonlight. This is a Dev Patel category in Lion. He becomes the

main part of that film. People will be fond of him and the night and

homecoming king. Yes, Russell Tovey having his photo

taken. He is presenting an award tonight. Looking at the Best Actor

nominee is fair. All of them here tonight, as well. That takes us back

to something we touched on right at the start, the importance of the

BAFTAs now. It is up there, it is very much part of the award season,

not just in the States but the big film festivals as well, Venice and

Berlin. Where do you rank BAFTA, if you can, in terms of importance? If

you won BAFTA you would be very chuffed with yourself and rightly

so. What is becoming important is there are some differences, as well.

It's not the same as the Oscars, it has its own unique a very unique

British award. They look for very different things. The mix is very

crucial. They are getting it just about right this year, with the

Outstanding British Film. The Americans are pleased, nestle

alongside them. I would like to see a day where we don't have Best Film,

we just have, or best British film, just all together, with the

documentaries as well. So rich is sin are at the moment that to

delineate is very old-fashioned. Beard animated, documentary or

blockbusters. But for now the red carpet is where they are

democratically squeezed together, robbing freezing shoulders!

It suddenly got a little more, and quite. Penelope Cruz presenting an

award here tonight as well. Now we can hear ourselves and talk to each

other, just some of your grip reflections on tonight on what we've

seen, on a bitterly cold night? There have been some very beautiful

creations out there? Yes, people have been wearing them very briefly.

To my mind there hasn't been anything new or unusual. It's a

whole season of trouser suits and all in ones. We've seen nothing but

dresses tonight and it's all been very floaty and feminine. Fashion is

in a cool place at the moment. I would like to have seen people

mixing it up a bit, using more designers. I would like more British

designers on the catwalk. Surprised we haven't seen any Victoria

Beckham. She has done trousers, especially as it is so cold! It's

unusual to see so many European houses are not British houses. I'd

like to have seen more London designers, being on the eve of

London Fashion Week. Everyone looked amazing. Nod to the men as well.

That is important as well. It's interesting we always talk about

what women wear, it doesn't define them as actresses but it's great to

see them engaging with the industry. I always think we need to talk about

what men wear. Dev Patel wore Burberry, which was great. We saw a

lot of Tom Ford and Armani as well. There were some blue tuxedos, Tom

Ford in a red velvet... He always wears that. If you can get away

with! He wears these things very well. I'm sure he has snuck in the

back. Well, something of a lull here. We should point out that two

important people haven't arrived as far as we know. The Duke of

Cambridge is a patron of BAFTA. The patron of BAFTA. They had a

pre-soiree at Kensington Palace last night, a nominee 's party. That is

kind of his stomping ground. He's very much in charge of it. There was

some talk, may silly talk a few weeks ago, about whether the Dutch

ash should be coming as well, because she might be so glamorous

she might put Nicole Kidman and the others to shame, complete nonsense!

She doesn't always turn up but he himself will be here. He is

presenting the Fellowship to Mel Brooks. I think there is going to be

a gag gag waiting to happen and maybe a film coming out that at some

point. I think he's very supportive of BAFTA and I think it's very

important for BAFTA to have that edge. And again, with its

international reputation, it gives them another draw for the people

coming. I think he's very involved with that, as well. He does go to...

Before all those Royal variety shows and all those royal premiers, they

used to give them terrible films to watch but I think now we are in safe

hands and the taste has got a bit better than the bland family films

they used to put in front of his grandmother, the Queen.

Maybe this is a silly question, but is it useful for them to have that

royal patron edge? Does it boost the British Academy? I'm curious what

difference it makes. I suppose by definition it brings publicity. It

does. It makes it feel it is such an important industry. Varane was

talking about how much fashion contributes to the gross domestic

product to the country, film as well. Billions. It is vital they get

represented. Films struggled for a long time to be taken seriously. I

think that debate is over now. We can't lose sight of its commerce and

how important it is. We talked about Felicity Jones earlier, she is in

star wards broke one, a huge film around the world. For Britain to

remain the centre of that, the centre of culture, we are almost

second to La La Land in Hollywood itself, is Britain as a cultural and

creative entity. To have the royal family behind that is very

important. You are watching this BBC News

special programme live from the Royal Albert Hall in London, as we

edge up to the beginning of the British Academy film awards. The

ceremony due to begin, I believe, dead on seven o'clock. Most of the

actors, actresses, directors and producers are inside. They made

their way up the red carpet in this new venue here at the Royal Albert

Hall. The ceremony, we should say again, will be hosted by Stephen

Fry, as we have become used to. And the Fellowship tonight will be

presented by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, as we've been

reflecting. And I'm making an educated guess, perhaps they are

arriving now. That award, as we say, goes to someone who has had an

extremely long and extremely influential career, Mel Brooks. I

think 87 now, is he? He is, 87, extraordinary. The longevity of that

career... I think the Duchess and you are arriving and we'll be right

behind you, Jane. A different route for them. They get a different

carpet. They have a considerably shorter

carpet, that's what I just realise. You are at eagle eyed in a way that

I was not. Yes, just arriving behind us. The Duke of Cambridge in his

role of patron of BAFTA. And Lorraine Candy from the Sunday

Times, you were saying at the start of our programme tonight that you

hoped we would see a British dress, British designer.

I don't know, I think possibly Alexander McQueen, but... She does

look amazing, doesn't she? We will see if we can get confirmation of

that. Alexander McQueen, a label that she wears quite a lot. Yes, her

wedding dress also. Would she have thought about that dress for

tonight? Film related red carpet would...? I think she would have

wanted to support British and she knows she's going to be photographed

more than any other woman here. She would have put quite a lot of

thought into that. So, they make their way in. What's

so striking is we've been fighting the volume levels all night, as we

always do here at the BAFTAs. But because they came through a

different entrance, the vast majority of members of the public

hear clearly didn't realise they had arrived, because there was no

shouting, even I was taken by surprise.

They don't want to upstage the actresses. They're with the Chief

Executive of BAFTA, is wearing Burberry. I thought I'd get that in

there! Good inside knowledge, Jason.

That really does signify that we are very close to the ceremony starting.

We had a couple of predictions from you this evening, Jason, but I'm not

going to let you go and let this element of the evening close without

getting some firm predictions from you and then you and I will be back

together in a couple of hours from now to see whether you or I were

right. In terms of Best Film, that is distinct from the category of

Best British film, but Best Film, just to remind people the

nominations are Arrival, Manchester by the Sea, I, Daniel Blake and

Moonlight and La La Land. Do I gather you are calling that the La

La Land? Yes, 11 nominations and I think that heft will carry it

through. I'd love it to be Moonlight but I think it is La La Land and I

will be delighted for that as well. Yes, I guess I feel the same as you.

I would love it to be Moonlight. Outstanding British Film, forgive

me, apologies to some because we have barely mentions of those

mentioned. Fantastic beast and where to find them is among them. I,

Daniel Blake, you would think? Yes, I think I, Daniel Blake. A foreign

film in the British category, under the shadow, set in Iran in the 80s

but I think it is a I, Daniel Blake. A tremendous year and winning in

Cannes and I think he will carry that momentum through to winning

tonight. And the shouting her shouted again. I think that is

because Casey Affleck has arrived. Yes, he is over there, hiding with a

beard, not how he appears in the film. Casey Affleck, he is in

Manchester by the Sea. Probably the hot favourite to win Best Actor 's

night. He's got the pressure from Andrew Garfield behind him but I

think it is Casey Affleck's, it seems he is winning everywhere else.

I have to say, it's not the performance I love the most, but I

see why it is getting a lot of heft behind it and I think it's probably

going to carry at all the way through to the Oscars. Hard to see

anyone coming in and tripping up Casey Affleck other than his own

beard. Jason Solomons and Lorraine Candy, fantastic to have you

alongside me and bearing the cold. We could even hear each other for

some of it, an absolute treat! Thank you. The British film Academy Awards

will get underway in the next 15 minutes or so and we will have a

special results programme for you here on BBC News. Jason and I will

be back with you for that at 9:30pm this evening. We will see whether

Jason's predictions are indeed correct. Let's find out what

happens. For now, from here, alongside the red carpet at the

Royal Albert Hall in London, it is goodbye for now.