‘Bridge of Spies,’ ‘Carol’ lead race for British film awards

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced the nominations for its annual Film Awards Friday, with Carol and Bridge of Spies leading the way with nine nominations each.

“Carol” is based on the novel “The Price of Salt” by Patricia Highsmith. The film’s cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, was nominated for his third consecutive BAFTA award, and considering he won the last two times he was up for the prize, he’s considered stiff competition for even veteran cinematographer Roger Deakins (Sicario), who’s won three BAFTA awards himself.

The Best Film category will be hotly contested with The Big Short, Bridge Of Spies, Carol, The Revenant and Spotlight all in the running for the prestigious award. Other nominations for “Bridge of Spies” are in the best supporting actor category for Mark Rylance and the original screenplay for Matthew Charman, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen.

Alejandro González Iñárritu, whose film Birdman was pipped to the post by Boyhood for previous year for best film – before proceeding to bag the Oscar a fortnight later – is back in contention for brutal wilderness adventure The Revenant, which has eight nominations.

Other nominees in the leading actor category included Bryan Cranston in “Trumbo” and Michael Fassbender in “Steve Jobs“.

In addition to all five Best Film nominees, 15 of the 20 BAFTA acting nominees past year went on to receive Oscar nods.

Vikander was also named in the supporting actress category for “Ex Machina“, also nominated for outstanding British film.

Vying for animated film are “Inside Out”, “Minions” and “Shaun the Sheep”.

And, despite the requisite fawning over very-British The Danish Girl (Tom Hooper’s dreary prestige picture picked up six noms), this year’s nominations, which were announced this morning at BAFTA HQ (the swankiest reading of a list I’ve ever been to), only serve to prove that.

The awards ceremony will take place on February 14, with Stephen Fry hosting.

“Fury Road” has seven nominations. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” received four nominations – for production design, sound, music and visual effects – while James Bond adventure “Spectre” got nothing.