Queen Kate reigns in the rain
KATE WINSLET scooped the Leading Actress gong at last night's Baftas - and even managed to hold it together for her acceptance speech.
In a night of triumphs for the British film industry Slumdog Millionaire cleaned up with seven awards - including Best Film.
The ceremony, held in London's Royal Opera House, also saw Danny Boyle win the Director prize for Slumdog - the rags-to-riches tale set in the slums of Mumbai which has taken Hollywood by storm.
NIGHT OF THE STARS: FULL PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE BAFTAS!
The success will ignite the Oscar buzz around double Golden Globe winner Kate, who is in the running for best actress as a concentration camp guard in The Reader, and Slumdog, which has received 10 nominations.
After a measured speech which was a far cry from her gushing acceptance of the Globes last month, Kate said she "couldn’t be happier".
She added: "These are dreams that as a child I wouldn’t even dare to dream. I’m just making the most of every single moment and I think it would be wrong to hope for anything beyond this moment.
"I don’t want to take anything away from how special this moment is."
Kate beat Angelina Jolie in Changeling, Kristin Scott Thomas in I’ve Loved You So Long and Meryl Streep in Doubt.
She also faced stiff competition from herself - having also been nominated in the category for her role in Revolutionary Road, which reunited her with Titanic co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.
Eyes were also on the ceremony's host Jonathan Ross, fresh from his suspension over the Andrew Sachs lewd phone calls row, but it was Mickey Rourke who turned the air blue, saying he had been "f****** up [his] career for 15 years".
Rourke was named Leading Actor for his comeback role in The Wrestler, beating Dev Patel in Slumdog Millionaire, Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Sean Penn in Milk and Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon.
The late Heath Ledger won the gong for Supporting Actor, which was presented by a tearful Goldie Hawn and collected by Charles Rove - who worked with Heath on two films, including The Dark Knight.
He said that Heath was "as an actor and a professional and a human being one of a kind".
Penelope Cruz won the Supporting Actress prize - much to the delight of best friend Kate Winslet - for her role in the Woody Allen film Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which, like Slumdog Millionaire, received 11 Bafta nominations, took home three awards - Production Design, Make Up & Hair and Special Visual Effects.
Also making Britain proud was Noel Clarke, star of Doctor Who and gritty teen film Adulthood. He took home the Orange Rising Star Award which was voted for by the public.
WHAT WERE THE STARS WEARING....? FIND OUT NOW!
AND THE WINNERS ARE...
Best Film
Slumdog Millionaire
Director
Slumdog Millionaire - Danny Boyle
Leading Actor
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Leading Actress
Kate Winslet - The Reader
Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Music
Slumdog Millionaire - AR Rahman
Cinematography
Slumdog Millionaire - Antony Dod Mantle
Outstanding British Film
Man On Wire
The Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer for their First Feature Film
Steve McQueen director/writer - Hunger
Original Screenplay
In Bruges - Martin McDonagh
Adapted Screenplay
Slumdog Millionaire - Simon Beaufoy
Film Not In The English Language
I’ve Loved You So Long - Yves Marmion/Philippe Claudel
Animated Film
Wall.E - Andrew Stanton
Editing
Slumdog Millionaire - Chris Dickens
Production Design
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Donald Graham Burt/Victor J Zolfo
Costume Design
The Duchess - Michael O’Connor
Make Up & Hair
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Jean Black/Colleen Callaghan
Sound
Slumdog Millionaire - Glenn Freemantle/Resul Pookutty/Richard Pryke/Tom Sayers/Ian Tapp
Special Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Barba/Craig Barron/Nathan McGuinness/Edson Williams
Short Animation
Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf And Death - Steve Pegram/Nick Park/Bob Baker
Short Film
September - Stewart le Marechal/Esther May Campbell
The Orange Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)
Noel Clarke
Academy Fellowship
Terry Gilliam
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema
Pinewood Studios/Shepperton Studios