Slumdog, Winslet triumph at Baftas

The hit film Slumdog Millionaire was the big winner at the Bafta Film Awards in London on Sunday night, taking home seven prizes in total.

Slumdog - the story of a penniless young man who attempts to change his fortunes by appearing on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? - picked up the awards for Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay, while Danny Boyle was named Best Director for his work on the film.

It also won Baftas for cinematography, editing, sound and music. The film is also being heavily tipped to do well at the Oscars later this month.

Director Danny Boyle thanked his family in his acceptance speech, as well as everyone who had helped put in an extension cable so his father, whose wiring at home had blown up, could watch the ceremony.

However its stars Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto both missed out on awards in their respective categories.

Skins star Patel lost out in the Best Actor category to Mickey Rourke, who won for his role in The Wrestler, while Pinto was beatan to the Best Supporting Actress prize by Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Other big winners included Kate Winslet - fresh from a double awards triumph at the Golden Globes - who was named Best Actress for The Reader.

Winslet - who was nominated in the same category for her role in the 50s drama Revolutionary Road, paid tribute to directors Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack, both of whom worked on the film and have since died.

"You are much missed today, and you will be much missed for many years to come, and this is for you," she said.

And the late Heath Ledger won a posthumous Bafta in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role as The Joker in the Batman movie The Dark Knight.

Meanwhile animator Nick Park took the prize for Best Animation Short for the most recent Wallace and Gromit adventure, A Matter Of Loaf And Death. The film made its TV debut last Christmas.

The star-studded ceremony, hosted by Jonathan Ross, took place at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden.

Other famous faces on the red carpet included Marisa Tomei, Sharon Stone, Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep, as well as Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Pitt was nominated twice - for Best Actor for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and Best Supporting Actor for the Coen Brothers' comedy Burn After Reading, but lost out in both categories. Jolie was a Best Actress nominee for the Clint Eastwood drama Changeling.