Going to an american one. Sky full a few years ago. The main film usually goes to a hollywood film. Im usually a film about small town america are produced here and with london irish director has carried off best outstanding british film and best film in three billboards outside ebbing, missouri. It is extremely unusual and i am slightly surprised because i thought it was a film that divided people but it has united the baftas. It is a very divisive, deliberately so, controversial film. Its divisive, deliberately so, controversialfilm. Its one divisive, deliberately so, controversial film. Its one of the edgiest most indie films they have ever voted their best picture. Edgiest most indie films they have ever voted their best picturem edgiest most indie films they have ever voted their best picture. It is striking. Martin mcdonagh notjust the right, a prolific playwright as well as a screenwriter. He has taken the award for screenplay, he directed it as well. We spoke to him on the red carpet earlier. How was itsjuggling on the red carpet earlier. How was its juggling all the elements of pain, anger, and incredibly document . Writing wise its most of my stuff like that. Incredibly dark humour. That stuff is natural for me but when you cast the best actors around and let them get on with it, they ta ke and let them get on with it, they take care of that for you. Where did the inspiration come from . take care of that for you. Where did the inspiration come from . I saw something similar to what we see on oui something similar to what we see on our billboards 20 years ago when i was going to the Southern States of america, it stuck in my mind. I thought of a really angry mother who might have goes up, what story would develop from there. Of course the pa rt develop from there. Of course the part was written with Frances Mcdormand in mind. Could you imagine anyone else in that role . If she had said no, we would have been screwed. Shes perfect. An offstage she is perfect for the part. She has so much integrity and intelligence, and range and rage. She isjust perfect. Especially in a year like this, a me too and times a year, its great to have someone like that who is so brilliant and strong. Such an ambassadorfor all these brilliant and strong. Such an ambassador for all these issues. Martin mcdonagh paying tribute to his leading lady Frances Mcdormand who perhaps no surprise to the award here tonight for best actress. We would have been very surprised had she not taken that award. Whilst it isa she not taken that award. Whilst it is a fantastic performance and a fa ntastically is a fantastic performance and a fantastically written role, this character of Mildred Hayes, it also a woman who takes politics into her own hands, stands no nonsense from anyone though they use a rather strong a word in the acceptance speech earlier. In this year, a year, particularly tonight, female empowerment, there is no more powerful a figure than Mildred Hayes as embodied by Frances Mcdormand. An apt choice. Its that performance and element of this film that has powered to success. I loved the film, hilarious, very moving, with a fantastic performance for a female role. Tick boxes as well as billboards. I enjoyed it hugely bats against expectation which is the sign ofa against expectation which is the sign of a remarkable film. Martin mcdonagh made reference to times up, we cant talk about the baftas without referencing that. Frances mcdormand was practically the only person we saw tonight who was not wearing black in solidarity. I should stress she reference that immediately in her acceptance speech, she did not like to be told what to do but she said she stood wholeheartedly behind the movement. It has been an interesting evening with a political undertone. Certainly on the red carpet there was the political undertone, the ceremony was less political than it was hosted by a woman, joanna lumley, for the first time in its history. There is a subtle shift. The evening went by without many hitches or huge surprises or statements, but in its subtlety and the award for free billboards and Frances Mcdormand have meant there has been a shift. People have taken note and the laziness which previously bafta may have been accused for, stories of white privileged men and all that, time is certainly up on that. Three billboards is not that type of movie. It is equal opportunities offensive but it is equal. Sam rockwell took the award for best supporting actor, a very positively received award in the hall. We will stay with acting. We say we would not have been surprised had Frances Mcdormand s walked away with that award, the same for gary oldman and Winston Churchill. Yes, he thanked Winston Churchill. Yes, he thanked Winston Churchill. Yes, he thanked Winston Churchill in his speech. This stand that he took against the march of hitler and the speeches he gave in that movie have been so well received by everyone here, he has been getting Standing Ovations in cinemas up and down the land for those speeches. That has really struck a chord this year. There is a freedom there, a unity that those speeches have brought. Its a fantastic performance from gary oldman. I always think doing churchill, its a bit of a town. Has their favourite everyone has their favourite churchill a 555 l , ~ ~ , ~~ everyone has their favourite chuichill 1 a way. ,. , everyone has their favourite churchill i, a way. The everyone has their favourite churchill i, a way. The casting of churchill in a way. The casting of oldman when that was announced, gary oldman when that was announced, people were flabbergasted. How could this guy who has been dracula, the quy this guy who has been dracula, the guy who was in lyon, a punk in sid vicious, how could he play