Brit film Slumdog Millionaire bagged eight trophies at the Brits including best picture, direction, adapted screenplay and cinematography and these awards cement the reputation of Fox Searchlight as a champion of work that Hollywood won’t risk.

The film Slumdog Millionaire is a love story which has successfully combined an artists ambition but the commercial appeal of the film is broad and most can relate to the film, it will cover all genre’s of tastes and has already appealed to many already, and this is reflected by the films wins on the night winning eight Oscars, including the best picture trophy.

The 81st annual Academy Awards marked an amazing outcome for the movie, which was filled with subtitles, scenes of torture and a Bollywood dance sequence, and these wins give the distributor Film Searchlight a amazing reputation which has resulted in it becoming Hollywood’s top advocate of the kind of daring works that movie studios have all but abandoned.

The director of Slumdog was Brit Danny Boyle, and he captured the fictional account of a Mumbai orphan’s surprising winning streak on India’s version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, from which he tough upbringing in the Indian slums resulted in him having the experience and knowledge to win the show, which was constantly questioned throughout the process of winning – as he was accused of cheating by the government and tortured to try and get him to admit he was a cheat. 

The film was produced by a British company and the wins for the film have dramatized the global compass reading of contemporary movie production, as other top Oscar winners showed. 

The best supporting actress winner was Spain’s Penelope Cruz for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”; Australian actor Heath Ledger was posthumously named best supporting actor for “The Dark Knight”; and British star Kate Winslet won best actress for “The Reader.” The only acting winner with a U.S. birth certificate: Sean Penn, who played the title character in “Milk.”

The genre of films has appeared to change recently and the big movie studios are steering clear of highbrow literary dramas, aiming their resources at mass-appeal works including family-friendly animation, superhero stories and established franchises such as James Bond and Harry Potter.

As others have ditched movies that require patient marketing to build grass-roots audience interest — “Slumdog Millionaire” debuted in just 10 theaters last November and didn’t reach its widest national release until last weekend — Fox Searchlight has become Hollywood’s unequaled home for films made outside the normal studio channels, the domestic gross from Slumdog is estimated at $100 million. 

Danny Boyle briefly spoke about the film backstage saying: “It’s a triumph for this kind of film.”

The BAFTA Awards took place on Sunday night, and here you will find everything you need to know about the events of the night! The Leading Actress award was won by Kate Winslet for her fantastic performance in The Reader and Slumdog Millionaire cleaned up at the awards with seven gongs including Best Film.

The night of British triumphs saw Danny Boyle win the Director prize for Slumdog, the rags-to-riches tale set in the slums of Mumbai.

The Orange British Academy Film Awards, one of the most glamorous events in the film calendar, saw A-listers including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Sharon Stone, Penelope Cruz, Daniel Craig, Ron Howard and Michael Sheen brave the downpour to dazzle on the red carpet.

Kate Winslet appeared breathless when speaking in her acceptance speech, saying: “To be given this award at home, this really means a great deal to me. Thank you Bafta, thank you. I want to thank everybody involved in the making of this film. They all know who they are and they all deserve a big fat piece of this.”

Star of Doctor Who and Adulthood Noel Clarke was the people’s choice, taking home the Orange Rising Star Award, voted for by the public. Monty Python star Terry Gilliam was given the Bafta fellowship – the Academy’s highest honour.

Below is a list of other BAFTA awards presented on the special and eventful night - 

Best Film

Slumdog Millionaire

Best British Film
Man On Wire

Best Leading Actor
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

Best Leading Actress
Kate Winslet – The Reader

Best Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Director
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Milllionaire

Best Costume design
The Duchess

Best Special Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Make-up and Hair
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Leonardo DiCaprio has spoken out in a recent interview and said that starring in the film ‘Revolutionary Road’ was like being in a weird, twisted family.

The 34-year-old actor worked alongside Kate Winslet in the new drama, and has spoken about the love scenes with Kate and said that they felt completely natural and comfortable, this even with the actress’ husband Sam Mendes who directed the film being present.

Leonardo was speaking at the European premiere of the movie in London’s Leicester Square, he also added: “I was entirely used to kissing Kate after making ‘Titanic’ with her 10 years ago. It was completely natural and comfortable. It felt like kind of a family – a weird, twisted family.”

Leonardo added Kate – who won a Golden Globe Award for her role in the film – is no different from when they first worked together, he explained that: ”She has not changed at all. She’s one of the most real people I’ve ever met and such a great friend. We’ve been support mechanisms for each other for a long period of time and will continue to be.”

The actor and actress are much more experienced now since they first appeared on the big screen together, which he believes helped them give such strong performances in ‘Revolutionary Road’.

Leonardo said: “Both of us, I think, have got more experience in this industry and taken more command of the specific projects and characters we play. We’re no longer young 20 year olds looking up to directors and producers as parental figures. We’re now adults who are taking command of our careers in a different way.”

There were few surprises at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last night as Kate Winslet continued her golden run with a Best Supporting Actress win for The Reader. It seems that 2009 is certainly going to be Kate’s year, and she has a long list of awards she will hopefully be picking up throughout the course of the year. The actress, who famously weeped when she picked up her Golden Globe a few weeks ago, has said it was “an honour to be included in such a remarkable year and be acknowledged by my peers in this way… I really feel like everybody should be given a medal.”

Kate Winslet was also up for nomination for the Best Actress Award but the winner that scooped this award was Meryl Streep who when receiving her award said: “I didn’t even buy a dress,” as she stepped up to the stage.

British sensation film of the moment, Slumdog Millionaire picked up Best Film and Anil Kapoor dedicated the gong to the film’s child stars. “They deserve this award. They set our performances,” he said. “It’s the children who’ve done it, not us.” 

Kate Winslet has also acknowledged that she needs to plan an acceptance speech for next month’s BAFTAs to prevent another Golden-Globes-style emotional outburst. The actress, who picked up two Golden Globes, had to apologise to the audience after her gushing acceptance speech.

“Well, clearly, I should prepare a speech because I didn’t think that was going to happen at the Golden Globes,” the 33-year-old said. “Some people apparently haven’t been very nice about it, but luckily I’ve been in America where they’ve said very nice things.” Kate has been nominated twice in the Best Actress category for The Reader and Revolutionary Road. The BAFTAs are announced on 8th February 2009.

The 33-year-old British star was almost rendered speechless after winning her second award of the night, one of Hollywood’s glitziest and a possible precursor to next month’s Oscars. She has previously been nominated for five Oscars and five Golden Globes but never won. Kate Winslet won best actress for her role in Revolutionary Road, directed by her husband Sam Mendes, and best supporting actress for her performance in The Reader.

Almost hyperventilating, she took to the stage to accept her second prize of the night, best actress Golden Globe, acknowledging her fellow nominees for one of the most prestigious honours – Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Kristin Scott Thomas and Angelina Jolie.

“I’m so sorry Anne, Meryl, Kristin – and who’s the other one? Angelina.. Now forgive me, is this really happening?”

Fighting back tears, Winslet covered her hand with her mouth before embarking on a lengthy acceptance speech during which she said, preempting suggestions she should finish up her speech, ‘you’ve no idea how much I’m not wrapping up.”

“This is absolutely extraordinary. I have had an amazing couple of years.” She gave a special acknowledgement to Leonardo DiCaprio, he costar in Revolutionary Road, and also the multi-Oscar winning Titanic. “I have loved you with all my heart,” Winslet said, before thanking her husband for directing the film – “Thank you for killing us every single day. I loved every second of working with you.”

Kate was obviously stunned, and prefaced a lengthy, breathless speech with an apology: “You’ll have to forgive me – I have a habit of not winning things”, a reference to her numerous previous nominations.

Kate thanked her husband Sam Mendes, and her children – “thank you for coming on this adventure with mummy!” – she also said: “I’m sorry this is going on a bit but I want to make the most of it.”

Kate Winslet is defending herself against accusations that she is a “porn-star”.

She appears in the new movie Revolutionary Road with Leonardo DiCaprio, who she also worked alongside in the famous film ‘Titanic’, and has appeared nude in several of her films during Revolutionary Road. 
Her husband Sam Mendes was her director and she said that he doesn’t get jealous but it is strange having him stood there watching the sex scenes and directing Leonardo as to where to position himself! 

She said: “Of course Sam doesn’t get jealous. I’m not a porn star. I’m not walking out there and actually having sex with other people for my job. He doesn’t get jealous at all, not in the slightest. It’s really not a big deal.”

“I feel that any level of nudity in films that I have been a part of has been absolutely relevant and actually enhanced the story.”

Kate recently revealed she struggled with her nude scenes in new post-war drama ‘The Reader’.

She said: “It really took me to the brink in many ways. To bring my character Hanna Schmitz to life was an absolutely enormous challenge and a huge responsibility as well, because it’s a much-loved piece of German literature. Many people have differing opinions of Hanna Schmitz – they love her, they loathe her.”

She will have to defend herself to her children when they get older, but if she raises them with the mentality that nudity isn’t bad, which when done tastefully it is not, then they will be okay with it. The preview for her film ‘The Reader’ looks fantastic, as does Revolutionary Road, so Kate is certainly doing something right and she is an experienced and amazing actress.