Roll Credits…: Academy Awards 2009!

THE WINNERS

You can understand why British film-maker Danny Boyle looks more than a little shell-shocked. He was undoubtedly the star of this year's Academy Awards, with his feel-good Indian drama Slumdog Millionaire taking home a stonking eight awards.

The statuette Boyle is clutching is for Best Director; the film also won Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Original Song ('Jai Ho') Best Sound Mixing and Best Adapted Screenplay. Bagging all the awards it was nominated for, with the one exception of Best Film Editing, the film's success proves what international critics have been saying - that Slumdog Millionaire is an astonishing piece of work. The cast and crew definitely have good reason to look so proud...

Another big British winner was Kate Winslet, who surprised nobody for picking up Best Actress for her role in Stephen Daldry's The Reader. Beaming from ear to ear as she accepted her awards, she was clearly utterly delighted to have been honoured by the Academy.

Also expected by all was the posthumous awarding of Best Supporting Actor to the late Heath Ledger, for his career-defining role as The Joker in Chris Nolan's epic The Dark Knight. Ledger's mother Sally, father Kim and sister Kate collected the statuette on behalf of the actor, dedicating his award to his three-year-old daughter Matilda.

It was Penelope Cruz who took home the Best Supporting Actress award for her comic turn in Woody Allen's latest, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Not a real surprise to anyone who's seen her performance... apart from Cruz herself, it seems. "Has anybody ever fainted here?" she asked when collecting her Oscar. "Because I might be the first."

In fact, the only real shock of the night came in the form of Best Actor. After scooping the other big awards (including the Golden Globe and BAFTA) for his comeback role in The Wrestler, many thought Mickey Rourke was a shoo-in to take home the Oscar as well.

In fact, it went to Sean Penn who was honoured for his exceptional portrayal of homosexual politician Harvey Milk in biopic Milk. And, give him his due, Rourke didn't do what a certain Eddie Murphy did when he failed to win the expected Oscar for Dreamgirls and walk out in disgust; rather he graciously applauded Penn's achievement along with everyone else in the room.

Other winners on the night included Wall-E (Best Animated Feature); The Duchess (Best Costume) Japanese movie Departures (Best Foreign Film) and Man on Wire, which took home Best Documentary. That film's subject, tightrope walker Philippe Petit, certainly had a novel way of celebrating...

For a full list of winners, visit the Official Oscars Site.

THE PRESENTER

This year's choice of presenter was something of a departure for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Usually choosing to go with a well-known comedian, such as Billy Crystal, Jon Stewart or Elln DeGeneres, fronting 2009's proceedings was Wolverine star Hugh Jackman. But any worries about whether he could pull off such a massive task were gave his own unique spin to recent epic The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Jackman then joked, sung and high-kicked his way through a very energetic evening, which included impressive duets with Best Actress nominee Anne Hathaway and pop diva Beyonce. We have a feeling the Academy won't hesitate to invite Mr Jackman back...

THE PARTY

And, of course, after the ceremony drew to a glamorous close, all winners, nominees and presenters went in search of more champagne and to party the night away at the traditional Governors Ball...