Rule Britannia: BAFTAs 2009

In spite of the horrendous weather, the stars were out in force last night for the 2009 Orange British Academy Film Awards. Although designer frocks weren't the best choice to brave the freezing rain, for some the trip down the soggy red carpet was a small price to pay for BAFTA glory.

No-one can have been gladder to have battled the elements than British director Danny Boyle. The man behind such corkers as Shallow Grave (1995), Trainspotting (1996), 28 Days Later (2002), Millions (2004) and Sunshine (2007) proved why he continues to be one of the UK's greatest film-makers by picking up no less than seven BAFTAs for his latest movie, Slumdog Millionaire. Winning Best Film, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematographer, the film's huge success proves what its audiences already know - that it is undoubtedly one of the best movies of the year. (Look out for my review of the film soon!).

It was also a memorable night for our very own English rose Kate Winslet, who beat out fellow A-listers Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, Kristin Scott Thomas and, strangely, herself (she was nominated twice in this category) to win Best Actress for her stunning turn in The Reader. Following her double win at the Golden Globes, it's a pretty safe bet that she'll be crossing back across the Atlantic with an Oscar later this month.

Equally as unsurprising was a Best Actor win for Mickey Rourke, as his jaw-dropping turn in The Wrestler deserved nothing less. And that the late Heath Ledger posthumously won Best Supporting Actor, for his incredible portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight, will also come as no surprise to those who have witnessed his tour de force performance. It's a bittersweet, fitting legacy for a young actor who would have gone from strength to strength.

The category of Best Supporting Actress is a less easy one to predict; while Kate Winslet won the Golden Globe for The Reader (along with Best Actress for Revolutionary Road), it was Penelope Cruz who took home the BAFTA for her scene-stealing turn in Woody Allen's comedy Vicky Cristina Barcelona. It's anyone's guess who will take the Oscar - although Winslet has not been nominated in this category by the Academy.

But it was, of course, a night belonging to British talent and a true celebration of the strength of the UK film industry. Best British Film went to James Marsh's exceptional documentary Man on Wire, while artist turned debut film-maker Steve McQueen won the Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement for his Bobby Sands biopic Hunger. Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death won Best Short, and the nod for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema went not to an individual, but to Pinewood and Shepperton Studios. And picking up the coveted Orange Rising Star Award was talented young Brit Noel Clarke who wrote and starred in hard-hitting youth dramas Kidulthood (2006) and Adulthood (2008).

So in the face of the worst winter for almost 20 years and a global credit crunch, UK film fans have an awful lot to be proud of. And, come February 22, we could well see a British invasion of Hollywood...

(For a full list of BAFTA winners, visit the official website at www.bafta.org)