OSCAR PREDICTIONS AND OSCAR NEWS

Jan 6, 2009–“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Frost/Nixon” lead in the longlists for the British Academy Film Awards with 14 nominations each.  Nine films boast 10 or more longlist noms. “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Reader,” “Revolutionary Road,” “Changeling” and “The Dark Knight” boast 13 nominations apiece and “Milk” and “Burn After Reading” sport 11. Last year, “Atonement” received 17 longlist nominations, four ahead of the next best contenders.  

The BAFTA longlists include 15 contenders in each category, from which the five nominees will be chosen in the second round of voting. Once the nominees are finalized, the whole membership votes again to decide the best film, four acting prizes and film not in the English language.  In all remaining categories, the members of each chapter (or jury) determine the vote.

The best British film is not included in the longlist as the whole membership will vote nominees in the first round and the BAFTA film committee will whittle that number down in the next two.

The nine films with more than 10 total noms will face-off for the best film award against “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” (eight noms), “Doubt,” “The Wrestler” and “In Bruges” (nine each), “I've Loved You So Long” (five) and “Wall-E” (six).

Other well supported films amongst the total 45 longlisted titles are U.K. box office sensation “Mamma Mia!” and Keira Knightley starrer “The Duchess” (nine each).  Critically lauded Brit pics “Hunger” and “Happy-Go-Lucky” managed just three noms each.

The director longlist almost replicates the film category except that “Hunger” helmer Steve McQueen subs in for “Wall-E” director Andrew Stanton.  

In the supporting actor category, Brit thesp Ralph Fiennes is nommed thrice (“The Reader,” “In Bruges” and “The Duchess”). Others with multiple acting noms are Kate Winslet, up for lead actress for “The Reader” and “Revolutionary Road”; Meryl Streep, for leads in “Mamma Mia!” and “Doubt”; John Malkovich, for supporting roles in “Changeling” and “Burn After Reading”; and Tilda Swinton for supporting turns in “Benjamin Button” and “Burn After Reading.”