01/02/2006

The 78th Academy Awards will be a hot contest for British film professionals, filmmakers, cast and crew, with Fernando Meirelles’ thrillerThe Constant Gardener [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Joe Wright’s new Jane Austen screen adaptation of Pride & Prejudice [+see also:
trailer
film profile] leading the Oscars assault in Hollywood on March 5 with four nominations each.

Although Ralph Fiennes was denied the chance to defend The Constant Gardener, his wife in the film Rachel Weisz will try to add the coveted statuette to its Golden Globe received early January in the Best Supporting Actress category. Keira Knightley will be forced to fight for the Best Actress title against Dame Judi Dench, her partner in Pride & Prejudice but fierce opponent as Mrs Henderson in Stephen Frears’ Mrs Henderson Presents. Commenting on her fifth Oscar nomination, the much-admired Dench said: "It's absolutely wonderful! I'm absolutely thrilled! I'm so happy to be nominated for something I loved filming every single day".
Another UK candidate already ‘Oscarised’ is Nick Park who will bet on a fourth win with his animated box office phenomenon Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, co-directed with Steve Box and running against Tim Burton’s UK produced animated film The Corpse Bride and Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle.

Other potential Oscar winners include the UK co-production Tsotsi by Gavin Hood competing under the South African flag for Best Foreign language Film, Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire which gives Art Director Stuart Craig its 8th nomination and Set decorator Stephanie McMillan her 3rd nomination. Finally the short films Cashback by Sean Ellis and Lene Bausager and Six Shooters by the Irish Martin McDonagh will try to repeat Andrea Arnold’s success last year with her Wasp.

John Woodward, CEO of the UK Film Council that supported The Constant Gardener and Mrs Henderson Presents said about the Oscar nominations that they “demonstrate yet again the high level of creative skills and talent that we have in the British film industry”.