Jeff Goldblum brought a poignant moment to the 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) by performing As Time Goes By during the In Memoriam segment. Playing the piano, Goldblum paid tribute to late industry icons such as David Lynch and Maggie Smith as their names and faces were displayed on screen at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London.
The Jurassic Park star, who recently portrayed The Wizard of Oz in BAFTA-nominated Wicked, delivered an emotional rendition of the classic jazz song, originally written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931 and immortalized in Casablanca (1942).
The night’s biggest winner was the papal thriller Conclave, which took home four awards, including Best Picture. Directed by Edward Berger and starring Ralph Fiennes as a cardinal maneuvering through the complexities of electing a new pope, the film also won Outstanding British Film, Best Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Equally successful, The Brutalist matched Conclave’s tally with four awards, securing Best Director for Brady Corbet and Best Actor for Adrien Brody. The Brooklyn-set tragicomedy Anora earned Best Actress for Mikey Madison.
Despite controversy surrounding its lead star Karla Sofía Gascón’s past social media remarks, Jacques Audiard’s genre-blending musical crime drama Emilia Pérez won Best Film Not in the English Language. Zoe Saldaña, who played a lawyer assisting the titular transgender ex-cartel boss in her transition, was awarded Best Supporting Actress. In her acceptance speech, she called the film “the creative challenge of a lifetime.”
While Emilia Pérez was a strong contender with 11 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, its awards campaign was clouded by the backlash against Gascón’s remarks, leading to her absence from the ceremony.
