| 50th British Academy Film Awards | |
|---|---|
| Date | 29 April 1997 |
| Site | Royal Albert Hall |
| Hosted by | Lenny Henry |
| Highlights | |
| Best Film | The English Patient |
| Best British Film | Secrets & Lies |
| Best Actor | Geoffrey Rush Shine |
| Best Actress | Brenda Blethyn Secrets & Lies |
| Most awards | The English Patient (6) |
| Most nominations | The English Patient (13) |
The50th British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as theBAFTAs, took place on 29 April 1997 at theRoyal Albert Hall inLondon, honouring the best national and foreign films of1996. Presented by theBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts, accolades were handed out for the best feature-length film and documentaries of any nationality that were screened at British cinemas in 1998.
Anthony Minghella'sThe English Patient won the award forBest Film (and previously won theAcademy Award for Best Picture), whileMike Leigh'sSecrets & Lies was voted Outstanding British Film.Geoffrey Rush won for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role inShine andBrenda Blethyn won for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role inSecrets & Lies, respectively.[1][2][3]
The ceremony was hosted by actor and comedianLenny Henry.







Winners are listed first and highlighted inboldface.
| Nominations | Film |
|---|---|
| 13 | The English Patient |
| 9 | Shine |
| 8 | Evita |
| 7 | Secrets & Lies |
| 6 | Fargo |
| 5 | Richard III |
| 3 | Brassed Off |
| 2 | The Crucible |
| Hamlet | |
| Independence Day | |
| Michael Collins | |
| The Nutty Professor |
| Awards | Film |
|---|---|
| 6 | The English Patient |
| 3 | Secrets & Lies |
| 2 | Richard III |
| Shine |