BAFTA Awards Honor Sean Penn, Elvis Tribute

The 2026 BAFTA Film Awards took place on Sunday night, with Sean Penn winning his first-ever BAFTA for his performance as Steven J. Lockjaw in One Battle After Another. The American actor was not in attendance to collect his award, but the prize marks his third nomination after being recognized for his work in Mystic River and 21 Grams in 2003, and Milk in 2008.

Host Alan Cumming mostly steered clear of politics during the ceremony, but couldn't resist a sly nod to world events. He asked the Americans in the audience, which included Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Stone, and Donna Langley, whether the plot of Zootropolis 2 (known as Zootopia 2 in the US) reminded them of any world leaders. The comment was likely a reference to the film's themes of corruption, poisoning, and persecution of a race, which bear some resemblance to current global events.

In other news, a documentary about the life and work of lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer won the Teddy Award for Best Documentary/Essay Film at the Berlin Film Festival. Barbara Forever, directed by Brydie O'Connor, explores Hammer's desire to live forever through her art and has already won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award for U.S. Documentary.

Meanwhile, Baz Luhrmann is preparing to embark on a new project, a long-aborning Joan of Arc film. Before he begins, however, he has been working on a new Elvis Presley tribute, EPiC. Luhrmann described the project as giving Elvis the world tour he dreamed of, playing on the world's biggest screens. The Australian director is known for his visually stunning and often unconventional approach to filmmaking, and it will be interesting to see how he interprets the life and music of the King of Rock and Roll.

The BAFTA Film Awards, hosted by Alan Cumming, were broadcast on BBC1 in the UK and E! in the US. The ceremony recognized a range of outstanding performances and films, including Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, which was nominated for a total of 14 BAFTAs.

As the film industry continues to evolve and push boundaries, it's clear that there are many exciting projects on the horizon. From Baz Luhrmann's Elvis tribute to documentaries like Barbara Forever, there's no shortage of innovative and engaging storytelling to look forward to.