The UK failed to secure any nominations for best film or best director at the UK's most prestigious film awards, the British Academy Film Awards, but UK actors saved face by dominating their sections.

As well as underlining a disappointing year for local films, the best film nominations for A Beautiful Mind, The Lord Of The Rings, Moulin Rouge, Shrek and Amelie show how the BAFTA's are becoming increasingly important to studio marketing departments in their new-found pre-Academy Awards slot. In contrast to the bulk of other national film awards, the BAFTAs are open to international titles.

The Lord Of The Rings and Moulin Rouge scored the most nominations with 12 each. Gosford Park also had a strong showing with nine nominations - despite missing out on a best film nod, the period piece clocked up nominations for director Robert Altman, writer Julian Fellowes and, in the best supporting actress category, both Helen Mirren and Maggie Smith. Amelie also scored nine, including for Audrey Tautou as best actress, while Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone clocked up seven and Shrek and Iris came in with six each.

UK filmmakers were also locked out of the nominations for the David Lean Award for Achievement in Direction, which went to Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie), Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind), Robert Altman (Gosford Park), Peter Jackson (The Lord Of The Rings) and Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge). Amongst the UK films to miss out entirely were Charlotte Gray and Last Orders.

In the acting stakes, the UK's Jim Broadbent, Ian McKellen and Tom Wilkinson secured nods in the best actor category, while Hugh Bonneville, Robbie Coltrane and Colin Firth were amongst the nominations for best supporting actor. Broadbent was nominated for best supporting actor for Moulin Rouge in addition to his best actor nod for Iris.

Perennial BAFTA favourite Judi Dench also secured double nominations - best actress for Iris and best supporting actress for The Shipping News. Dench will compete for the best supporting actress prize against fellow Iris star Kate Winslet.

The awards are announced on Feb 24.

The BAFTA nominations in full:

Best film
Amelie
A Beautiful Mind
The Lord of the Rings
Moulin Rouge
Shrek

Alexander Korda award for the outstanding British film of the year
Bridget Jones's Diary
Gosford Park
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Iris
Me Without You

David Lean award for achievement in direction
Amelie: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
A Beautiful Mind: Ron Howard
Gosford Park: Robert Altman
The Lord Of The Rings: Peter Jackson
Moulin Rouge: Baz Luhrmann

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Dame Judi Dench: Iris
Nicole Kidman: The Others
Sissy Spacek: In The Bedroom
Audrey Tautou: Amelie
Renee Zellweger: Bridget Jones's Diary

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Jim Broadbent: Iris
Russell Crowe: A Beautiful Mind
Ian Mckellen: The Lord Of The Rings
Kevin Spacey: The Shipping News
Tom Wilkinson: In The Bedroom

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Jennifer Connelly: A Beautiful Mind
Dame Judi Dench: The Shipping News
Helen Mirren: Gosford Park
Maggie Smith: Gosford Park
Kate Winslet: Iris

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Hugh Bonneville: Iris
Jim Broadbent: Moulin Rouge
Robbie Coltrane: Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone
Colin Firth: Bridget Jones's Diary
Eddie Murphy: Shrek

Screenplay (original)
Amelie: Guillaume Laurant/Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Gosford Park: Julian Fellowes
Moulin Rouge: Baz Luhrmann/Craig Pearce
The Others: Alejandro Amenábar
The Royal Tenenbaums: Wes Anderson/Owen Wilson

Screenplay (adapted)
A Beautiful Mind: Akiva Goldsman
Bridget Jones's Diary: Helen Fielding/Andrew Davies/Richard Curtis
Iris: Richard Eyre/Charles Wood
The Lord Of The Rings: Fran Walsh/Philippa Boyens/Peter Jackson
Shrek: Ted Elliott/Terry Rossio/Joe Stillman/Roger SH Schulman

The Anthony Asquith award for the achievement in music
Amelie: Yann Tiersen
The Lord Of The Rings: Howard Shore
Moulin Rouge: Craig Armstrong
Mulholland Drive: Angelo Badalamenti
Shrek: Harry Gregson-Williams/John Powell

Film not in the English language
Amelie: Claudie Ossard/Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Amores Perros: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Behind The Sun: Arthur Cohn/Walter Salles
Monsoon Wedding: Caroline Baron/Mira Nair
The Piano Teacher: Veit Heiduschka/Michael Haneke

Carl Foreman award
Steve Coogan/Henry Normal (writers): The Parole Officer
Julian Fellowes (writer): Gosford Park
Joel Hopkins/Nicola Usbourne (director/producer): Jump Tomorrow
Ruth Kenley-Letts (producer): Jump Tomorrow
Jack Lothian (writer): Late Night Shopping

Cinematography
Amelie: Bruno Delbonnel
Black Hawk Down: Slawomir Idziak
The Lord Of The Rings: Andrew Lesnie
The Man Who Wasn't There: Roger Deakins
Moulin Rouge: Donald M McAlpine

Production design
Amelie: Aline Bonetto
Gosford Park: Stephen Altman
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone: Stuart Craig
The Lord Of The Rings: Grant Major
Moulin Rouge: Catherine Martin

Costume Design
Gosford Park: Jenny Beavan
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone: Judianna Makovsky
The Lord Of The Rings: Ngila Dickson
Moulin Rouge: Catherine Martin/Angus Strathie
Planet Of The Apes: Colleen Atwood

Editing
Amelie: Herve Schneid
Black Hawk Down: Pietro Scalia
The Lord Of The Rings: John Gilbert
Moulin Rouge: Jill Bilcock
Mulholland Drive: Mary Sweeney

Sound
Black Hawk Down
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
The Lord Of The Rings
Moulin Rouge
Shrek

Achievement in special visual effects
AI: Artificial Intelligence
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
The Lord Of The Rings
Moulin Rouge
Shrek

Make-up and hair
Gosford Park
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
The Lord Of The Rings
Moulin Rouge
Planet Of The Apes

Short film
About A Girl
Inferno
The Red Peppersa
Skin Deep
Tattoo

Short animation
Camouflage
Dog
Home Road Movies
Tuesday
The World Of Interiors