The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring was the big winner at last night's British Academy Film Awards with five awards including best film and best director for Peter Jackson.

Moulin Rouge, which like Lord Of The Rings had 12 nominations, went away with three lower profile prizes - best supporting actor for Jim Broadbent, best music and best sound.

But the main prizes were still spread across several films. Russell Crowe won best actor for A Beautiful Mind and Judi Dench took best actress for Iris. Robert Altman's Gosford Park won the Alexander Korda Award for best British film.

Lord Of The Rings landed awards for special effects and make-up and hair. The first in the $270 million trilogy also won the audience award, voted for by members of the public rather than the Academy.

The event, enjoying its second year in a pre-Oscar date, attracted such international stars as Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, Sissy Spacek, Harvey Keitel, Don Cheadle, Bjork, Kevin Spacey, Halle Berry, Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty. Jennifer Connelly picked up the best supporting actress for A Beautiful Mind. The US actress, attending with film's director Ron Howard and writer Akiva Goldsman, beat a clutch of local nominees.

"It used to be rather a quiet affair but now it is rather exciting," said Dench. Amelie won the best original screenplay award and the prize for best production design, but lost out to Mexico's Amores Perros in the best foreign-language film category. The happiest winner of the night was Amores Perros' star Gael Garcia Bernal, who punched the air and jumped up and down in the aisle as he collected the film's award.

Richard Attenborough, newly-installed as BAFTA's president, presented the Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema to stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong. Amongst the other honorary awards, Merchant Ivory's Ismail Merchant, James Ivory and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala collected a joint fellowship, while Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of Bond producers Eon picked up a special award.

Simon Relph, chairman of the British Academy of Film and Televisions Arts, said more than 80 per cent of the nominees attended the event: "We are thrilled," he added.

The BAFTA Awards

Best film
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring

Alexander Korda award for the outstanding British film of the year
Gosford Park

David Lean award for achievement in direction
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring: Peter Jackson

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Dame Judi Dench: Iris

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Russell Crowe: A Beautiful Mind

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Jennifer Connelly: A Beautiful Mind

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Jim Broadbent: Moulin Rouge

Screenplay (original)
Amelie: Guillaume Laurant/Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Screenplay (adapted)
Shrek: Ted Elliott/Terry Rossio/Joe Stillman/Roger SH Schulman

The Anthony Asquith award for the achievement in music
Moulin Rouge: Craig Armstrong

Film not in the English language
Amores Perros: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Carl Foreman award
Joel Hopkins/Nicola Usbourne (director/producer): Jump Tomorrow

Cinematography
The Man Who Wasn't There: Roger Deakins

Production design
Amelie: Aline Bonetto

Costume Design
Gosford Park: Jenny Beavan

Editing
Mulholland Drive: Mary Sweeney

Sound
Moulin Rouge

Achievement in special visual effects
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring

Make-up and hair
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring

Short film
About A Girl

Short animation
Dog

Special award
Eon Productions - the makers of the James Bond films.

Michael Balcon award for outstanding contribution to British cinema
Stuntman Vic Armstrong