The Aviator and Vera Drake shared the major honours at Saturday night's Baftas.

Martin Scorsese's epicwon best picture but it was local hero Mike Leigh who finally took home hisfirst-ever directing BAFTA.

Imelda Staunton, bestactress for her starring role in Vera Drake, received the biggest applause of the night, whileCate Blanchett was named best-supporting actress for her performance asKatherine Hepburn in The Aviator.

Leigh and Staunton weretypically modest in their acceptance speeches. "It's a real surprise and an extraordinary honour," said Leigh, whoseSecrets And Lies scored BAFTA best filmin 1997. Staunton joked about boosting sales of "hair nets andpinnies."

Scorsese saidhis long-standing love of British cinema was one of the reasons The Aviator's team, including best actor nomineeLeonardo DiCaprio, turned out in force.

Meanwhile, Jamie Foxxfurther enhanced his credentials as runaway Oscar favourite for best actor whenhe added a BAFTA to the Golden Globe he picked up last month.

Best-supporting actor wasanother Golden Globe winner, Clive Owen, for his role in Closer.

The awards ceremony enhancedits reputation as a major pre-Oscars event, attracting a credible number ofA-list names to a glittering ceremony in London, hosted by actor, director andcomedian Stephen Fry. Richard Gere, Keanu Reeves and Goldie Hawn were among thestars handing out awards on the night.

But BAFTA'saspirations to be a bellwether for the Academy Awards are less clear -particularly as Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby failed to secure any nominations.

Eastwood and thefilm's star Hilary Swank are among the favourites to pick up an Oscar intwo week's time.

Best non-English languagefilm was Walter Salles' The Motorcycle Diaries, which is also nominated for best foreign film atthe Oscars.

My Summer Of Love was named best British film, while thepeople's vote as Orange film of the year was Harry Potter And ThePrisoner Of Azkaban.

The Carl Foreman award tothe best British newcomer went to Amma Asante, writer and director of A Wayof Life.

Composer John Barry, the manbehind the Bond theme, was a popular winner of a BAFTA fellowship, the firstever awarded to a musician.

BAFTA WINNERS
Best film: The Aviator,dir Martin Scorsese
Best director: Mike Leigh (Vera Drake)
Best actor: Jamie Foxx (Ray)
Best actress: Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake)
Best-supporting actor: Clive Owen (Closer)
Best-supporting actress: Cate Blanchett (The Aviator)
Best British film: My Summer Of Love
Best Foreign Language Film: The Motorcycle Diaries (Walter Salles)
Screenplay: Charlie Kaufman (EternalSunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Adapted screenplay: Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor (Sideways)
Music: Gustavo Santaolalla (The Motorcycle Diaries)
Cinematography: Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron (Collateral)
Editing: Valdis Oskardottir (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Production design: Dante Ferretti (The Aviator)
Costume design: Jacqueline Durran (Vera Drake)
Sound: Ray
Special visual effects: The DayAfter Tomorrow
Make Up and Hair: The Aviator
Short Film: The Banker
Short animated film: Birthday Boy
Orange film of the year: Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban.
Carl Foreman, best British newcomer:Amma Asante, writer and director of A Way of Life