Iannucci warms up for Oscars with screenplay award

Published on Tuesday 9 February 2010 00:16

SCOTS film maker Armando Iannucci has won a major award for the political comedy In The Loop.

The film, which is nominated for an Oscar, won best screenplay at the British Film Awards last night.

As he arrived at the ceremony, Iannucci told how he received his Oscar invitation yesterday morning, but it was too late to reply by the official deadline. He said: "The ticket arrived this morning – very exciting.

"It was late and it had 'please reply by' and it gave today's date.

"I thought, 'well, they're not going to not let me in'. But some hasty phone calls and e-mails and all sorted."

Actress Anne-Marie Duff gave a loving "thank you" to her husband James McAvoy as she scooped the best actress award.

Duff, who is expecting her first child with the Scottish film star, plays John Lennon's spirited mother Julia in the biopic Nowhere Boy, and was shortlisted alongside Oscar hopeful Carey Mulligan.

Duff said she was "blown away" to win the award:

"I'd really like to be Mrs McAvoy for a minute and say thank you for seriously having to live with a flame-haired, broken-hearted banjo player for quite some time.

"Thank you for your support and always allowing me to take my work far too seriously, which I do."

The night also saw Andy Serkis named best actor for his portrayal of singer Ian Dury in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.

Serkis dedicated his award to Dury, saying: "Ian, wherever you are, this is for you."

He described the singer as a unique voice who "wasn't afraid to speak his mind".

Serkis, whose previous roles include Gollum in Lord of the Rings, added: "We want more like him at the moment in music and art."

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, Sarah Brown, Steve Coogan, Sacha Baron Cohen and Eva Green attended the awards ceremony at the London Film Museum.