Dench, Streep, Griffiths, Etc. Receive BAFTA Nominations

Theatre veterans Richard Griffiths, Peter O'Toole, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench and Meryl Streep are among the nominees of this year's British Academy Film Awards.

The BAFTA awards, which are considered the U.K.'s equivalent of the Oscars, will be presented in London on February 11th - two weeks before the Academy Awards.

Playwright Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon) was nominated for Original Screenplay for his film The Queen.  Starring Mirren, The Queen scored 10 BAFTA nominations - the most of any film this year.

Mirren, along with Dench and Streep, was nominated for Actress in a Leading Role.  The stars were recognized for The Queen, Notes on a Scandal and The Devil Wears Prada, respectively.

Griffiths and O'Toole were both nominated for Actor in a Leading Role.  Griffiths stars in the film version of The History Boys, while O'Toole was honored for his work in Venus. 

The Queen's Michael Sheen and Little Miss Sunshine's Alan Arkin were nominated for Actor in a Supporting Role.  Toni Collette of Little Miss Sunshine, Frances de la Tour of The History Boys and Jennifer Hudson of Dreamgirls received nominations for Actress in a Supporting Role.

Babel, The Departed, The Last King of Scotland, Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen are in competition for Best Film.

Visit www.bafta.org for more information on the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and to view a complete list of nominations.

Photo - Judi Dench