Mirren and Whitaker win British film academy awards

A gracious monarch and a charismatic dictator took the top prizes Sunday at the British Academy Film Awards.

Dame Helen Mirren was crowned best actress for playing Elizabeth II in “The Queen,” which also was named the year’s best picture.

Forest Whitaker took the best actor prize for his riveting turn as Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland,” the story of a young Scottish doctor’s entanglement with the Ugandan dictator. “Last King” was named best British film and also took the prize for best adapted screenplay.

No single film dominated the awards, popularly known as BAFTAs and considered an important indicator of success at the Academy Awards in two weeks.

“The Last King of Scotland” took three prizes, as did Guillermo del Toro’s fantastical saga “Pan’s Labyrinth,” which was named best foreign-language film and also won for costume and makeup design.

Paul Greengrass was named best director for “United 93,” a docudrama-style reenactment of one of the flights hijacked on Sept. 11.

Jennifer Hudson was named best supporting actress for the musical “Dreamgirls,” while Alan Arkin won the best supporting actor trophy for “Little Miss Sunshine.”

Michael Arndt won the best original screenplay prize for “Little Miss Sunshine.”