National Film Awards honour Hiddleston, Boyega, Mirren and Egerton

HELEN Mirren won a Lifetime Achievement Award from the UK's National Film Academy during a ceremony which also fêted Tom Hiddleston, John Boyega, Samuel L. Jackson, Nathalie Emmanuel and Taron Egerton.
Mirren, who became a Dame at the English Queen's request in 2003, played Elizabeth II herself in 2006's The Queen, for which she won Best Actress at the Oscars.
She has been praised for numerous outstanding performances throughout her career, including those in The Madness of King George, Gosford Park, The Last Station, biopic Hitchcock, and Trumbo.
"I feel truly honoured to be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Film Academy," she told attendees of the March 31 ceremony.
"I am proud to be a member of the National Film Awards winners list and thank you to all the movie fans for voting for me."
Samuel L. Jackson won Global Contribution to Motion Picture on top of his Best Supporting Actor accolade, the latter coming for his turn in the evening's Best International Film, Kingsman: The Secret Service.
That film's lead, Taron Egerton, was given the title of Best Newcomer, while fellow nominee John Boyega took Best Breakthrough Performance for his co-starring role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Tom Hiddleston won Best Actor for the Ben Wheatley adaptation of J.G. Ballard's novel High-Rise, and Natalie Emmanuel of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and TV series Game of Thrones was named Best Actress for a third 2015 outing, Furious 7.
Jackson popped up again as the Best Supporting Actor was named, again for Kingsman, while Alexandra Evans of Redistributors was Best Supporting Actress.
Among other winners listed by the National Film Academy, László Nemes' Oscar and Golden Globe-winning Hungarian drama Son of Saul was Best International Film.
Best Director went to Stephen Fingleton of The Survivalist while the treatment for contemporary dramatization London Road was Best Screenplay.
Genre winners included Man Up (Best Comedy), Chasing Robert Barker (Best Action), and A Reason to Leave (Best Drama) with Never Let Go the night's Best Independent Feature.
The 2nd annual National Film Awards were voted for by 2.9 million UK residents. A 2017 event is likewise planned for March 31. — AFP Relaxnews