'The Power of the Dog', 'Dune' triumph at BAFTAs

New Zealand filmmaker Campion wrapped up a successful weekend for her comeback feature film, after winning the top honours at the Directors Guild of America awards in Beverly Hills the day before.

Based on the 1967 novel by Thomas Savage, the critically-acclaimed movie set on a 1920s Montana ranch marks the return of Oscar winner Campion to feature films since 2009’s Bright Star.

"Jane...you are a visionary whose trail blazed through the last 30 years of cinema with stories about the silenced, the under-represented and the misunderstood," producer Tanya Seghatchian said as she accepted the award on behalf of Campion, who was absent.

Campion later briefly appeared via a video call on the phone of one of the film's producers during the winners' press conference, and said she was "overwhelmed".

Hosted by Australian actress and comedian Rebel Wilson, this year's ceremony, known as the BAFTAs returned as a usual glitzy red carpet event at London's Royal Albert Hall, following a virtual event last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dune, a mammoth adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel, had lead nominations with 11 nods, mainly in the creative and technical categories. It won five awards.

Steven Spielberg's West Side Story remake won two awards, including best supporting actress for Ariana DeBose.

An absent Will Smith won the leading actor award for playing the father of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard, while Joanna Scanlan won leading actress for portraying a widow who discovers her late husband's devastating secret in After Love.