Date: 24th January 2007

Royal flag flies at Oscars


Dame Helen Mirren's royal tour de force will be the main hope of British success at this year's Oscars.

Her title role performance in The Queen has earned her a nomination for Best Actress.

Dame Judi Dench for Notes on a Scandal and Kate Winslet (Little Children) join her on the shortlist. They are up against Penélope Cruz for her role in Volver and Meryl Streep for hers in The Devil Wears Prada.

The Queen is also one of the contenders for Best Picture, along with The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine and Babel.

And it has been nominated as well for Best Original Screenplay as well as for Best Director for Stephen Frears.

Sacha Baron Cohen missed out on a nomination for Best Actor but Borat was among the contenders for Best Adapted Screenplay.

And Peter O'Toole is another British hopeful after being nominated as Best Actor for his role in Venus.

He will be up against Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith and Forest Whitaker.

But Aardman's Flushed Away missed out in the Best Animated Feature Film category.

The three movies shortlisted are Cars, Happy Feet and Monster House.

The nominees for Best Supporting Actor include Mark Wahlberg and Eddie Murphy while Cate Blanchett is among the contenders for Best Supporting Actress.

The 2007 Oscars ceremony will be held on February 25.

Source: Press Release