'Atonement' Leads British Film Award Nominations

Atonement, the screen adaptation of Ian McEwan's war time love story, is leading the field for next month's Orange Bafta awards after winning 14 nominations.

With the Oscars - due to be held in two weeks - still threatened by the Hollywood screenwriter's strike, there are high hopes of a big turn-out of stars such as George Clooney and Cate Blanchett to promote the Baftas from their normal supporting role into the unexpected queen of the 2008 film awards season.

The American thriller No Country for Old Men and the Texan oil drama There Will be Blood both received nine nominations.

La Vie en Rose, the Edith Piaf biopic received seven, while another British film, The Bourne Ultimatum, directed by Paul Greengrass, received six, and Sir Ridley Scott's American Gangster, received five.