dare hope everything would turn out this way. We were just hoping we could make the money back.
'The gamble was really in the hands of the film company who agreed to fund all three movies before we had even made one.'
Close behind was Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World, which won the best director award for Peter Weir and awards for production design, costume and sound.
Cold Mountain, which had been up for 13 awards, took
only two, including a best supporting actress honour for Renee Zellweger.
The star, who finished filming the Bridget Jones sequel only hours earlier, showed off her curves in a black strapless fishtail dress by Carolina Herrera.
She also appeared surprised at winning, telling the starstudded audience: 'Oh my goodness, thank you so much. My heart is beating. It is very unexpected and a huge honour.'
She paid tribute to Cold Mountain's British director Anthony Minghella, saying: 'I have admired you for so long and I can't tell you how honoured I was when you called to invite me to be in the film.'
One of the few Britons to win anything was Bill Nighy, named best supporting actor for his role as a fading rock star in Love Actually - the only Bafta the film won.
Nighy said: 'You have made an old rocker very happy.'
Although she did not win the best supporting actress award for which she was nominated, Nighy's co-star Emma Thompson did wear one of the showstopping dresses of the evening.
The gown was by Maria
Grachvogel, whose creations have transformed the actress from dowdy school marm to glamorous goddess in recent weeks.
Of her new image, Miss Thompson said: 'This is the result of four hours with an expert hair and make-up artist. It all turns into an old sausage skin at midnight.'
Other dresses that wowed the crowds included those worn by Joely Richardson in tangerine Christian Dior, Alicia Silverstone in a revealing red number and Helena Bonham Carter in black gloves and a white fur wrap.
British actress Thandie Newton wore another Mouret creation so low at the back that more than a glimpse of a Gstring was visible.
On being told by a companion that her underwear was showing, the Mission Impossible 2 star smiled and replied: 'Good.'
More than 3,000 fans waited in the cold to see the arrival of the stars, including the normally publicity shy Johnny Depp, nominated as best actor for Pirates Of The Caribbean.
Depp turned up with Love Actually star Martine McCutcheon but was late, delaying the ceremony. The event was further delayed after a technical hitch meant the backdrop broke down.
