Ang Lee's `Brokeback' the big winner in UK awards

Ang Lee (李安) has grabbed awards for his latest work -- Brokeback Mountain -- again and again. In the cold and damp weather in London on Sunday evening, Lee won the title of best director at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards ceremony.

Three other BAFTA awards, for best film, best adapted screenplay and best supporting actor, were also gained by Lee's film about two gay cowboy lovers in the early 1960s.

Brokeback Mountain won the Golden Lion for best movie at the Venice Film Festival last September and the Golden Globe Award for best film last month January. Lee won the Golden Globe for best director.

Government Information Office Minister Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) sent a congratulatory message to Lee for winning the British awards. Cheng praised Lee for his distinguished achievement in the film and said he is proud of being Lee's compatriot.

Representative to the UK Edgar Lin (林俊義) also sent a message to Lee to offer his congratulations.

Lin praised Lee as the "glory of Taiwan" and invited the director to attend the planned Taiwan Film Festival scheduled for the autumn in London.

The BAFTA award presentation ceremony took place at the Odeon Theater in Leicester Square.

Lee thanked the British people for their support as well as the BAFTA for honoring him with the award.

Recalling his first award-winning movie, The Wedding (1993), Lee said the film won the acknowledgement of British audiences when it premiered in the country 13 years ago. He said that by the time he was directing the Academy Award-winning Sense and Sensibility (1995), he had overcome his fear of making English-language films.

With all these experiences, Lee said, he has felt the friendship of the country.

Lee's other masterpiece is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), which won the Academy Award for best foreign language film in 2001.

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Rain fails to dampen exciting BAFTA awards ceremony