British productions swept the board at this year's BAFTA Film Awards held at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, with an intimate homegrown drama taking Best Film and a record number of nominations for actors from underrepresented backgrounds.

'The Quiet River,' a low-budget drama set in rural Wales and shot entirely by a British crew, won five awards including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. Director Megan Thomas became only the third woman to win the Best Director BAFTA in the ceremony's history.

"This film was made for £2 million," Thomas said in an emotional acceptance speech. "It proves you don't need Hollywood budgets to tell human stories that resonate across the world."

Jodie Turner-Smith won Best Actress for her performance in the London-set thriller 'Meridian,' while newcomer Caleb Osei-Bonsu claimed Best Actor in his debut feature role, becoming the youngest winner in the category since Daniel Radcliffe.

BAFTA chief executive Jane Millichip said this year's nominations represented "the most diverse cohort in our 79-year history," pointing to 47% of acting nominees coming from ethnic minority backgrounds.

The ceremony was streamed globally on BBC iPlayer, reaching an estimated 22 million viewers worldwide — a new record for the event.