'The Hurt Locker' takes top prize at BAFTAs

Britain's love of the underdog triumphed yesterday as intimate war drama "The Hurt Locker" beat 3-D spectacular "Avatar" to take six prizes, including best picture, at the British Academy Film Awards, The Associated Press reported.

Kathryn Bigelow won the best-director battle against her ex-husband James Cameron's "Avatar," for her intense depiction of a bomb-disposal squad in Iraq.

"It means so much that this film seems to be touching people's hearts and minds," Bigelow said.

Both films had eight nominations for the BAFTA awards, considered an indicator of possible success at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles next month. "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" have nine Oscar nominations each.

"The Hurt Locker" also took British prizes for original screenplay cinematography, editing and sound.

British talent did not go home empty-handed. Carey Mulligan was named best actress for playing a precocious teenager in 1960s London in "An Education." Colin Firth was named best actor for portraying a bereaved Englishman in California in Tom Ford's "A Single Man."

Firth said he almost declined the award-winning role, which has also earned him an Oscar nomination.

"I would like to thank the fridge guy," Firth said.