MUMBAI: An Education tops the pack of films listed for the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) with 17 categories including best film, best director (Lone Scherfig) and best actress for Carey Mulligan.

Quentin Tarantino‘s Inglourious Basterds has been named in 15 categories, Kathryn Bigalow‘s The Hurt Locker is listed in 12 whilst James Cameron‘s 3D blockbuster Avatar is close behind with 11. All three are shortlisted in the best film and best director categories.

Other contenders for best film are District 9, Moon, Precious, The Road, A Serious Man, A Single Man, Star Trek, Up and Up In The Air, as well as two Clint Eastwood films Gran Torino and Invictus.

Eastwood is also shortlisted in the best director category as well as a best actor nod for his performance in Gran Torino.
Andrea Arnold and first time feature director Duncan Jones are amongst the British contenders to be long listed in the best director category for Fish Tank and Moon.

The best actor award category includes Aaron Johnson for his portrayal in Sam Taylor Wood‘s Nowhere Boy, Ben Whishaw in Bright Star, Colin Firth in Tom Ford‘s A Single Man, Andy Serkis in Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll and George Clooney for Up In The Air.

Joining Mulligan in the list for best actress is Meryl Streep with two citations for It‘s Complicated and Julie & Julia, as well as her co-star Amy Adams. Other contenders include Abbie Cornish (Bright Star), Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones) Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) and newcomer Katie Jarvis for Fish Tank.

The official nominations will be announced on 21 January when the awards ceremony will take place at the Royal Opera House in London.