1st British Academy Film Awards in the context of "British Academy Film Awards"

The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international film contributions. The ceremony was first held at the flagship Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square in London, then the Royal Opera House from 2007 to 2016. The event was held at the Royal Albert Hall from 2017 to 2022, before moving to the Royal Festival Hall for 2023. The statue awarded to recipients depicts a theatrical mask. The BAFTA Awards are recognised internationally as the highest honour in British cinema, equivalent to the BAFTA TV Awards for television, Laurence Olivier Awards for theatre, and the BRIT Awards for music. The BAFTA Film Awards are considered equivalent to the Academy Awards.

The first BAFTA Awards ceremony was held in 1949, and the ceremony was first broadcast on the BBC in 1956 with Vivien Leigh as the host. The ceremony was initially held in April or May; since 2001, it typically takes place in February.

The BAFTA Award for Best Film is a film award given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and presented at the British Academy Film Awards. It has been given since the 1st BAFTA Awards, representing the best films of 1947, but until 1969 it was called the BAFTA Award for Best Film From Any Source. It is possible for films from any country to be nominated, although British films are also recognised in the category BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film and (since 1983) foreign-language films in BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language. As such, there have been multiple occasions of a film being nominated in two of these categories (and even winning both, for example Conclave).

There has been one tie for the Best Film Award when, in 1962, Ballad of a Soldier tied with The Hustler for Best Film From Any Source. Throughout the history of the category, the award has been given to the director(s), the producer(s) or both.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, /ˈbæftə/) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual award ceremonies, BAFTA has an international programme of learning events and initiatives offering access to talent through workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures, and mentoring schemes in the United Kingdom and the United States.

BAFTA's annual film awards ceremony, the British Academy Film Awards, has been held since 1949, while its annual television awards ceremony, the British Academy Television Awards, has been held since 1955. Their third ceremony, the British Academy Games Awards, was first presented in 2004.