Outside of the guilds, the BAFTAs are the most like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. That’s because BAFTA is the British equivalent, containing various members of the cinematic community. Yet, until the guild moved its awards to before the Oscars, the BAFTA often went different, and often strange, directions. Since then, they’ve not only shifted mainstream, they’ve become something of an accurate bellwether. They were the first to give Tilda Swinton an Oscar for Michael Clayton ending Amy Ryan’s precursor dominance. They’ve made many other choices that have forecast the Oscars as well, so many of us will be looking to them to see what clues may lay ahead for the Academy Awards in three weeks.

The BAFTA prizes will be given out on Sunday during the day (since London is a few hours ahead). Here are our predictions along with some brief commentary on each category (as submitted by our contributors).

BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM & TELEVISION ARTS AWARDS

Best Film

12 Years a Slave (Wesley, Peter)
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Gravity (Tripp, RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Philomena (RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: You may have two ostensibly British films nominated (both up for Best British Film), this is a more universal award and most often goes to a Best Picture frontrunner. This race will tell us whether Gravity has what it takes to pull of an Oscar win or if 12 Years a Slave will hang on and cement its frontrunner status.
Peter J. Patrick: A close race between the two Oscar front-runners which could go either way but the British director helmed historical epic should have the edge over the British co-produced popcorn hit which is also front-runner for Best British Film.
Tripp Burton: A lot of the films here have strong British ties, usually a good selling point here, but I think that Gravity should continue its streak here as well.

Best Animated Film

Despicable Me 2 (RU:Tripp)
Monsters University (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Frozen (Wesley, Peter, Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: The competition is so light that they didn’t even nominate everything that could have beaten Frozen, so this is the most foregone conclusion of the night.
Peter J. Patrick: Frozen really has no competition.
Tripp Burton: There is no question anymore of what is winning these animated film prizes. The other two don’t have a chance.

Best Director

Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity (Wesley, Tripp, RU:Peter)
Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips
Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave (Peter, RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp)
David O. Russell – American Hustle
Martin Scorsese – Gravity

Wesley Lovell: I want to say hometown boy Steve McQueen will take home the award, but Alfonso Cuaron seems nigh unstoppable. Since Gravity is actually considered a British film while 12 Years is not, I’m thinking they would go for Cuaron either way.
Peter J. Patrick: British McQueen would seem to have the edge over Mexican Cuaron, but either could win this one.
Tripp Burton: At this point, you can’t go against Cuaron and his sweep. Unless the British McQueen can make a stand at home.

Best Actor

Christian Bale – American Hustle
Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave (Wesley, Peter, Tripp)
Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips

Wesley Lovell: Matthew McConaughey wasn’t eligible/nominated. Therefore, Chiwetel Ejiofor, who was once thought to be the prime contender for the Oscar, should have little trouble sweeping this prize up.
Peter J. Patrick: With Oscar front-runner Matthew McConaughey out of the race, it looks like an easy win for British actor Ejiofor.
Tripp Burton: Without McConaughey in this race, the British Ejiofor should pick up a long overdue prize for his work in 12 Years a Slave. But if DiCaprio manages a win here, look for predictors all over the place to (incorrectly) reassess the race.

Best Actress

Amy Adams – American Hustle
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine (Wesley, Peter, RU:Tripp)
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench – Philomena (Tripp, RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Emma Thompson – Saving Mr. Banks

Wesley Lovell: Australia isn’t Britain, but it’s the next closest thing for someone who’s already a frontrunner. It’s possible either Judi Dench or Emma Thompson could end up sneaking by simply because they actually ARE British, but I suspect the eventual Oscar winner will have no challenging winning here.
Peter J. Patrick: Blanchett should continue her sweep of this year’s awards here. Dench would be a bigger threat if se didn’t already have so many BAFTAs you could get dizzy trying to count them all.
Tripp Burton: This will the our first chance to see if the Woody Allen controversy will affect Cate Blanchett, but she should be more worried about BAFTA favorite Judi Dench in a meaty role.

Best Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl – Rush (RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
Matt Damon – Behind the Candelabra (RU:Wesley)
Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave (Wesley, Peter, Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: Like in Best Actor, the primary competition from the Oscars isn’t eligible, so 12 Years a Slave has a chance to dominate the way many thought it would earlier last year. Michael Fassbender’s even a native, giving him bonus points over three Americans and a Spaniard.
Peter J. Patrick: With Oscar front-runner Jared Leto out of the race, Fassbeder should win this one easily.
Tripp Burton: Like Actor, we are without the presumptive Oscar winner here, which opens up the door for Michael Fassbender to collect some hardware.

Best Supporting Actress

Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine (RU:Wesley)
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle (Tripp, RU:Peter)
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave (Wesley, Peter, RU:Tripp)
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
Oprah Winfrey – Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Wesley Lovell: The lack of competition for the men isn’t reflected in the women’s categories as most of the primary Oscar competitors are here. Sally Hawkins is a homegrown talent, giving her a slight edge, but Lupita Nyong’o is doing very well in the precursors leading me to believe she’ll probably win here, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Hawkins topped her. It would also turn the Oscar race into a free-for-all, or at least a less clear race.
Peter J. Patrick: Nyong’o should have no problem continuing her awards sweep here.
Tripp Burton: The neck and neck race continues, but I have a hunch that the better known Lawrence will be up on the stage this time around.

Best Original Screenplay

American Hustle (Wesley, Peter, Tripp)
Blue Jasmine
Gravity
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: I can see why American Hustle is being cited as the possible winner, but I still think Alexander Payne’s Nebraska may take the prize. This is one of the categories I’m least sure of and I’m still waffling over who the winner will be. With Her ineligible, this is the best opportunity David O. Russell has of showing he’s got what it takes. If anything else wins, there may be a swell of sympathy for the Oscars, or it may show how weak many consider the screenplay of Hustle to be.
Peter J. Patrick: Looks like an easy win for the popular American Hustle.
Tripp Burton: Without Spike Jonze in his way, this should be a chance for David O. Russell to put himself back in the Oscar race.

Best Adapted Screenplay

12 Years a Slave (Wesley, Peter, RU:Tripp)
Behind the Candelabra
Captain Phillips
Philomena (Tripp, RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
The Wolf of Wall Street

Wesley Lovell: I might normally say that everything points to a 12 Years a Slave victory, but Philomena‘s a popular British film written by prominent British writers. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Philomena win, but I’m still leaning towards John Ridley’s adaptation of Solomon Northup’s novel.
Peter J. Patrick: The literate adaptation of the 19th Century 12 Years a Slave should be an easy winner.
Tripp Burton: Steve Coogan should win easily on his home turf, which means that 12 Years a Slave will enter the Oscar race without a BAFTA or WGA win to its name

Best Original Music

12 Years a Slave (Peter, RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp)
The Book Thief
Captain Phillips
Gravity (Wesley, Tripp, RU:Peter)
Saving Mr. Banks

Wesley Lovell: Of the Oscar nominees listed here, Gravity is the one I think has the best shot of winning. Yet, if 12 Years a Slave pulls off a mini-sweep of the acting categories, this one might go along with it, it just won’t predict the Oscars at all.
Peter J. Patrick: A tough call, but 12 Years a Slave should edge this one out.
Tripp Burton: I would think Oscar nominee Philomena would win here, but they didn’t even nominate it. So add one more to Gravity‘s tally.

Best Editing

12 Years a Slave
Captain Phillips (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
Gravity (Wesley, Peter, Tripp)
Rush
The Wolf of Wall Street

Wesley Lovell: I’m less sure today than I was when I initially contemplated this category. Captain Phillips‘ win at the ACE awards leads me to suspect that Gravity may not win this victory lap. If it doesn’t, then the Oscar race may be upended a bit.
Peter J. Patrick: Seems like another easy win for Gravity, but we thought so at the Eddies and Captain Phillips won there, so this will be one to watch.
Tripp Burton: Was that Editors Guild award for Captain Phillips a fluke or a sign of things to come. I’m guessing fluke.

Best Cinematography

12 Years a Slave
Captain Phillips
Gravity (Wesley, Peter, Tripp)
Inside Llewyn Davis (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Nebraska (RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: Gravity has been doing a fantastic job winning the precursors in this category and I see little reason to suspect things will change at BAFTA.
Peter J. Patrick: Should be an easy victory or Gravity.
Tripp Burton: Gravity is picking up all sort of technical awards, and I don’t see why this should be any different.

Best Production Design

12 Years a Slave (RU:Peter)
American Hustle
Behind the Candelabra
Gravity (RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp)
The Great Gatsby (Wesley, Peter, Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: Go with opulence over reality. Catherine Martin is a force to be reckoned with and BAFTA is likely to contribute to that force.
Peter J. Patrick: The elaborate production design for The Great Gatsby should take this one easily.
Tripp Burton: This is probably the weakest technical category for Gravity, and I think it might falter to the much more lavish 1920s.

Best Costume Design

American Hustle
Behind the Candelabra (Wesley)
The Great Gatsby (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
The Invisible Woman (Peter, Tripp)
Saving Mr. Banks

Wesley Lovell: All this talk of forecasting the Oscars, we haven’t taken into consideration the one film that wasn’t eligible for the Oscars, but which received a slew of BAFTA nominations. Behind the Candelabra, were it nominated for the Oscars, might pose a genuine threat for a win. I’m giving it the edge over The Great Gatsby and The Invisible Woman.
Peter J. Patrick: The Dickensian drama should take this one on its only nomination.
Tripp Burton: I’m guessing the British voters will go for Dickens over Fitzgerald, but wouldn’t be surprised either way.

Best Makeup & Hair

American Hustle (Peter, Tripp, RU:Wesley)
Behind the Candelabra (Wesley, RU:Peter)
The Great Gatsby
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (RU:Tripp)
Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Wesley Lovell: I’m going to put Behind the Candelabra down for a second win, though I wouldn’t be at all surprised if American Hustle won this award and right now, I’m guessing it probably will, but I’m leaning towards the semi-surprise.
Peter J. Patrick: The more make-up and hair, the merrier, it would seem.
Tripp Burton: Interesting that none of these nominees went on to Oscar nominations. People were shocked that American Hustle didn’t get an Oscar nod for makeup, so maybe this will make up for it a little bit.

Best Sound

All Is Lost (RU:Peter)
Captain Phillips (Peter, RU:Wesley)
Gravity (Wesley, Tripp)
Inside Llewyn Davis
Rush (RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: Gravity seems like the best opportunity to win here. The odd part is the film seems less likely to dominate the tech categories at BAFTA compared to the Oscars.
Peter J. Patrick: Not an easy one to call.
Tripp Burton: No question Gravity wins here.

Best Special Visual Effects

Gravity (Wesley, Peter, Tripp)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Iron Man 3
Pacific Rim (RU:Tripp)
Star Trek: Into Darkness

Wesley Lovell: An easy win for Gravity. Anything else would be the biggest shock of the millennium.
Peter J. Patrick: An easy win for Gravity.
Tripp Burton: The most obvious win of the night, just like the Oscars.

Best Foreign Language Film

The Act of Killing
Blue Is the Warmest Color (Wesley, RU:Tripp)
The Great Beauty (Peter, Tripp, RU:Wesley)
Metro Manila
Wadjda (RU:Peter)

Wesley Lovell: Perhaps Metro Manila has an unfair advantage being a UK co-production. That being said, I don’t think it has much of a chance of beating the films from France or Italy. The Danish film The Hunt isn’t nominated, so it’s possible The Great Beauty, being the lone Oscar nominee in this bunch, could find this win as a nice boost to its chances at the Oscars. Either that or Blue Is the Warmest Color continues its streak with the precursors.
Peter J. Patrick: The acclaimed Italian film, The Great Beauty should win this one unless there is a last-minute surge for the Saudi/German co-production, Wadjda, or the French hit, Blue is the Warmest Color.
Tripp Burton: This is a tight race, but The Great Beauty has so much momentum and buzz right now that it should play well to the voters.

Best Documentary

The Act of Killing (Wesley, Peter, Tripp)
The Armstrong Lie
Blackfish (RU:Peter)
Tim’s Vermeer (RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp)
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks

Wesley Lovell: The films the Academy nominated are more likely to be The Act of Killing than these films. Though, it’s possible either Blackfish or We Steal Secrets will beat my prediction for runner-up, Tim’s Vermeer, to the punch.
Peter J. Patrick: No idea, really, this one’s a coin toss.
Tripp Burton: The Act of Killing picked up a rare double nomination here and in Foreign Film, and should win this award pretty handily

Best Short Animation

Everything I Can See From Here (Wesley)
I Am Tom Moody (Peter)
Sleeping with the Fishes (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)

Wesley Lovell: When I don’t know enough about the nominees (or haven’t seen them), I go with the most interesting title.
Peter J. Patrick: Just a shot in the dark, I’m not familiar with any of the nominees.

Best Short Film

Island Queen (Peter)
Keeping Up with the Joneses
Orbit Ever After (Wesley)
Room 8
Sea View (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)

Wesley Lovell: Another category I don’t know as much about as I would like. I give it again to the title I think sounds most interesting.
Peter J. Patrick: Another shot in the dark. I’m not familiar ith any of the nominees.

Best British Film

Gravity (Wesley, Peter, RU:Tripp)
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Philomena (Tripp, RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Rush
Saving Mr. Banks
The Selfish Giant

Wesley Lovell: This category enables the Brits to vote for their own without possibly influencing their votes for the top prize. That’s why I give Oscar co-frontrunner Gravity the edge, though Philomena truly feels more British and could ride that wave to a win.
Peter J. Patrick: If Gravity wins Best Film, expect Philomena to win Best British Film as the two awards rarely coincide, or conversely since this award is given first, if Philomena wins, expect Gravity to win Best Film.
Tripp Burton: Philomena will do better here than any other place, and this should be a chance for it to pick up one big prize.

Best Rising Star

Dane DeHaan (RU:Peter)
Lupita Nyong’o (Peter, RU:Wesley)
George Mackay
Will Poulter (Wesley)
Lea Seydoux

Wesley Lovell: This award is voted by the public and while I would love for anyone else to win, Will Poulter has the most box office friendly hit of the bunch, thus why I predict him. Of course, Lupita Nyong’o has been building a solid public reputation and could win out.
Peter J. Patrick: Voted on by the public, Nyong’o should win this one handily.

Best Debut of a British Writer, Director or Producer

For Those in Peril
Good Vibrations
Kelly + Victor (RU:Wesley)
Saving Mr. Banks (Wesley, Peter)
Shell (RU:Peter)

Wesley Lovell: It’s nominated in several other categories whereas none of the other nominees are. Thus, I give my prediction to Saving Mr. Banks. My second place choice is the one I’ve heard the most about.
Peter J. Patrick: The high profile Marcel should take this one easily.