THE Oscar-winning Sense and Sensibility took three more awards last night at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in a ceremony that highlighted two cinema images of Britain. 

The costume drama won the awards for best film, best actress for Emma Thompson as Jane Austen's heroine Elinor Dashwood and best-supporting actress for her co-star, Kate Winslet. 

But the best adapted screenplay award ­ won by Thompson at the Oscars ­ went to John Hodge, for Trainspotting, the controversial British film about heroin addiction. 

A resurgence in popularity of the works of Austen was reinforced in television categories. The BBC2 film of Persuasion was best single drama, while Jennifer  Ehle won best actress for the BBC series Pride and Prejudice. 

Ms Thompson joked: "I would like to thank the whole crew, even though they were vile to me because I wrote it. My principle thanks must go to Ang Lee, the director, even though he kept coming up and saying: 'Don't look so old.' " 

The awards at the Theatre Royal, London, were presented by Sir Peter Ustinov and Angus Deayton and attended by the Princess Royal, who said: "I'm ignoring my mother's birthday party to be here tonight as this is an important occasion for the industry." 

The BBC Panorama interview with the Princess of Wales won the best talk show award, collected by the interviewer, Martin Bashir. Robbie Coltrane was best television actor for Cracker for the third consecutive year and the programme was also named best drama series. Rory Bremner was best light entertainment performer for the second year. 

The Lloyds Bank People's Vote Award for favourite film, decided by the public, went to Braveheart, which also took the best-film Oscar. 

FILM 
Best film: Sense and Sensibility; David Lean Award for best achievement in direction: Michael Radford (Il Postino); Best screenplay (original): The Usual Suspects (Christopher McQuarrie); Best screenplay (adapted): Trainspotting (John Hodge); Best performance by an actress in a leading role: Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility); Best performance by an actor in a leading role: Nigel Hawthorne (The Madness of King George); Best performance by an actress in a supporting role: Kate Winslet (Sense and Sensibility); Best performance by an actor in a supporting role: Tim Roth (Rob Roy); Best film not in the English language: Il Postino; Lloyds Bank people's vote for favourite film: Braveheart. 

TELEVISION 
Best single drama: Persuasion; Best drama series: Cracker; Best drama serial: The Politician's Wife; Best factual series: The Death of Yugoslavia; Best light entertainment (programme or series): The Mrs Merton Show; Best comedy (programme or series): Father Ted; The Huw Wheldon Award for the best arts programme or series: Children of the Revolution; Best children's programme (factual): Short Change; Best children's programme (fiction ­ entertainment): Coping with Christmas; The Flaherty Documentary Award: The Betrayed; Best actress: Jennifer Ehle (Pride and Prejudice); Best actor: Robbie Coltrane (Cracker); Best light entertainment performance: Rory Bremner (Rory Bremner ­ Who Else?); Best comedy performance: Martin Clunes (Men Behaving Badly); Best news coverage: Channel 4's news coverage of war crimes in former Yugoslavia (production team, ITN for Channel 4); Best sports/events coverage in real time: VE-Day coverage; Best talk show: Panorama interview with the Princess of Wales; Lloyds Bank people's vote for favourite TV programme: The X Files. 

Awards in the gift of the Bafta Council. Fellowship: John Schlesinger; Alexander Korda Award for the outstanding British film: The Madness of King George; Richard Dimbleby Award for the most important personal contribution on the screen in factual television: Jeremy Paxman; The Dennis Potter Award: Roy Clark; Lew Grade Award for a significant and popular television programme: The Antiques Roadshow. Foreign TV programme: ER 

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