British Academy Film Awards 1979
The 32nd British Academy Film Awards · Held March 22, 1979 · 17 categories · everything in 1979
Best Film
- Winner Julia
- Nominee Close Encounters of the Third Kind · Steven Spielberg
- Nominee Midnight Express · Alan Parker
- Nominee Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · George Lucas
Best Direction
- Winner Alan Parker · Midnight Express
- Nominee Robert Altman · A Wedding
- Nominee Steven Spielberg · Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Nominee Fred Zinnemann · Julia
Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Winner Richard Dreyfuss · The Goodbye Girl
- Nominee Peter Ustinov · Death on the Nile
- Nominee Anthony Hopkins · Magic
- Nominee Brad Davis · Midnight Express
Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Winner Jane Fonda · Julia
- Nominee Jill Clayburgh · An Unmarried Woman
- Nominee Marsha Mason · The Goodbye Girl
- Nominee Anne Bancroft · The Turning Point
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Winner John Hurt · Midnight Express
- Nominee François Truffaut · Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Nominee Jason Robards · Julia
- Nominee Gene Hackman · Superman
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Winner Geraldine Page · Interiors
- Nominee Angela Lansbury · Death on the Nile
- Nominee Maggie Smith · Death on the Nile
- Nominee Mona Washbourne · Stevie
Best Screenplay
- Winner Julia · Alvin Sargent
- Nominee A Wedding · John Considine, Patricia Resnick, Allan F. Nicholls, Robert Altman
- Nominee Close Encounters of the Third Kind · Steven Spielberg
- Nominee The Goodbye Girl · Neil Simon
Best Documentary
- Winner The Silent Witness
Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles
- Winner Christopher Reeve · Superman
- Nominee Melanie Mayron · Girlfriends
- Nominee Mary Beth Hurt · Interiors
- Nominee Brad Davis · Midnight Express
Best Original Music
- Winner Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · John Williams
- Nominee Close Encounters of the Third Kind · John Williams
- Nominee Julia · Georges Delerue
- Nominee Saturday Night Fever · Bee Gees
Best Cinematography
- Winner Julia · Douglas Slocombe
- Nominee Close Encounters of the Third Kind · Vilmos Zsigmond
- Nominee Superman · Geoffrey Unsworth
- Nominee The Duellists · Frank Tidy
Best Editing
- Winner Midnight Express · Gerry Hambling
- Nominee Close Encounters of the Third Kind · Michael Kahn
- Nominee Julia · Walter Murch
- Nominee Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas, Richard Chew
Best Production Design
- Winner Close Encounters of the Third Kind · Joe Alves
- Nominee Julia · Gene Callahan, Willy Holt, Carmen Dillon
- Nominee Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · John Barry
- Nominee Superman · John Barry
Best Costume Design
- Winner Death on the Nile · Anthony Powell
- Nominee Julia · Anthea Sylbert, Joan Bridge
- Nominee Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · John Mollo
- Nominee The Duellists · Tom Rand
Best Sound
- Winner Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · Sam Shaw, Robert Rutledge, Derek Ball, Don MacDougall, Bob Minkler, Ray West, Michael Minkler, Les Fresholtz, Richard Portman, Ben Burtt
- Nominee Close Encounters of the Third Kind · Gene Cantamessa, Robert Knudson, Don MacDougall, Robert Glass, Frank Warner
- Nominee Saturday Night Fever · Les Lazarowitz, John Wilkinson, Robert W. Glass, Jr., John T. Reitz
- Nominee Superman · Vivian C. Greenham, Gordon McCallum, Mike Hopkins, Roy Charman
Best Short Factual Film
- Winner Hokusai: An Animated Sketchbook
- Nominee I'll Find a Way · Beverly Shaffer
- Nominee Planet Water · Derek Williams
- Nominee Sunday Muddy Sunday
Best Specialised Film
- Winner Twenty Times More Likely
- Nominee How a Man Schall Be Armyd
- Nominee Leonard Lewis
- Nominee Play Safe · David Eady