The Constant Gardener garnered the most BAFTA nominations, blockbusters lost out, and George Clooney is up against himself.

The Constant Gardener flew the flag for Britain when BAFTA film nominations were announced yesterday, but George Clooney could be the big winner when the UK film industry hands out its top awards next month.

The political thriller based on the John Le Carre novel was the only British entry in a Hollywood-dominated shortlist for Best Film. Its stars, Ralph Fiennes (currently in Dublin rehearsing for Brian Friel's Faith Healer at the Gate) and Rachel Weisz, were up for top acting honours among the 10 it garnered in total.

Clooney will be competing against himself when the awards are announced on February 19th. He was nominated as best actor in a supporting role for Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck.He is also vying for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Good Night, and Good Luck, about a US anchorman battling America's anti-Communist witch hunt.

"What a versatile man he is. I hope George is sitting in the room when the winners are announced," said British Academy chairman Duncan Kenworthy.

Gay cowboy film Brokeback Mountain scooped nine nominations with its stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal honoured, along with director Ang Lee. All are hot favourites to land Oscars. Crash, which explores race and class in America, also garnered nine nominations, including Best Picture.

The BAFTAs were moved in 2001 from April to February to fall between the Golden Globes and the Oscars in a bid to capture some Hollywood glitter in the cinema awards season build-up.

BAFTA organisers hope Hollywood studios will provide a full house of top stars when the winners are announced, although a BAFTA win is no guarantee of Oscar success. Last year Clint Eastwood's boxing drama Million Dollar Baby swept the board at the Oscars, but failed to score at the BAFTAs after distributors refused to send out copies of the film to voters.

The big blockbusters of 2005 - Harry Potter, Narnia and King Kong - failed to feature in the major BAFTA nominations, and Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto also missed out. - Reuters