Los Angeles:

Director Martin Scorsese took home an Oscar for ‘The Departed’, which also won the best picture award, while Forest Whitaker was crowned the best actor (The Last King of Scotland) and Helen Mirren the best actress (The Queen).

“Could you double check the envelope, please? I mean, I’m overwhelmed with this honour from the Academy and also the honour of being presented by my old, old friends. I just want to say, too, that so many people over the years have been wishing this for me,” said Scorsese upon receiving the best director award after being nominated for an Academy award for the eighth time.

“The Departed” also bagged an Oscar for writing (adapted screenplay) and editing. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the film revolves around two men from the opposite sides of law within the Massachusetts state police and the Irish mafia. Whitaker portrays notorious Ugandan dictator Idi Amin whose charismatic personality cannot mask the savage brutality of his actions in ‘The Last King of Scotland’ while Mirren essays the part of Queen Elizabeth who had to face difficult changes after Princess Diana’s death.

Alan Alkin won the award for best actor in a supporting role (Little Miss Sunshine) and Jennifer Hudson bagged the award for best actress in a supporting role (Dreamgirls). ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ won the best visual effects award for John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and Allen Hall. ‘Happy Feet’, which revolves around a penguin’s desire to dance, was judged the best-animated film and ‘The Danish Poet’ bagged the short film (animated) award.

Michael Arndt won the best writing, screenplay written directly for the screen with ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, Guillermo Navarro got best achievement in cinematography with ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, which also fetched best achievement in make up award for David Martí and Montse Ribé.

Milena Canonero got best achievement in costume design for “Marie Antoinette” while Gustavo Santaolalla received best achievement in music written for motion pictures and original score for ‘Babel’. The song ‘I need to wake up’ fetched Melissa Etheridge best achievement in music written for motion pictures and original song in the film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. The Oscar for sound achievement was scooped up by Michael Minkler, Bob Beemer and Willie D. Burton for ‘Dreamgirls’ and that for best achievement in sound editing by Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman for ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ The 79th Academy Awards also saw Canadian entry “Water”, directed by Canada-based Indian filmmaker Deepa Mehta, lose out to German movie ‘The Lives Of Others’ in the best foreign film category.

“West Bank Story”, a musical comedy set in the fast-paced, fast food world of competing falafel stands on the West Bank, won the short film (live action) award. Another Indian connection was foreign film nominee “After the Wedding” (Denmark), which opens in an Indian orphanage.