Richard Linklater's Boyhood beats Birdman to win Best Film at the Baftas

The film also won Best Director and Best Supporting Actress at the awards

(Left to right) Jonathan Sehring, Cathleen Sutherland, Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and John Sloss celebrate after winning the best film award for Boyhood at the Baftas (REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett )

Boyhood has won the biggest accolade at the Bafta awards tonight.

Richard Linklater’s acclaimed coming of age film shot over a 12-year period beat The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel to win Best Film.

Boyhood - review

The indie favourite was also awarded Best Director, which went to Richard Linklater, and Best Supporting Actress, which was picked up by Patricia Arquette for her performance as the ‘Mom’ in the film.

Accepting the award on behalf of Richard Linklater who could not be present, lead star Ellar Coltrane, who was filmed from the ages of six to 18 for the film, thanked the director for guiding the cast through such a unique film project.

While Boyhood won some of the most acclaimed awards of the night, The Grand Budapest Hotel was the biggest winner, taking home five gongs for Costume Design, Production Design, Make Up & Hair and Original Music and Original Screenplay.

Whiplash and The Theory of Everything also won three awards apiece.