BAFTA Awards: ''The Hurt Locker'' wins big

Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker swept 3D blockbuster Avatar aside at the BAFTAs, picking up best film and best director among its six prizes.

The movies, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and ex-husband James Cameron respectively, were both nominated for a leading eight BAFTAs. They also lead the field heading into next month's Academy Awards with nine nominations apiece.

Bigelow is the first woman to win the best director BAFTA.

She says she hopes she will not be the last.

"Women's struggle for equity is a constant struggle, so if this can be a beacon of light, then wonderful," she said after receiving her BAFTA in the gilded splendour of London's Royal Opera House.

Cameron's Avatar - the biggest box office hit in history - won just two BAFTAs: production design and special visual effects.