As expected, Colin Firth was named Best Actor for his leading role in The King’;s Speech at this year’;s Oscars. More of a surprise was that the film’;s director Tom Hooper also triumphed, beating off tough competition from David Fincher, the heavily-tipped director of The Social Network.

All told The King’;s Speech picked up four awards, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, a wonderful outcome for writer David Seidler, whose own story is almost as interesting as that of the film. Now 73, his journey began in 1982 when he wrote to the Queen Mother asking for permission to tell the story. She agreed, on condition that he wait until her death. That didn’;t come for another 20 years.

Other acting awards went to Natalie Portman (Best Actress for Black Swan), Christian Bale and Melissa Leo (Best Supporting Actor and Actress in The Fighter). However the other stand-out performer was Inception, which won Oscars, for cinematography sound mixing, sound editing and VFX.

Success for Inception rounds off a superb Awards season for the Christopher Nolan-directed film, already marked by multiple awards at the BAFTAs and VES Awards.

After the BAFTAs, Double Negative’;s Paul Franklin, who was the film’;s VFX Supervisor, said: “This is a fantastic honour which recognises the skill, effort and creativity that a team of over 250 artists and technicians put into the special visual effects of Inception. As the project’;s VFX Supervisor I was lucky enough to work with a gifted team who (brought) to life the extraordinary vision of Christopher Nolan.”

Also after the BAFTAs, DNeg’;s Co-VFX Supervisor Andrew Lockley said: “Last night was an amazing and very surreal evening, I couldn’;t quite believe it when they called Inception as the winner! I didn’;t stop grinning for the rest of the evening.” No prizes for guessing how he must feel now.