The British Film Institute (BFI) and the British Consulate-General Los Angeles are celebrating a record-breaking year for U.K. cinema, with five best picture nominees and 40 total nominations at the upcoming Academy Awards. The BFI CEO Ben Roberts and His Majesty’s Consul General Paul J.G. Rennie will host a pre-Oscars British Film Reception on March 13 at Soho House Holloway in Los Angeles. Chloé Zhao's "Hamnet," a film that features an almost entirely U.-K. cast and creative team, is leading the charge. Nina Gold is the first British nominee for the newly created Academy Award for best casting. Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" has the most nominations of any film in Oscar history with 16. The Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 16.