Benedict Cumberbatch honoured at British Independent Film Awards; ‘Pride’ named best film

LONDON – In-demand actor Benedict Cumberbatch has been honoured for helping shine an international spotlight on Britain.

Cumberbatch, who plays code-breaker Alan Turing in awards-season hopeful “The Imitation Game,” was awarded the Variety prize at the British Independent Film Awards.

He said it was a huge honour — although “my engagement to the woman I love is obviously the most important thing of 2014 for me.” Cumberbatch is due to wed theatre director Sophie Hunter.

“Pride,” the story of gay activists who supported striking coal miners in the 1980s, was named best film at Sunday’s awards.

Brendan Gleeson was named best actor for his performance as a Catholic priest in “Calvary.” The best-actress prize went to Gugu Mbatha-Raw for playing the mixed-race daughter of an aristocratic 18th-century English family in “Belle.”