Leonardo DiCaprio and Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu pose with their awards at the Bafta in London, and right, director Naji Abu Nowar and producer Rupert Lloyd pose with their awards for Outstanding Debut for the film ‘Theeb’.

Epic survival tale “The Revenant” took top honors including best film on Sunday at Britain’s Bafta film awards, even as Jordanian film “Theeb” became the first Arab film to win at the British awards.

Bedouin film ‘Theeb’ won the Bafta (British Academy Film Award) for Outstanding Debut for British Writer Director or Producer.

Directed by Jordaninan Naji Abu Nowar and produced by British Rupert Lloyd, the film is also nominated in the category of Best Film not in the English Language, and is among the Oscar nominees for Best Foreign Language Film.

Mexico’s Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu scooped best director for the picture, and Leonardo DiCaprio won best actor for his leading role as grizzled trapper Hugh Glass.

“I am overwhelmed,” said Inarritu as he accepted the award at a star-studded ceremony in London. DiCaprio used his speech to wish his mother a happy birthday and thank her for supporting him as a child.

“I grew up in a very rough neighborhood in East Los Angeles. And this woman drove me three hours a day to a different school to show me a different opportunity,” he said.

“I’m shocked and amazed, honored,” he said of the award. “To tell you the truth none of this was expected.”

After already nabbing the same three awards at last month’s Golden Globes, the film is now seen as a leading contender for Oscar glory in Los Angeles on Feb. 28.

At the Baftas on Sunday, “The Revenant” won out for best film over Todd Haynes’ 1950s all-female romance “Carol,” Steven Spielberg’s Cold War thriller “Bridge of Spies,” Tom McCarthy’s newsroom drama “Spotlight” and Adam McKay’s financial caper “The Big Short.”

The film also took the awards for cinematography and for sound, giving it a total of five British Academy of Film and Television Arts gongs.

It was closely followed by “Mad Max: Fury Road,” George Miller’s visually stunning post-apocalyptic action film which picked up four technical wins including for the scrappy-punk costumes of its warring tribes.

The night’s other big winners included Brie Larson, who scooped best actress for her role in the harrowing kidnapping tale “Room.”

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