Captain Phillips, Gravity, Iron Man 3, Karama Has No Walls, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Philomena, Prisoners, Room on the Broom, The Act of Killing; The Invisible Woman, The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, and The Voorman Problem. These films all have a British spine in common, and will be celebrated at tomorrow night’s Oscars ceremony.

12 Years a SlaveChiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender star in 12 Years a Slave

But the revelry won’t begin on the red carpet; last night saw an all-out anglo-centric bash in dedication to the British influence on this year’s Academy Awards. The Great British Film event was held at the home of the British Consul General Chris O'Connor, who said: "The UK consistently features as the country with the most nominations outside of the US, and this year is no exception, with our world-class nominees in everything from acting and directing to music, animation and visual effects."

"We've got 26 British nominations in 18 films - it's an amazing achievement for Britain and the industry," said Steve McQueen, director of 12 Years a Slave, which is favourite to win Best Picture. But his film’s odds-on status doesn’t mean he’s not nervous: "It's one of those where you have to force yourself to enjoy it and not take it too seriously," he said.

GravityGravity's visual effects were born in The U.K

Dame Helen Mirren and Sally Hawkins - who is Oscar-nominated for her role in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine – were in attendance at the bash last night in Los Angeles. "It's been an amazing year for film, it's a particularly good year for actors and actresses and for films in general," Dame Helen told the BBC. "I'm supporting 12 Years a Slave because I think is a very important film and I would love it to get at least one Oscar."