Keighley-born screenwriter Simon Beaufoy today won the best adapted screenplay Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire.

The film swept the board at the Oscars, winning eight awards, including best film and best director.

The rags-to-riches story of an orphan from the Mumbai slums who wins the Indian version of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? has swept all before it at awards ceremonies this year - and the trend continued at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.

Accepting the statuette, Mr Beaufoy, who was raised in Glusburn, near Keighley, said: "repressed English writers have to write love stories because they can't say what they really mean.

"There are certain places in the universe you never expect to be standing.

"For me it's the moon, the South Pole, the Miss World podium and here.

"It's a tremendous honour."

As well Boyle and the film's cast and crew, Beaufoy thanked Vikas Swarup, whose novel Q&A was the basis of the film.

Slumdog has enjoyed its own a rags-to-riches ride - it was nearly consigned to the straight-to-DVD pile before being saved by Fox Searchlight, which released the film in cinemas.

The film's director, Danny Boyle, said today's haul was a victory for independent films.

"It's working against the odds," he said. "We've got to protect small films and the studios have to protect them as well."

Slumdog's success at awards ceremonies has been matched by its performance at the box office - since opening on January 9 it has taken £21 million in the UK alone.

The winners in full:

  • Motion Picture: Slumdog Millionaire.
  • Actor: Sean Penn, Milk.
  • Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader.
  • Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight.
  • Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
  • Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire.
  • Foreign Film: Departures, Japan.
  • Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire.
  • Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk.
  • Animated Feature Film: "Wall-E.
  • Art Direction: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.
  • Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire.
  • Sound Mixing: Slumdog Millionaire.
  • Sound Editing: The Dark Knight.
  • Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire, AR Rahman.
  • Original Song: Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire, AR Rahman and Gulzar.
  • Costume: The Duchess.
  • Documentary Feature: Man on Wire.
  • Documentary (short subject): Smile Pinki.
  • Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire.
  • Make-up: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.
  • Animated Short Film: La Maison En Petits Cubes.
  • Live Action Short Film: "Spielzeugland (Toyland.
  • Visual Effects: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.

Academy Award winners previously announced this season:

  • Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (Oscar statuette): Jerry Lewis.
  • Gordon E Sawyer Award (Oscar statuette): Pixar Animation co-founder Ed Catmull.