Where can I watch Nomadland? UK release date of Bafta-winning movie and how to watch it – is it on Netflix?

Nomadland was the big winner at this year’s Bafta film awards, securing four prizes.

The road movie stars Frances McDormand, and is about a woman in her sixties who loses everything in the recession and lives in her van on a journey across the American West.

Made for a low budget, it was adapted from Jessica Bruder’s non fiction bestselling book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, about the rootless community in the US, and many of the real nomads who appear in the book also feature in the film.

Here is everything you need to know about it.

What Baftas did it win?

Ahead of the ceremony, the film led the pack with seven nominations, alongside British indie drama, Rocks.

The film scored the top prize of best film at the ceremony, while McDormand won best actress.

Filmmaker Chloe Zhao (who was born in China), became only the second woman to win the best director prize, and the first woman of colour. She was one of four women shortlisted in the category, a record for the awards.

The first female winner of the award was Kathryn Bigelow, who took the gong in 2010 for The Hurt Locker.

The film also stars The Bourne Ultimatum actor David Strathairn, but most of the cast is made up of real-life nomads, who Zhao celebrated in her acceptance speech.

She said: “They shared with us their dreams, their struggles and their deep sense of dignity. Thank you for showing us that aging is a beautiful part of life, a journey that we should all cherish and celebrate.

“How we treat our elders says a lot about who we are as a society and we need to do better.”

Though McDormand won the best actress category, she did not appear via Zoom to accept the prize.

Presenter Richard E Grant instead read a speech on her behalf, saying: “Thank you dear British people, I humbly accept this honour on behalf of the Nomadland tribe, a company we salute you, long may we roll.”

British cinematographer Joshua James Richards, from Cornwall, also collected the best cinematography prize.

What other awards has it won?

The film has been a critical triumph and is nominated for six Oscars.

It already won the best film prize at the Golden Globes, where Zhao won best director, and last year scooped the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

Zhao also took the top prize at the Directors Guild Of America (DGA) Awards – which took place shortly after the 2021 Baftas – winning the outstanding directorial achievement in theatrical feature film award.

She is widely tipped to win best director at the Oscars while it would take a considerable upset for her film to miss out on best picture; since 2010, only two filmmakers have won the DGA Awards’ top prize but failed to win best director at the Oscars.

The Oscars are set to take place on 25 April.

Where can I watch it?

Nomadland will be released on Star on Disney+ in the UK and Ireland on Friday 30 April.

It will be screened in cinemas in the UK and Ireland from 17 May.