The battle of the Baftas is shaping up into a David and Goliath fight as a low budget British film, Billy Elliot, takes on the might of Gladiator, one of those expensive blockbusters that only Hollywood money can buy.

The arena will be the Odeon cinema in London's West End. Although the combatants will be wearing evening dress and wielding nothing more lethal than invitation cards, the conflict will be as fierce as anything the Romans saw in gory gladiatorial contests.

Stepping into the public glare in possibly the toughest round to await a hopeful thumbs up, from those that make up the British Academy for Film and Television Arts membership, will be the North-East's very own star-in-the-making Jamie Bell.

The Billingham lad, 15 next month, faces four screen heavyweights in the Baftas best actor category. Five will enter the arena, only one will emerge victorious.

Jamie, who danced to international film glory in his debut film Billy Elliot, must overcome old hands and previous Oscar-winners Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks and Geoffrey Rush.

But his most dangerous opponent for best actor is Hollywood's man of the moment, Russell Crowe, ironically, for his performance in a film directed by someone from the North-East, South Shields-born Ridley Scott.

The two have met before - at the party following the Golden Globe Awards where Crowe walked away with the best actor trophy. They were photographed chatting, so it's reported, about what Crowe's security guards get up to.

On Sunday they face each other across a cinema auditorium, deadly enemies for that coveted best actor Bafta. Voters will have to decide whether Crowe's sword-fighting avenging gladiator is a worthier champion than Bell's fleet-footed miner's son trying for a place at ballet school.

Both will be among the star-studded 1,800-strong audience as the winning names are called out to receive awards in the shape of Bafta's famous golden mask.

Bell, who seems to spend most of his time going from one prize-giving ceremony to another, doesn't have far to travel. Crowe's schedule is a little more hectic. He was in London on Wednesday for the premiere of his new movie Proof Of Live, then flew to Australia for openings in Sydney and Melbourne, and after just 30 hours down under, there he was back in the air for the return trip to London for tomorrow's ceremony.

"Ridley is in Morocco and asked me if I could be there," explains Crowe, who thinks it's "a very smart idea" to move the Baftas to before the American Academy Awards from their previous post-Oscar date.

"I think the re-positioning will bring it back to the level it should be," he says. "I'm from a Commonwealth country, and getting a nomination from the British Academy is of equal importance to me as getting an Oscar nomination."

The odds must favour a win for Crowe although a true Brit feeling could just sway it for Bell - that and sympathy for him missing out on an Oscar nomination.

Surprising, Bell doesn't figure in the most promising British newcomer selection, although Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry and its Newcastle-born writer Lee Hall both do.

But it looks like being Gladiator's night. Scott's epic has most nominations although Billy Elliot and the "Jane Austen meets martial arts" epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, aren't far behind. Chocolat and Erin Brockovich are the other most nominated films.

Nothing seems likely to take the best actress award from Julia Roberts for her star turn as the real life legal worker Erin Brockovich.

Julie Walters, who plays Billy Elliot's dancing teacher, could go home with best supporting actress award.

Billy Elliot may lose out to Gladiator for best film but must be a dead cert for British film of the year unless those plasticine chucks from Chicken Run manage to escape with it.

The contestants are ready to go, so as Gladiator's Emperor Commodus would say, "let the games begin".

The British Academy Film Awards are being screened live on Sky One tomorrow at 6.45pm, with highlights on BBC1, on Monday at 10.35pm