the global box office. Mamma Mia! became the highest-grossing film in UK history until it was surpassed by Avatar in 2010. Slumdog Millionaire set several records. At the worldwide box office, it became the most successful British independent film of all time. At the UK box office, it became the highest-grossing British independent film (surpassing Four Weddings and a Funeral), the highest-grossing British film without US studio investment, and the biggest ever weekly "increase for a UK saturation release" (surpassing Billy Elliot). Events {| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" border="0" |- style="background:#dae3e7; text-align:center;" | style="width:12%;"| Month || style="width:10%;"| Day || Event |- valign="top" | rowspan="9" style="text-align:center;"| January | style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| 7 || Due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America Strike, NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association scrap plans to hold its 65th Golden Globe Awards ceremony and instead hold a press conference announcing the winners |- | style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| 13 || The 65th Golden Globe Awards winners were announced. |- | style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| 16 || The 61st BAFTA Awards nominations were announced with Atonement the leading film with 14 nominations closely followed by No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood, both with 7 nominations |- | style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| 17 – 27 || The 26th Sundance Film Festival is opened with the world premiere of Martin McDonagh's In Bruges and screens over 120 films. The Grand Jury and Audience Award prizes are awarded to Frozen River and The Wackness, respectively. The festival is closed by the world premiere of Bernard Shakey's CSNY/Déjà Vu |- | rowspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| 22 || The 80th Academy Awards nominations were announced with No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood the leading films with 8 nominations each, closely followed by Atonement and Michael Clayton, both with 7 |- | The Oscar-nominated actor Heath Ledger, 28, is found dead at his home in Manhattan, New York City, from an accidental prescription pills overdose. |- | style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| 23 – 3 || The 37th Rotterdam International Film Festival is opened with the world premiere of Lucía Cedrón's narrative feature-film debut Lamb of God (Cordero de Dios). |- | style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| 26 || The 60th Directors Guild of America Award dinner is held in the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles. The Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film prize is awarded to Joel and Ethan Coen |- | style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| 27 || The 14th