Mirren's supporting corgis are top dogs at the Fido Film Awards

Dame Helen Mirren and her co-stars in 'The Queen'.

Stephen Frears' hugely successful film The Queen has won more than its fair share of top awards, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that even the dogs featured as the monarch's faithful companions have picked up a gong.

The five corgis, who played the Queen's pets, were the main winners at the inaugural Fido Film Awards.

The dog stars were picked from an eclectic range of films - The Queen's corgis were competing in the historical category with the brown hunting dog in Moliere which chases the eponymous hero out of a window, and the collie-cross owned by Samantha Morton's character in Anton Corbijn's Control.

The corgis, standing in for the Queen's pets in the film, also won praise from Dame Helen Mirren.

She said: "I know one should avoid acting with animals and children but these little chaps were a pleasure to work with and deserve all the plaudits for their fine performances."

The Fido awards are part of the British Film Institute's London Film Festival, which has decided to emulate the Palm Dog Awards which have been a popular fixture at Cannes for seven years.

Both were organised by Toby Rose, who said the London awards had been among the South Bank festival's best-received events.

He said: "The inaugural Fidos are a first in more ways than one: the first time that an international A-list film festival has invited dogs on to the official programme, and the first time they have been allowed into the National Film Theatre building. Dogs have truly come in from the cold."

Interviewed for a short film charting the Fidos' history, the British director Sam Mendes had "invoked the whole idea of it pointing up another side of the human condition - people's reaction to animals," Mr Rose said, and added: "Dogs take up considerable minutes of film time, but they never get a nod. Nodding to dogs is the way to go."

The corgis in The Queen are owned by retired caterer Liz Smith - dubbed Corgi Liz on the film set of the film - who lives near Ipswich.

Their success at the Fidos takes to 59 the tally of Oscars, Baftas and other major awards received by The Queen.

The corgi breed completed an impressive hat-trick at the Fidos when American Travis - a Welsh cardigan corgi - was named Best Comedy Canine for Year of the Dog.

The awards were presented by Oscar-nominated Chariots of Fire director Hugh Hudson, James Bond co-star Maryam D'Abo, journalist Carol Thatcher, actor Christopher Biggins and designer Lulu Guinness.

Queen Elizabeth has owned more than 30 corgis during her 55-year reign.

- INDEPENDENT, REUTERS