Margot Robbie in black at BAFTAs

Taking their cue from the #MeToo movement, stars including Australia's Margot Robbie have walked the red carpet for the BAFTA film awards in London in black.

Best actress nominee Margot Robbie has arrived at the BAFTA awards in London. (AAP)

Australia's Margot Robbie has joined women's rights activists and cinema stars at the BAFTA film awards red carpet in London, wearing black in the latest salvo against sexual harassment in the entertainment industry.

Robbie was up for best leading actress award for her role in I,Tonya, which was awarded to Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Other female stars dressed in black outfits, echoing a similar protest at last month's Golden Globes awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Both male and female attendees sported badges name-checking the Time's Up campaign against sexual harassment.

British newspaper The Observer had earlier published an open letter calling for sexual harassment and abuse to be stamped out, signed by 190 actresses including British Oscar winners Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet and Oscar nominee Ronan.

"This movement is bigger than just a change in our industry alone. This movement is intersectional, with conversations across race, class, community, ability and work environment, to talk about the imbalance of power," said the letter, whose signatories also included Sophie Okonedo, Olivia Colman, Carey Mulligan and Emma Watson.

The #MeToo and Time's Up movements have seen victims use social media to share their stories of harassment and abuse as allegations have emerged in recent months of sexual misconduct by many powerful men in business, politics and entertainment.