British-Independent-Film-Awards-LogoThe British Independent Film Awards celebrated its fifteenth year tonight, with James Nesbitt returning to host, and Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers) making up part of the jury.

The awards continue to celebrate the finest films in the British independent industry, and after another year of brilliant productions from our shores, it can’t have been easy to choose between them.

But of course, decisions must be made, and the results are now in.

Coming away with the top prize of the night is Rufus Norris’ Broken, starring Cillian Murphy, Tim Roth, and Rory Kinnear, winning the Best British Independent Film Award, as well as the Best Supporting Actor Award for Kinnear.

Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, and Amy Jump’s writing earned them the Best Screenplay Award for Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, following months of critical acclaim since its debut at Cannes back in May. The film will be getting its US premiere at Sundance next month, and no doubt this will help secure it sold-out screenings out in Park City.

Peter Strickland has taken home the Best Director Award, having helmed the equally acclaimed Berbian Sound Studio, the horror led by the remarkable Toby Jones, who earned himself the Best Actor Award for his performance.

Andrea Riseborough fought off very tough competition from Alice Lowe, Elle Fanning, Judi Dench, and Meryl Streep to win the Best Actress Award for her performance in Shadow Dancer. And when you go head-to-head with the likes of Dench and Streep, in particular, and win, you know you’ve done something right.

Olivia Colman has won her second award from the festival in as many years. Last year, she won the Best Actress Award for her remarkable performance in Tyrannosaur, and this year has seen her win the Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance alongside Bill Murray and Laura Linney in Hyde Park on Hudson.

It comes as no surprise that The Imposter is the victor in the Best Documentary category, and to make the night even sweeter for the incredibly successful film, Bart Layton has also won the Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director.

And celebrating the vast number of international independent films that have been made across the world this year, the ceremony crowned Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt as the Best International Independent film of the year.

Also honoured at the festival this year are Jude Law, Michael Gambon, and Sandra Hebron, who received the Variety Award, the Richard Harris Award, and the Special Jury Prize, respectively. Law’s award recognises the help he has given in focusing the international spotlight on the UK. Gambon is in honour of an outstanding contribution to British film. The Special Jury Prize is decided entirely at the jury’s discretion, and no doubt celebrates the past nine years that Hebron served as artistic director for the London Film Festival.

 

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM

Sponsored by Moët & Chandon

  • Broken
  • Berberian Sound Studio
  • Sightseers
  • The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
  • The Imposter

BEST DIRECTOR

Sponsored by AllCity & Intermission

  • Peter Strickland – Berberian Sound Studio
  • Bart Layton – The Imposter
  • Ben Wheatley – Sightseers
  • John Madden – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
  • Rufus Norris – Broken

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]

Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios

  • Bart Layton – The Imposter
  • Ben Drew – Ill Manors
  • Rowan Athale – Wasteland
  • Rufus Norris – Broken
  • Sally El Hosaini – My Brother the Devil

BEST SCREENPLAY

Sponsored by BBC Films

  • Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Amy Jump – Sightseers
  • Abi Morgan – The Iron Lady
  • Mark O’Rowe – Broken
  • Paul Andrew Williams – Song for Marion
  • Peter Strickland – Berberian Sound Studio

BEST ACTRESS

Sponsored by M.A.C

  • Andrea Riseborough (Colette McVeigh) – Shadow Dancer
  • Alice Lowe (Tina) – Sightseers
  • Elle Fanning (Ginger) – Ginger & Rosa
  • Judi Dench (Evelyn Greenslade) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
  • Meryl Streep (Margaret Thatcher) – The Iron Lady

BEST ACTOR

  • Toby Jones (Gilderoy) – Berberian Sound Studio
  • Riz Ahmed (Aaron) – Ill Manors
  • Steve Oram (Chris) – Sightseers
  • Terence Stamp (Arthur) – Song for Marion
  • Tim Roth (Archie) – Broken

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  • Olivia Colman (Queen Elizabeth) – Hyde Park on Hudson
  • Alice Englert (Rosa) – Ginger & Rosa
  • Eileen Davies (Carol) – Sightseers
  • Maggie Smith (Muriel Donnelly) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
  • Vanessa Redgrave (Marion) – Song for Marion

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Sponsored by Sanderson & St Martins Lane

  • Rory Kinnear (Bob Oswald) – Broken
  • Billy Connolly (Wilf) – Quartet
  • Cillian Murphy (Mike Kiernan) – Broken
  • Domhnall Gleeson (Connor) – Shadow Dancer
  • Tom Wilkinson (Graham Dashwood) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER

Sponsored by Studiocanal

  • James Floyd (Rashid) – My Brother the Devil
  • Elliott Tittensor (Tits) – Spike Island
  • Eloise Laurence (Skunk) – Broken
  • Paul Brannigan (Robbie) – The Angels’ Share
  • Zawe Ashton (Joyce Vincent) – Dreams of a Life

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION

Sponsored by Company3

  • Berberian Sound Studio
  • Ill Manors
  • Sightseers
  • The Imposter
  • The Sweeney

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Sponsored by LightBrigade Media

  • Joakim Sundström, Stevie Haywood AMPS IPS– Sound Design – Berberian Sound Studio
  • Nic Knowland Bsc– Cinematography – Berberian Sound Studio
  • Electric Wave Bureau – Music – Broken
  • Robbie Ryan – Cinematography – Ginger & Rosa
  • Andrew Hulme – Editing – The Imposter

BEST DOCUMENTARY

  • The Imposter
  • Dreams of a Life
  • London: The Modern Babylon
  • Marley
  • Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir

BEST BRITISH SHORT

Supported by the BFI

  • Volume
  • Friday
  • Junk
  • Skyborn
  • Swimmer

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM

  • The Hunt
  • Amour
  • Beasts of the Southern Wild
  • Rust & Bone
  • Searching For Sugar Man

THE RAINDANCE AWARD

  • Strings
  • Frank
  • Love Tomorrow
  • City Slacker
  • Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD

  • Michael Gambon

THE VARIETY AWARD

  • Jude Law

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE

  • Sandra Hebron