20th British Independent Film Awards Winners

Last night was the awards ceremony with Lady Macbeth wining five awards including Best Actress for Florence Pugh, God's Own Country follows with four awards including Best British Film, The Death of Stalin also with four awards and most interesting, I Am Not a Witch wins 3 awards but remarkable is that film director, Rungano Nyoni wins Best Director and Best Debut Director, an achievement that happens not often, last time was in 2007 with Anton Corbijn for Control.

Thanks to BIFA's 2017 nominations became interested in watching Lady Macbeth, a film that I had decided will skip.  I'm grateful to BIFA as was going to skip one of the most outstanding films from 2017, a film with great performances, great tech specs, but, most of all, a great director that could transform a well-known tale into storytelling anew. The end-result is a mesmerizing film, impossible to take off your eyes from the screen from the very first frame until the last one.  All honors here are well-deserved and know film will collect more in the current awards season.

As film is doing so-well with American critics, it's worth noting that Get Out got the BIFA for Best International Independent Film which could mean a place in the BAFTA's.

Gary Oldman was on hand at the ceremony to collect the Variety Award from Kristin Scott Thomas; the award recognizes the global impact he has made throughout his career as an icon of British film and filmmaking.

Vanessa Redgrave received The Richard Harris Award in recognition of her outstanding work within the British film industry. Jared Harris, son of Richard Harris, commented: “Vanessa is one of the finest actresses of her generation, and indeed any generation, and we’re thrilled that she’s receiving this award. This is especially meaningful as Vanessa was Guinevere to Richard’s King Arthur”.

Winners are in *BLUE. To check winners at official site go here.

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11/3/17
Yesterday Maisie Williams and Hayle Squires announced the nominations for the milestone 20th anniversary of an event that celebrates independent cinema.  There are some films that  could be interesting to watch but the biggest surprise is to find among the nominees a film that has strong Oscar buzz, which means film could do well in British and American awards circuit/season; we'll soon see if BAFTA also honors film with nominations.  Yes, I'm talking about Three Billboards ...

In total there are 35 British feature films nominated. Lady Macbeth leads with fifteen (15) nominations followed by The Death of Stalin and I Am Not a Witch with 13 noms plus God's Own Country and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri with 11 nominations.

Debut features dominate the nominations list, with the first-time writers, producers and directors of Lady Macbeth, I Am Not a Witch and God’s Own Country all recognized in the three newcomer categories – Debut Screenwriter, Breakthrough Producer and The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director – as well as Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best British Independent Film.

BIFA said, “This year’s nominations showcase the range and quality of British independent filmmaking. It’s a diverse and varied list, in terms of the teams making the films and also the kinds of stories being told. It is especially encouraging to see so much exciting work from so many new filmmakers; this points to a very bright future for British cinema and we’re proud to be at the heart of it, celebrating these exceptional films.”

The Nominations

Best British Independent Film
*God's Own Country
I'm Not a Witch
Lady Macbeth
The Death of Stalin
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Discovery Award
Even When I Fall
Halfway
*In Another Life
Isolani
My Pure Land

Best Documentary
*Almost Heaven
Half Way
Kingdom of Us
Uncle Howard
Williams

Best International Independent Film
The Florida Project, Sean Baker
*Get Out, Jordan Peele
I Am Not Your Negro, Raoul Peck
Loveless, Andrei Zvyagintsev
The Square, Ruben Ostlund

Best Director
Armando Iannucci for The Death of Stalin
Francis Lee for God's Own Country
*Riungano Nyoni for I Am Not a Witch
William Oldroyd for Lady Macbeth
Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Douglas HIckox Award - Debut Director
Francis Lee for God's Own Country
*Rungano Nyoni for I Am Not a Witch
Thomas Napper for Jawbone
William Oldroyd for Lady Macbeth
Deborah Haywood for Pin Cushion

Best Cinematography
David Gallego for I Am Not a Witch
Tat Radcliffe for Jawbone
*Ari Wegner for Lady Macbeth
Thomas Riedelsheimer for Leaning Into the Wind
Ben Davis for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Screenplay
Armando Iannucci, David Schneider and Ian Martin for The Death of Stalin
Francis Lee for God's Own Country
Rungano Nyoni for I Am Not a Witch
*Alice Birch for Lady Macbeth
Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Debut Screenwriter
*Francis Lee for God's Own Country
Rungano Nyoni for I Am Not a Witch
Johnny Harris for Jawbone
Alice Birch for Lady Macbeth
Gaby Chiappe for Their Finest

Best Actress
Emily Beecham in Daphne
Ruth Wilson in Dark River
Margaret Mulubwa in I Am Not a Witch
*Florence Pugh in Lady Macbeth
Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Supporting Actress
Andrea Riseborough in The Death of Stalin
Julie Walters in Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Kelly Macdonald in Goodbye Christopher Robin
Naomi Ackie in Lady Macbeth
*Patricia Clarkson in The Party

Best Actor
Jamie Bell in Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
*Josh O'Connor in God's Own Country
Alec Secareanu in God's Own Country
Johnny Harris in Jawbone
Paddy Considine in Journeyman

Best Supporting Actor
Steve Buscemi in The Death of Stalin
*Simon Russell Beale in The Death of Stalin
Ian Hart in God's Own Country
Woody Harrelson in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Most Promising Newcomer
Harry Michell in Chubby Funny
Harry Gilby in Just Charlie
Cosmo Jarvis in Lady Macbeth
*Naomi Ackie in Lady Macbeth
Lily Newmark in Pin Cushion

Best Casting
*Sarah Crowe for The Death of Stalin
Debbie McWilliams for Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Shaheen Baig and Layla Merrick-Wolf for God's Own Country
Shaheen Baig for Lady Macbeth
Sarah Halley Finn for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Costume Design
Suzie Harman for The Death of Stalin
Sandy Powell for How To Talk to Girls at Parties
Holly Rebecca for I Am Not a Witch
*Holly Waddington for Lady Macbeth
Dinah Collin for My Cousin Rachel

Best Editing
Peter Lambert for The Death of Stalin
David Charap for Jawbone
*Jon Gregory for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Joe Martin for Us and Them
Johnny Burke for Williams

Best Make-Up and Hair Design
Jan Sewell for Breathe
*Nicole Stafford for The Death of Stalin
Julene Paton for I Am Not a Witch
Nadia Stacey for Journeyman
Sian Wilson for Lady Macbeth

Best Music
Christopher Willis for The Death of Stalin
Matt Kelly for I Am Not a Witch
Paul Weller for Jawbone
Fred Frith for Leaning Into the Wind
*Carter Burwell for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Production Design
*Cristina Casali for The Death of Stalin
Eve Stewart for Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
James Merifield for Final Portrait
Nathan Parker for I Am Not a Witch
Jacqueline Abrahams for Lady Macbeth

Best Sound
Breathe
*Anna Bertmark for God's Own Country
Maiken Hansen for I Am Not a Witch
Andy Shelley and Steve Griffiths for Jawbone
Joakim Sundstrom for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Effects
The Death of Stalin
Dan Martin for Double Date
Luke Dodd for Journeyman
*Nick Allder and Ben White for The Ritual
Chris Reynolds for Their Finest

Breakthrough Producer
Brendan Mullin and Katy Jackson for Bad Day for the Cut
Jack Tarling and Manon Ardisson for God's Own Country
*Emily Morgan for I Am Not a Witch
Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly for Lady Macbeth
Gavin Humphries for Pin Cushion

Best British Short
1745
The Entertainer
*Fish Story
Work
Wren Boys

To check each film brief info at official site go here.

As previously announced, Gary Oldman will receive The Variety Award at the ceremony.The Variety Award recognizes a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK.

Vanessa Redgrave is to receive The Richard Harris Award in recognition of the outstanding work within the British film industry.

Winners will be announced by host Mark Gatiss at the British Independent Film Awards Ceremony on Sunday 10 December at Old Billingsgate.