AMERICAN HONEY HITS A SWEET SPOT WITH BIFA 2016

American Honey would certainly not have been my #1 choice to win the top prizes at the 2016 British Independent Film Awards, but Andrea Arnold's an excellent filmmaker, and I'm super happy that a female director has triumphed. Plus, the rest of BIFA's choices are solid, including a healthy haul for Babak Anvari's Under the Shadow and a win for Notes on Blindness. Good stuff on the whole, and you know I like a bit of good stuff on my whole. Remember their nominations? No? They're here, and their awards are...

Best British Independent Film

American Honey

Best Director

Andrea Arnold (American Honey)

Best Actress

Sasha Lane (American Honey)

Best Actor

Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake)

Best Supporting Actress

Avin Manshadi (Under the Shadow)

Best Supporting Actor

Brett Goldstein (Adult Life Skills)

Best Screenplay

Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow)

Best Documentary

Notes on Blindness

Best International Independent Film

Moonlight

Outstanding Achievement in Craft

Robbie Ryan (American Honey) - cinematography

Best Breakthrough Producer

Camille Gatin (The Girl with All the Gifts)

The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director

Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow)

Most Promising Newcomer

Hayley Squires (I, Daniel Blake)

Best Debut Screenwriter

Rachel Tunnard (Adult Life Skills)

2016 BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARD NOMINATIONS HIGHLIGHT A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR U.K. INDIES

A healthy and diverse offering from the British Independent Film Awards, displaying the talent that abounds in the British film industry today, making low-budget but high-impact features that court renown the world over. I, Daniel Blake leads with an impressive seven nominations, while Adult Life Skills, American Honey and a favourite of mine, horror debut Under the Shadow (the U.K.'s official Foreign Language Film Oscar entry), follow closely with six each. I'm also very pleased to see a strong showing for Notes on Blindness, joining Shadow as one of two first features up for the top award. Truly a selection with something for everyone! Award winners are due to be announced at BIFA's London ceremony on the 4th of December. Check out all the nominees just below.

Best British Independent Film

American Honey

Couple in a Hole

I, Daniel Blake

Notes on Blindness

Under the Shadow

Best Director

Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow)

Andrea Arnold (American Honey)

Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake)

Peter Middleton and James Spinney (Notes on Blindness)

Ben Wheatley (Free Fire)

Best Actor

Steve Brandon (My Feral Heart)

Michael Fassbender (Trespass Against Us)

Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake)

Shia LaBeouf (American Honey)

Max Records (I Am Not a Serial Killer)

Best Actress

Kate Dickie (Couple in a Hole)

Sasha Lane (American Honey)

Narges Rashidi (Under the Shadow)

Hayley Squires (I, Daniel Blake)

Jodie Whittaker (Adult Life Skills)

Best Supporting Actor

Jamie Dornan (Anthropoid)

Brett Goldstein (Adult Life Skills)

Sean Harris (Trespass Against Us)

Arinze Kene (The Pass)

Christopher Lloyd (I Am Not a Serial Killer)

Best Supporting Actress

Gemma Arterton (The Girl with All the Gifts)

Naomie Harris (Our Kind of Traitor)

Avin Manshadi (Under the Shadow)

Terry Pheto (A United Kingdom)

Shana Swash (My Feral Heart)

Best Screenplay

Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow)

Andrea Arnold (American Honey)

Christopher Hyde and Billy O'Brien (I Am Not a Serial Killer)

Paul Laverty (I, Daniel Blake)

Rachel Tunnard (Adult Life Skills)

Outstanding Achievement in Craft

Shaheen Baig (Free Fire) - casting

Seb Baker (The Girl with All the Gifts) - visual effects

Paul Monaghan and Mat Whitecross (Supersonic) - editing

Robbie Ryan (American Honey) - cinematography

Joakim Sundstrom (Notes on Blindness) - sound

Best Documentary

The Confession: Living the War on Terror

Dancer

The Hard Stop

Notes on Blindness

Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach

Best International Independent Film

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

Mustang

Toni Erdmann

Best Breakthrough Producer

Michael Berliner (Adult Life Skills)

Mike Brett, Jo-Jo Ellison and Steve Jamison (Notes on Blindness)

Paul Fegan (Where You're Meant to Be)

Camille Gatin (The Girl with All the Gifts)

Dionne Walker (The Hard Stop)

The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director

Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow)

Alice Lowe (Prevenge)

Peter Middleton and James Spinney (Notes on Blindness)

Adam Smith (Trespass Against Us)

Rachel Tunnard (Adult Life Skills)

Most Promising Newcomer

Steve Brandon (My Feral Heart)

Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake)

Sennia Nanua (The Girl with All the Gifts)

Hayley Squires (I, Daniel Blake)

Letitia Wright (Urban Hymn)

Best Debut Screenwriter

Julian Barratt and and Simon Farnaby (Mindhorn)

John Cairns and Michael McCartney (A Patch of Fog)

Hope Dickson Leach (The Levelling)

Ed Talfan (The Passing)

Rachel Tunnard (Adult Life Skills)

EX MACHINA WINS BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AT BIFAS

The 2015 British Independent Film Awards had the potential to be among the most generous of the current awards season, with five extremely well-liked films up for their top award. Alas, voters had other intentions entirely, snubbing almost all but the winner, Ex Machina, entirely, as Alex Garland's film (the joint least-nominated of the top five) won in every category where it received a mention, and left its four competitors for Best British Independent Film empty-handed, save a Supporting Actress win for The Lobster. A real show of strength for a film that could be one of the season's darkest of dark horses. The nominations can be seen here, and all the winners below:

Best British Independent Film

Ex Machina

Best Director

Alex Garland (Ex Machina)

Best Actor

Tom Hardy (Legend)

Best Actress

Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

Best Supporting Actor

Brendan Gleeson (Suffragette)

Best Supporting Actress

Olivia Colman (The Lobster)

Best Screenplay

Alex Garland (Ex Machina)

Best Achievement in Craft

Andrew Whitehurst (Ex Machina) - visual effects

Best Documentary

Dark Horse

Best International Independent Film

Room

Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director

Stephen Fingleton (The Survivalist)

Most Promising Newcomer

Abigail Hardingham (Nina Forever)

Raindance Discovery Award

Orion: The Man Who Would Be King

Producer of the Year

Andrew de Lotbiniere and Paul Katis (Kajaki)

Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Film by an Actor

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Special Jury Prize

Chris Collins

Variety Award

Kate Winslet

Best Short Film

Edmond

2015 BIFA NOMINATIONS - FILM4 BREAKS STUDIO RECORD

In an impressive performance for the British studio, Film4 backed all five of the Best British Independent Film nominees in today's British Independent Film Award nominations - the BIFA's top award. Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster leads among films with seven nominations, followed by Andrew Haigh's 45 Years and Justin Kurzel's Macbeth, both of which earned mentions for their leads in the acting categories. There, BIFA voters righted what is sure to be a slew of wrongs come awards season in December, as they rejected category fraud by recognising Tom Courtenay, Marion Cotillard and Alicia Vikander (for The Danish Girl) in lead. The 2015 BIFAs will be presented at their ceremony on the 6th of December, where Kate Winslet will receive the Variety Award for Global Achievement. All the nominations below:

Best British Independent Film
45 Years
Amy
Ex Machina
The Lobster
Macbeth

Best Director
Alex Garland (Ex Machina)
Andrew Haigh (45 Years)
Asif Kapadia (Amy)
Justin Kurzel (Macbeth)
Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster)

Best Actor
Tom Courtenay (45 Years)
Colin Farrell (The Lobster)
Michael Fassbender (Macbeth)
Tom Hardy (Legend)
Tom Hiddleston (High-Rise)

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard (Macbeth)
Carey Mulligan (Suffragette)
Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)

Best Supporting Actor
Luke Evans (High-Rise)
Brendan Gleeson (Suffragette)
Domhnall Gleeson (Brooklyn)
Sean Harris (Macbeth)
Ben Whishaw (The Lobster)

Best Supporting Actress
Helena Bonham Carter (Suffragette)
Olivia Colman (The Lobster)
Anne-Marie Duff (Suffragette)
Sienna Miller (High-Rise)
Julie Walters (Brooklyn)

Best Screenplay
Efthymis Filippou and Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster)
Alex Garland (Ex Machina)
Andrew Haigh (45 Years)
Nick Hornby (Brooklyn)
Amy Jump (High-Rise)

Best Achievement in Craft
Adam Arkapaw (Macbeth) - cinematography
Mark Digby (Ex Machina) - production design
Chris King (Amy) - editing
Fiona Weir (Brooklyn) - casting
Andrew Whitehurst (Ex Machina) - visual effects

Best Documentary
Amy
Dark Horse
How to Change the World
Palio
A Syrian Love Story

Best Foreign Independent Film
Carol
Force Majeure
Girlhood
Room
Son of Saul

Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director
Ben Blaine and Chris Blaine (Nina Forever)
Corin Hardy (The Hallow)
Paul Katis (Kajaki: The True Story)
John MacLean (Slow West)
Stephen Fingleton (The Survivalist)

Most Promising Newcomer
Agyness Deyn (Sunset Song)
Mia Goth (The Survivalist)
Abigail Hardingham (Nina Forever)
Milo Parker (Mr. Holmes)
Bel Powley (A Royal Night Out)

Raindance Discovery Award
Aaaaaaaah!
Burn Burn Burn
Orion: The Man Who Would Be King
The Return
Winter

Producer of the Year
Andrew de Lotbiniere and Paul Katis (Kajaki: The True Story)
Cecil Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos and Lee Magiday (The Lobster)
James Gay-Rees (Amy)
Tristan Goligher (45 Years)
David A. Hughes and David Moores (The Violators)

Variety Award
Kate Winslet

Best Short Film
Balcony
Crack
Edmond
Love Is Blind
Manoman