The Favourite (2018)Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite dominated this year’s British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), winning a record 10 awards.
The acclaimed dark comedy, set amid the personal and political tumult of Queen Anne’s court in the 18th century, was named best British independent film and picked up nine other awards including best actress for Olivia Colman, best supporting actress for Rachel Weisz, best screenplay for Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, best director for Lanthimos and best cinematography for Robbie Ryan.
Aside from The Favourite’s haul, Joe Cole bagged a best actor gong for his electrifying performance in Thai prison drama A Prayer Before Dawn and Alessandro Nivola got best supporting actor for his role in Sebastián Lelio’s Disobedience, a drama set in north London’s Orthodox Jewish community.
Rising star Jessie Buckley won most promising newcomer for her complex portrayal of a troubled young woman in Michael Pearce’s Beast, which was backed by the BFI Film Fund. Richard Billingham picked up the Douglas Hickox award for debut director for Ray & Liz, while the film bagged a second award for Jacqui Davies, who won the breakthrough producer prize.
The winner of the award for best British short, a prize supported by BFI NETWORK, went to The Big Day, directed by Dawn Shadforth, written by Kellie Smith and produced by Michelle Eastwood.
Clever doc/heist film hybrid American Animals won two awards, with writer-director Bart Layton picking up an award for debut screenwriter, while Nick Fenton, Julian Hart and Chris Gill won best editing.
Judi Dench picked up the Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution to British film.
The full list of winners are below.
Best British independent film
Winner: THE FAVOURITE Yorgos Lanthimos, Deborah Davis, Tony Mcnamara, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, lee Magiday
AMERICAN ANIMALS Bart Layton, Katherine Butler, Dimitri Doganis, Derrin Schlesinger, Mary Jane Skalski
BEAST Michael Pearce, Kristian Brodie, Lauren Dark, Ivana Mackinnon
DISOBEDIENCE Sebastián Lelio, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Frida Torresblanco, ed Guiney, Rachel Weisz
YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE Lynne Ramsay, Pascal Caucheteux, Rosa Attab, James Wilson, Rebecca o’Brien
Best screenplay
Winner: DEBORAH DAVIS, TONY MCNAMARA The Favourite
BART LAYTON American Animals
MICHAEL PEARCE Beast
SEBASTIÁN LELIO, REBECCA LENKIEWICZ Disobedience
LYNNE RAMSAY You Were Never Really Here
Best director
Winner: YORGOS LANTHIMOS The Favourite
BART LAYTON American Animals
MICHAEL PEARCE Beast
ANDREW HAIGH Lean on Pete
LYNNE RAMSAY You Were Never Really Here
Best British short film (supported by BFI NETWORK)
Winner: THE BIG DAY Dawn Shadforth, Kellie Smith, Michelle Stein
BITTER SEA Fateme Ahmadi, Emma Parsons
THE FIELD Sandhya Suri, Althazar de Ganay, Thomas Bidegain
POMMEL Paris Zarcilla, Sebastian Brown, Ivan Kelava
TO KNOW HIM Ted Evans, Kellie Smith, Jennifer Monks, Michelle Stein
Best actor
Winner: JOE COLE A Prayer Before Dawn
RUPERT EVERETT The Happy Prince
CHARLIE PLUMMER Lean on Pete
STEVE COOGAN Stan & Ollie
JOAQUIN PHOENIX You Were Never Really Here
Best actress
Winner: OLIVIA COLMAN The Favourite
JESSIE BUCKLEY Beast
RACHEL WEISZ Disobedience
GEMMA ARTERTON The Escape
MAXINE PEAKE Funny Cow
Best supporting actor
Winner: ALESSANDRO NIVOLA Disobedience
EVAN PETERS American Animals
BARRY KEOGHAN American Animals
DOMINIC WEST Colette
STEVE BUSCEMI Lean on Pete
Best supporting actress
Winner: RACHEL WEISZ The Favourite
MOLLY WRIGHT Apostasy
RACHEL MCADAMS Disobedience
EMMA STONE The Favourite
RACHEL WEISZ The Favourite
NINA ARIANDA Stan & Ollie
Most promising newcomer
Winner: JESSIE BUCKLEY Beast
MOLLY WRIGHT Apostasy
LIV HILL Jellyfish
MARCUS RUTHERFORD Obey
The Discovery Award
Winner: VOYAGEUSE May Miles Thomas
THE DIG Andy Tohill, Ryan Tohill, Stuart Drennan, Brian j. Falconer
IRENE’S GHOST Iain Cunningham, Rebecca Mark-lawson, David Arthur, Ellie Land
A MOMENT IN THE REEDS Mikko Makela, James Watson
SUPER NOVEMBER Douglas King, Josie Long
The Douglas Hickox Award (debut director)
Winner: RICHARD BILLINGHAM Ray & Liz
DANIEL KOKOTAJLO Apostasy
MICHAEL PEARCE Beast
MATT PALMER Calibre
LEANNE WELHAM Pili
Debut screenwriter
Winner: BART LAYTON American Animals
DANIEL KOKOTAJLO Apostasy
MICHAEL PEARCE Beast
MATT PALMER Calibre
KAREN GILLAN The Party’s Just Beginning
Best documentary
Winner: EVELYN Orlando von Einsiedel, Joanna Natasegara
BEING FRANK: THE CHRIS SIEVEY STORY Steve Sullivan
ISLAND Steven Eastwood, Elhum Shakerifar
NAE PASARAN FeLipe Bustos Sierra
UNDER THE WIRE CHRIS MARTIN, TOM BRISLEY
Breakthrough producer
Winner: JACQUI DAVIES Ray & Liz
BMARCIE MACLELLAN Apostasy
KRISTIAN BRODIE Beast
ANNA GRIFFIN Calibre
FAYE WARD Stan & Ollie
Best international independent film
Winner: ROMA Alfonso Cuarón, Gabriela Rodriguez, Nicolás Celis
CAPERNAUM Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Keserwani, Khaled Mouzanar, Ichel Merkt
COLD WAR Pawel Pawlikowski, Tanya Seghatchian, Ewa Puszczynska
THE RIDER Chloé Zhao, Mollye Asher,Sacha ben Harroche, Bert Hamelinck
SHOPLIFTERS Hirokazu Koreeda
Best casting
Winner: DIXIE CHASSAY The Favourite
AVY KAUFMAUN American Animals
MICHELLE SMITh Apostasy
JULIE HARKIN Beast
ANDY PRYOR Stan & Ollie
Best cinematography
Winner: ROBBIE RYAN The Favourite
OLE BRATT BIRKELAND American Animals
MAGNUS NORDENHOF Jønck Lean on Pete
DAVID UNGARO A Prayer Before Dawn
TOM TOWNEND You Were Never Really Here
Best costume design
Winner: SANDY POWELL The Favourite
ANDREA FLESCH Colette
CHRISTINA BLACKALLER An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn
JACQUELINE DURRAN Peterloo
GUY SPERANZA Stan & Ollie
Best editing
Winner: NICK FENTON, JULIAN HART, CHRIS GILL American Animals
YORGOS MAVROPSARIDIS The Favourite
BEN WHEATLEY Happy new Year, Colin Burstead
MARC BOUCROT A Prayer Before Dawn
JOE BINI You Were Never Really Here
Best makeup and hair design
Winner: NADIA STACEY The Favourite
IVANA PRIMORAC Colette
CHRISTINE BLUNDELL Peterloo
STACEY LOUISE HOLMAN A Prayer Before Dawn
MARK COULIER, JEREMY WOODHEAD Stan & Ollie
Best music
Winner: JONNY GREENWOOD You Were Never Really Here
ANNE NIKITIN American Animals
JIM WILLIAMS Beast
RICHARD HAWLEY Funny Cow
AARON CUPPLES Island of the Hungry Ghosts
Best production design
Winner: FIONA CROMBIE The Favourite
MICHAEL CARLIN Colette
SUZIE DAVIES Peterloo
BECK RAINFORD Ray & Liz
JOHN PAUL KELLY Stan & Ollie
Best sound
Winner: PAUL DAVIES You Were Never Really Here
ANDREW STIRK American Animals
JOHNNIE BURN The Favourite
SÉVERIN FAVRIAU A Prayer Before Dawn
CJ MIRRA Time Trial
Best effects
Winner: HOWARD JONES Early Man
MATTHEW STRANGE, MARK WELLBAND Dead in a Week (or Your Money Back)
GEORGE ZWIER, PAUL DRIVER Peterloo
The Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution by an actor to British film
Winner: JUDI DENCH
The Variety Award
Winner: FELICITY JONES
The Special Jury Prize
Winner: HORACE OVÉ
