December 2, 2018
by Carla Hay
The dark comedy “The Favourite” won a record-breaking 10 prizes, including Best Picture, at the 2018 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), which were presented on December 2 at Old Billingsgate in London. It was the most BIFAs won by one film in the same year. “The Favourite,” which follows the antics of England’s Queen Anne and two women competing for her affections, received 10 of the 13 awards for which the movie was nominated, including Best Director (Yorgos Lanthimos), Best Actress (Olivia Colman) and Best Supporting Actress (Rachel Weisz).
Other movies to get multiple awards include “American Animals,” “Ray & Liz” and “You Were Never Really Here,” which won two awards each. Joe Cole of “A Prayer Before Dawn” was named Best Actor, while Alessandro Nivolo from “Disobedience” was named Best Supporting Actor.
Judi Dench received the 2018 Richard Harris Award. Felicity Jones received the 2018 Variety Award. Horace Ové received the Special Jury Award.
Here is the complete list of nominations and winners of the 2018 British Independent Film Awards:
*=winner
Best British Independent Film
“American Animals” (Producers: Bart Layton, Katherine Butler, Dimitri Doganis, Derrin Schlesinger, Mary Jane Skalski
“Beast (Producers: Michael Pearce, Kristian Brodie, Lauren Dark, Ivana MacKinnon)
“Disobedience” (Producers: Sebastián Lelio, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Ed Guiney, Frida Torresblanco, Rachel Weisz)
“The Favourite” (Producers: Yorgos Lanthimos, Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday)*
“You Were Never Really Here” (Producers: Lynne Ramsay, Pascal Caucheteux, Rosa Attab, James Wilson, Rebecca O’Brien)
Best Director
Andrew Haigh, “Lean on Pete”
Yorgos Lanthmos, “The Favourite”*
Bart Layton, “American Animals”
Michael Pearce, “Beast”
Lynne Ramsay, “You Were Never Really Here”
Best Screenplay
Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara, “The Favourite”*
Bart Layton, “American Animals”
Sebastian Lelio, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, “Disobedience”
Michael Pearce, “Beast”
Lynne Ramsay, “You Were Never Really Here”
Best Actress
Gemma Arterton, “The Escape”
Jessie Buckley, “Beast”
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”*
Maxine Peake, “Funny Cow”
Rachel Weisz, “Disobedience”
Best Supporting Actress
Nina Arianda, “Stan & Ollie”
Rachel McAdams, “Disobedience”
Emma Stone, “The Favourite”
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”*
Molly Wright, “Apostasy”
Best Actor
Joe Cole, “A Prayer Before Dawn”*
Steve Coogan, “Stan & Ollie”
Rupert Everett, “The Happy Prince”
Joaquin Phoenix, “You Were Never Really Here”
Charlie Plummer, “Lean on Pete”
Best Supporting Actor
Steve Buscemi, “Lean on Pete”
Barry Keoghan, “American Animals”
Alessandro Nivola, “Disobedience”*
Van Peters, “American Animals”
Dominic West, “Colette”
Most Promising Newcomer
Jessie Buckley, “Beast”*
Michaela Coel, “Been So Long”
Liv Hill, “Jellyfish”
Marcus Rutherford, “Obey”
Molly Wright, “Apostasy”
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)
Richard Billingham, “Ray & Liz”*
Daniel Kokotajlo, “Apostasy”
Matt Palmer, “Calibre”
Michael Pearce, “Beast”
Leanne Welham, “Pili”
Debut Screenwriter
Karen Gillan, “The Party’s Just Beginning”
Daniel Kokotajlo, “Apostasy”
Bart Layton, “American Animals”*
Matt Palmer, “Calibre”
Michael Pearce, “Beast”
Breakthrough Producer
Kristian Brodie, “Beast”
Jacqui Davies, “Ray & Liz”*
Anna Griffin, “Calibre”
Marcie MacLellan, “Apostasy”
Faye Ward, “Stan & Ollie”
The Discovery Award
“The Dig” (Directors: Andy Tohill, Ryan Tohill. Producers: Stuart Drennan, Brian J. Falconer. Writer: Stuart Drennan.)
“Irene’s Ghost” (Director: Iain Cunningham. Writers: Iain Cunningham, David Arthur. Producer: Rebecca Mark-Lawson. Director of Animation: Ellie Land.)
“A Moment in the Reeds” (Director/writer/producer: Mikko Makela. Producer: James Watson.)
“Super November” (Director/producer: Douglas King. Writer: Josie Long.)
“Voyageuse” (Director/writer/producer: May Miles Thomas)*
Best Documentary
“Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story” (Director/producer: Steve Sullivan)
“Evelyn” (Director: Orlando von Einsiedel. Producer: Joanna Natasegara.)*
“Island” (Director: Steven Eastwood. Producer: Elhum Shakerifar.)
“Nae Pasaran” (Director/producer: Felipe Bustos Sierra)
“Under the Wire” (Director: Christopher Martin. Producer: Tom Brisley.)
Best British Short Film
“The Big Day”*
“Bitter Sea”
“The Field”
“Pommel”
“To Know Him”
Best International Independent Film
“Capernum” (Director/writer: Nadine Labaki. Writers: Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Keserwani, Producers: Khaled Mouzanar, Michel Merkt.)
“Cold War” (Director/writer: Pawel Pawlikowski. Writer: Janusz Glowacki. Producers: Ewa Puszczynska, Tanya Seghatchian)
“The Rider” (Director/writer/producer: Chloé Zhao. Producers: Mollye Asher, Sacha Ben Harroche, Bert Hamelinck.)
“Roma,” (Director/writer/producer: Alfonso Cuarón. Producers: Nicolás Celis, Gabriela Rodriguez.)*
“Shoplifters” (Director/writer/producer: Hirokazu Koreeda)
Best Casting
Dixie Chassay, “The Favourite”*
Julie Harkin, “Beast”
Avy Kaufman, “American Animals”
Andy Pryor, “Stan & Ollie”
Michelle Smith, “Apostasy”
Best Cinematography
Ole Bratt Birkeland, “American Animals”
Magnus Nordenhof Jønck, “Lean on Pete”
Robbie Ryan, “The Favourite”*
Tom Townend, “You Were Never Really Here”
David Ungaro, “A Prayer Before Dawn”
Best Costume Design
Jacqueline Durran, “Peterloo”
Aandrea Flesch, “Colette”
Sandy Powell, “The Favourite”*
Guy Sperenza, “Stan & Ollie”
Alyssa Tull, “An Evening With Beverly Luff Lin”
Best Editing
Joe Bini, “You Were Never Really Here”
Marc Boucrot, “A Prayer Before Dawn”
Nick Fenton, Julian Hart, Chris Gill, “American Animals”*
Yorgos Mavropsaridis, “The Favourite”
Ben Wheatley, “Happy New Year, Colin Burstead”
Best Effects
Howard Jones, “Early Man”*
Matthew Stranger, Mark Wellband, “Dead in a Week (Or Your Money Back)”
George Zwier, Paul Driver, “Peterloo”