The wine is was flowing. To be more specific; the Moet Champagne was cascading down mammoth fountains as the stars descended the red carpet in the Old Billingsgate Market to celebrate the best in independent film. Yes, it’s that time of the year again where we look at the hard work film-makers and artists have trundled out over the past 365 days as the British Independent Film Awards kicked off a glorious award season and celebrated the best in talent in the United Kingdom. With such an amazing heap of movies that descended onto our cinematic screens, the awards were extremely tough to call. But as the winners were announced, there was definitely an air of excellence that bubbled like the champagne.
Best Promising New Comer went to Sameena Jabeen Ahmed for her excruciatingly stunning performance in festival favourite Catch Me Daddy (coming to cinemas, hopefully, soon). Elliot Grove, the head of Raindance Film festival presented the Raindance Award to celebrate films currently under the radar, even of the independent film awards (Or best film that only 20 people saw as Bird mentioned). Seven years in the making and gorgeous Luna scooped up the award for their film that combines stop motion animation and live action. Next Goal Wins celebrated a win for Best Documentary which is amazing as directors Mike Brett and Steve Jamison were also award British Breakthrough at BAFTA in October.
Pride kicked off their award streak by scooping up Best Supporting Category. Andrew Scott snatched the award from co-star Ben Schnezter for Best Supporting Actor as Gethin Roberts , taking another excellent step in his career alongside his leap into Bond. Imedla Staunton, who honestly stole the show in the heart-warming British film, won Best Supporting Actress for her turn as Hefina Headon. Excellent putting the film on the award map, these were much deserved gongs.
The Variety Award, one announced ahead of time, went to the infallible Benedict Cumberbatch. If in doubt of his acting talents, the montage certainly proved what a visceral and diverse actor Cumberbatch is. Accumulating such amazing roles in blockbusters like Star Trek, independents such as Third Star, stage shows like Frankenstein and of course, Sherlock, it is no wonder he is being awarded at such a young acting age. Accepting the award from friends Mark Strong and Keira Knightley, he also thanked the craftsmen behind the camera for their continuation of excellence in the arts. Here’s to more decades with Cumberbatch.
Best Short Film, and my personal favourite award, goes to The Karman Line. This excellent and witty short of an unimaginable condition that effects a whole family, it was a richly deserved award. Oscar Sharp regales his story of sitting in the sound booth as an announcer four years ago. In the most inspiring speech of the night, Sharp prompts future filmmakers to succeed; that they can make it from the wings and onto the stage. Douglas Hickox Award For Oustanding Debut as a Director goes to joint winners Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth for 20,000 Days on Earth. Again, the award winners truly flummoxed with their, albeit unprepared, speech about working hard for their craft and have, in turn, made a phenomenally amazing documentary with Nick Cave.
Onto the big awards. Best Actress went to Gugu Mbatha-Raw for her performance in Belle. As an actress, this is her first lead role which is an undeniably powerful fete. Able to grace us with historical excellency whilst giving us a rounded character, this is a deserved win. Best Director went to Yann Demange for ’71, an award that nobody can deny. Again another debut feature, Demange managed to combine a riveting story with the brutality of wars, all in this claustrophobic action thriller. Best Actor gloriously went to Brendan Gleeson whose acting in Calvary is astute, intelligent and utterly captivating role as a Priest sentenced to death by one of his parish.
Richard Harris Achievement Award went to one of our acting and writing Queens Emma Thompson. Presented by Jared Harris and Bill Bailey, the tributes to this remarkable woman were flowing as we got to celebrate her in all her glory. Ranging from the Oscar winning Sense and Sensibility to recent Saving Mr Banks, stopping off at Harry Potter and Love Actually, this excellent actress has graced our screens with an undeniable and raucous talent. Whilst she stumbles through the speech, we are reminded that not only does she create great art but she also supports it.
Finally, the Best British Independent Award goes to the heart-warming, pleasant and riotous film Pride. With a heap of stars from Bill Nighy to Dominic West, Paddy Considine to George McKay, this great story about an LGBT group who rallied around to support The Miners during Thatcherite Britain is richly deserving of the Best Film of the night.
Proving that Britain does indeed have talent, this as award ceremony gifted the brightest and brilliant British film-makers.
Here’s the list of nominees and winners. What do you think of the awards? Let us know!
’71
Calvary
Mr Turner
Pride - WINNER
The Imitation Game
DIRECTOR
John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Lenny Abrahamson – Frank
Matthew Warchus – Pride
Mike Leigh – Mr Turner
Yann Demange – ’71 - WINNER
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD FOR DEBUT DIRECTOR
Daniel Wolfe, Matthew Wolfe – Catch Me Daddy
Hong Khaou – Lilting
Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard – 20,000 Days on Earth - WINNER
Morgan Matthews – X+Y
Yann Demange – ’71
SCREENPLAY
Graham Moore – The Imitation Game
Gregory Burke – ’71
John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan – Frank - WINNER
Stephen Beresford – Pride
ACTRESS
Alicia Vikander – Testament of Youth
Cheng Pei Pei – Lilting
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle - WINNER
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – Catch Me Daddy
ACTOR
Asa Butterfield – X+Y
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Brendan Gleeson – Calvary - WINNER
Jack O’Connell – ’71
Timothy Spall – Mr Turner
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Dorothy Atkinson – Mr Turner
Imelda Staunton – Pride - WINNER
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Frank
Sally Hawkins – X+Y
Sienna Guillory – The Goob
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Andrew Scott – Pride - WINNER
Ben Schnetzer – Pride
Michael Fassbender – Frank
Rafe Spall – X+Y
Sean Harris – ‘71
SCREENPLAY
Graham Moore – The Imitation Game
Gregory Burke – ’71
John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan – Frank - WINNER
Stephen Beresford – Pride
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Ben Schnetzer – Pride
Cara Delevingne – The Face of an Angel
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle
Liam Walpole – The Goob
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – Catch Me Daddy - WINNER
ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
’71
20,000 Days on Earth
Catch Me Daddy
Lilting
The Goob - Winner
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Chris Wyatt – Editing – ’71
Dick Pope – Cinematography – Mr Turner
Robbie Ryan – Cinematography – Catch Me Daddy
Stephen Rennicks – Music – Frank - WINNER
Tat Radcliffe – Cinematography – ’71
DOCUMENTARY
20,000 Days on Earth
Next Goal Wins - WINNER
Night Will Fall
The Possibilities Are Endless
Virunga
BRITISH SHORT
Crocodile
Emotional Fusebox
Keeping Up With The Joneses
Slap
The Karman Line - WINNER
INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
Blue Ruin
Boyhood - WINNER
Fruitvale Station
Ida
The Badadook
THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Flim: The Movie…
Gregor
Luna - WINNER
Keeping Rosy
The Beat Beneath My Feet
THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)
Emma Thompson
THE VARIETY AWARD
Benedict Cumberbatch
THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
John Boorman