Ex Machina was the big winner at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) on Sunday (12/6) evening. The film won four awards: Best British Independent Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Alex Garland and Outstanding Achievement in Craft for its Visual Effects, by Andrew Whitehurst.
Performance awards were spread across the board: Saoirse Ronan picked up Best Actress for Brooklyn and Tom Hardy won Best Actor for his dual role as Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Legend.
Olivia Colman won her third BIFA for her Best Supporting Actress performance in The Lobster. Brendan Gleeson made it two years in a row, winning Best Supporting Actor for Suffragette this year after taking away Best Actor for Calvary last year.
Colin Farrell presented the Most Promising Newcomer award to Abigail Hardingham for her breakthrough performance in Nina Forever.
The Special Jury Prize was presented to Chris Collins, the BFI executive who died late last year. Director of the BFI Lottery Film Fund Ben Roberts said, “This is a really wonderful tribute to Chris. He is greatly missed, but his contribution to so many films and filmmakers continues to burn brightly. A heartfelt thanks to the BIFA jury.”
In the closely-fought Best Documentary category, Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance won out over Amy, How to Change the World, Palio and A Syrian Love Story.
Room was named Best International Independent Film and Jacob Tremblay, the young star of the film, collected the award with the team.
The team behind Kajaki: The True Story took home Producer of the Year and Stephen Fingleton was named Best Debut Director for The Survivalist. The award is presented in honor of director Douglas Hickox.
Edmond won Best Short and The Discovery Award went to Orion: The Man Who Would Be King.
The 18th BIFA ceremony, which was hosted by Richard Ayoade, was held at Old Billingsgate in London.
Laurence Green, chairman of the BIFA Board, said, “As part of our mission to build the widest audience we can for British independent film, it is BIFA’s great honor to celebrate the cream of the crop once a year at the Moët British Independent Film Awards. This year’s winners speak volumes, not just for their excellence but also for the undimmed ambition and beautiful diversity of the stories they tell.”
As previously announced, the Variety Award, which recognizes a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK, was presented to Kate Winslet. The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film was presented to Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Best British independent film
Ex Machina – Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland
Best director
Ex Machina – Alex Garland
Best actress
Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn
Best actor
Tom Hardy – Legend
Best supporting actress
Olivia Colman – The Lobster
Best supporting actor
Brendan Gleeson – Suffragette
Most promising newcomer
Abigail Hardingham – Nina Forever
Best screenplay
Ex Machina – Alex Garland
The Douglas Hickox Award (best debut director)
The Survivalist – Stephen Fingleton
The Discovery Award
Orion: The Man Who Would Be King – Jeanie Finlay
Best documentary
Dark Horse – Judith Dawson, Louise Osmond
Producer of the year
Paul Katis, Andrew De Lotbiniere – Kajaki: The True Story
Outstanding achievement in craft
Andrew Whitehurst – Visual Effects, Ex Machina
Best British short film
Edmond – Emilie Jouffroy, Nina Gantz
Best international independent film
Room – Ed Guiney, David Gross, Emma Donoghue, Lenny Abrahamson
Variety award
Kate Winslet
Richard Harris award for outstanding contribution by an actor
Chiwetel Ejiofor
The Special Jury Prize
Chris Collins
