The nominations for the 17th annual Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced today, at St Martins Lane, London by actor Jared Harris. Topping the field was the thriler '71 which earned nine nomations including for Best British Independent Film; Best Director and Debut Director for Yann Demange; Best Screenplay for Gregory Burke; Best Actor for Jack O’Connell and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Harris.
Pride picked up seven nominations and Catch Me Daddy, Frank and Mr Turner picked up five nominations each.
Nominations for Best Actress go to Alicia Vikander for Testament of Youth; Cheng Pei Pei for Lilting; Gugu Mbatha-Raw for Belle; Keira Knightley for The Imitation Game; and Sameena Jabeen Ahmed for Catch Me Daddy. Leading men hoping to take home the Best Actor award are Asa Butterfield for X+Y; Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game; Brendan Gleeson for Calvary; Jack O’Connell for ’71; and Timothy Spall for Mr Turner.
Directors who have delivered dynamic debuts this year and are vying for the Douglas Hickox Award are Daniel Wolfe and Matthew Wolfe for Catch Me Daddy; Hong Khaou for Lilting; Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard for 20,000 Days On Earth; Morgan Matthews for X+Y; and Demange for ’71.
The Raindance Award nominees for 2014 include: Flim: The Movie; Gregor; Luna; Keeping Rosy; and The Beat Beneath My Feet. This award honors exceptional achievement for filmmakers working against the odds, often with little or no industry support.
The pre-selection committee of over 70 members viewed a record breaking 250 plus films this year, out of which they selected the nominations, which were decided by ballot.
The winners of The Moët British Independent Film Awards are decided by an independent jury comprised of leading professionals and talent from the British film industry.
It was also announced that the Oscar and BAFTA-winning director Tom Hooper, whose film The King’s Speech picked up five awards, including Best British Independent Film at the 2010 Moët British Independent Film Awards, will chair the jury who will decide the winners of the 2014 awards.
Hooper commented: “I am honored to preside over the Moët BIFA jury this year. It has been an extremely strong year for filmmaking here in Britain and I am looking forward to helping the very best of this year’s independent films, get the recognition they deserve.”
The jury for 2014 includes: Hooper as jury chair Jonathan Romney (writer, director), Jon S. Baird (writer, director), Luke Treadaway (actor), Mary Burke (producer), Sean Ellis (writer, director), Shira MacLeod (film programming consultant), Stanley Tucci (actor, director), Thea Sharrock (director), Tinge Krishnan (director) Tracy O’Riordan (producer) and Zawe Ashton, (actor, director).
Winners will be announced at the 17th awards ceremony on Sunday, December 7, at the Old Billingsgate in London.
Previous winners of the prestigious Best British Independent Film Award include Metro Manila, Tyrannosaur, The King’s Speech, Moon, Control, Slumdog Millionaire, The Constant Gardener and This Is England.
Here’s a rundown of this year’s British Independent Film Award nominees:
BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
‘71
Calvary
Mr Turner
Pride
The Imitation Game
BEST DIRECTOR
John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Lenny Abrahamson – Frank
Matthew Warchus – Pride
Mike Leigh – Mr Turner
Yann Demange – ‘71
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
Daniel Wolfe, Matthew Wolfe – Catch Me Daddy
Hong Khaou – Lilting
Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard – 20,000 Days on Earth
Morgan Matthews – X+Y
Yann Demange – ‘71
BEST SCREENPLAY
Graham Moore – The Imitation Game
Gregory Burke – ‘71
John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan – Frank
Stephen Beresford – Pride
BEST ACTRESS
Alicia Vikander – Testament of Youth
Cheng Pei Pei – Lilting
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – Catch Me Daddy
BEST ACTOR
Asa Butterfield – X+Y
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Brendan Gleeson – Calvary
Jack O’Connell – ‘71
Timothy Spall – Mr Turner
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Dorothy Atkinson – Mr Turner
Imelda Staunton – Pride
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Frank
Sally Hawkins – X+Y
Sienna Guillory – The Goob
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Andrew Scott – Pride
Ben Schnetzer – Pride
Michael Fassbender – Frank
Rafe Spall – X+Y
Sean Harris – ‘71
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
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
‘71
20,000 Days on Earth
Catch Me Daddy
Lilting
The Goob
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Chris Wyatt – Editing – ‘71
Dick Pope – Cinematography – Mr Turner
Robbie Ryan – Cinematography – Catch Me Daddy
Stephen Rennicks – Music – Frank
Tat Radcliffe – Cinematography – ‘71
BEST DOCUMENTARY
20,000 Days on Earth
Next Goal Wins
Night Will Fall
The Possibilities Are Endless
Virunga
BEST BRITISH SHORT
Crocodile
Emotional Fusebox
Keeping Up With The Joneses
Slap
The Kármán Line
BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
Blue Ruin
Boyhood
Fruitvale Station
Ida
The Badadook
THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Flim: The Movie…
Gregor
Luna
Keeping Rosy
The Beat Beneath My Feet
