The Favourite won a record ten awards at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) held at Old Billingsgate.
The film won Best British Independent Film, Best Director sponsored by Broadsword Event House and Best Screenplay sponsored by BBC Films. Olivia Colman maintained her perfect record of winning at BIFA every time she is nominated and took home her fourth BIFA trophy. Her performance as Queen Anne was awarded Best Actress sponsored by MAC. Her co-star Rachel Weisz was named Best Supporting Actress; Rachel last won at BIFA for The Constant Gardener in 2005.
The five awards on the night took the tally for The Favourite to ten, added to its five craft awards announced earlier this month for Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society of America and Spotlight, Best Cinematography supported by Blackmagic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Make Up & Hair Design and Best Production Design.
Joe Cole’s portrayal of an English boxer in a Thai prison in A Prayer Before Dawn won him the Best Actor award. Alessandro Nivola won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Dovid, in Disobedience opposite Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams.
American Animals writer director Bart Layton won the Debut Screenwriter award for his first fiction feature. The film also won Best Editing sponsored by Intermission Film.
Turner Prize winning artist Richard Billingham received The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director sponsored by Kodak & Pinewood for Ray & Liz. The film’s producer Jacqui Davies won the award for Breakthrough Producer supported by Creativity Media.
Beast star Jessie Buckley was named Most Promising Newcomer.
You Were Never Really Here won two BIFAs – for Best Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group and Best Sound supported by Silk Factory.
Evelyn was named Best Documentary. The Discovery Award, sponsored by Raindance, went to Voyageuse by May Miles Thomas.
The Best British Short Film award, supported by BFI NETWORK, was presented to The Big Day.
The only category of the night open to non-UK films, Best International Independent Film sponsored by Champagne Taittinger, was won by Roma.
The Special Jury Prize was presented to Horace Ové CBE. The jury praised Horace’s pioneering creative talent, his boundary-breaking achievements and his commitment to paving the way for the next generation.
As previously announced, Judi Dench was presented with the 2018 Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film and Felicity Jones received this year’s Variety Award which recognises a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helped focus the international spotlight on the UK. Also previously announced was the winner of Best Effects – Aardman Animation’s Early Man.
The 21st ceremony was hosted by Russell Tovey at Old Billingsgate. Highlights of the ceremony can be viewed at facebook.com/bifa.film
A full list of winners is below;
The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film
Judi Dench
The Variety Award
Felicity Jones
The Special Jury Prize
Horace Ové CBE
Best British Independent Film
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
é THE FAVOURITE Yorgos Lanthimos, Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday
YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE Lynne Ramsay, Pascal Caucheteux, Rosa Attab, James Wilson, Rebecca O’Brien
Best Director sponsored by Broadsword Event House
ANDREW HAIGH Lean on Pete
é YORGOS LANTHIMOS The Favourite
BART LAYTON American Animals
MICHAEL PEARCE Beast
LYNNE RAMSAY You Were Never Really Here
Best Screenplay sponsored by BBC Films
é DEBORAH DAVIS, TONY McNAMARA The Favourite
BART LAYTON American Animals
SEBASTIÁN LELIO, REBECCA LENKIEWICZ Disobedience
MICHAEL PEARCE Beast
LYNNE RAMSAY You Were Never Really Here
Best Actress sponsored by MAC
GEMMA ARTERTON The Escape
JESSIE BUCKLEY Beast
é 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
é RACHEL WEISZ The Favourite
MOLLY WRIGHT Apostasy
Best Actor
é 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
é ALESSANDRO NIVOLA Disobedience
EVAN PETERS American Animals
DOMINIC WEST Colette
Most Promising Newcomer
é JESSIE BUCKLEY Beast
MICHAELA COEL Been So Long
LIV HILL Jellyfish
MARCUS RUTHERFORD Obey
MOLLY WRIGHT Apostasy
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) sponsored by Kodak & Pinewood
é 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
é BART LAYTON American Animals
MATT PALMER Calibre
MICHAEL PEARCE Beast
Breakthrough Producer supported by Creativity Media
KRISTIAN BRODIE Beast
é JACQUI DAVIES Ray & Liz
ANNA GRIFFIN Calibre
MARCIE MACLELLAN Apostasy
FAYE WARD Stan & Ollie
The Discovery Award sponsored by Raindance
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
é VOYAGEUSE May Miles Thomas
Best Documentary
BEING FRANK: THE CHRIS SIEVEY STORY Steve Sullivan
é EVELYN Orlando von Einsiedel, Joanna Natasegara
ISLAND Steven Eastwood, Elhum Shakerifar
NAE PASARAN Felipe Bustos Sierra
UNDER THE WIRE Christopher Martin, Tom Brisley
Best British Short Film supported by BFI NETWORK
é THE BIG DAY Dawn Shadforth, Kellie Smith, Michelle Stein
BITTER SEA Fateme Ahmadi, Emma Parsons
THE FIELD Sandhya Suri, Balthazar de Ganay, Thomas Bidegain
POMMEL Paris Zarcilla, Sebastian Brown, Ivan Kelava
TO KNOW HIM Ted Evans, Kellie Smith, Jennifer Monks, Michelle Stein
Best International Independent Film sponsored by Champagne Taittinger
CAPERNAUM Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Keserwani, Khaled Mouzanar, Michel Merkt
COLD WAR Pawel Pawlikowski, Tanya Seghatchian, Ewa Puszczynska
THE RIDER Chloé Zhao, Mollye Asher, Sacha Ben Harroche, Bert Hamelinck
é ROMA Alfonso Cuarón, Nicolás Celis, Gabriela Rodriguez
SHOPLIFTERS Hirokazu Koreeda
Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society of America & Spotlight
é DIXIE CHASSAY The Favourite
JULIE HARKIN Beast
AVY KAUFMAN American Animals
ANDY PRYOR Stan & Ollie
MICHELLE SMITH Apostasy
Best Cinematography supported by Blackmagic Design
OLE BRATT BIRKELAND American Animals
MAGNUS NORDENHOF JØNK Lean on Pete
é ROBBIE RYAN The Favourite
TOM TOWNEND You Were Never Really Here
DAVID UNGARO A Prayer Before Dawn
Best Costume Design
CHRISTINA BLACKALLER An Evening With Beverly Luff Lin
JACQUELINE DURRAN Peterloo
ANDREA FLESCH Colette
é SANDY POWELL The Favourite
GUY SPERANZA Stan & Ollie
Best Editing sponsored by Intermission Film
JOE BINI You Were Never Really Here
MARC BOUCROT A Prayer Before Dawn
é NICK FENTON, JULIAN HART, CHRIS GILL American Animals
YORGOS MAVROPSARIDIS The Favourite
BEN WHEATLEY Happy New Year, Colin Burstead
Best Effects
é HOWARD JONES Early Man
MATTHEW STRANGE, MARK WELLBAND Dead in a Week (Or Your Money Back)
GEORGE ZWIER, PAUL DRIVER Peterloo
Best Make Up & Hair Design
CHRISTINE BLUNDELL Peterloo
MARK COULIER, JEREMY WOODHEAD Stan & Ollie
STACEY LOUISE HOLMAN A Prayer Before Dawn
IVANA PRIMORAC Colette
é NADIA STACEY The Favourite
Best Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group
AARON CUPPLES Island of the Hungry Ghosts
é JONNY GREENWOOD You Were Never Really Here
RICHARD HAWLEY Funny Cow
ANNE NIKITIN American Animals
JIM WILLIAMS Beast
Best Production Design
MICHAEL CARLIN Colette
é FIONA CROMBIE The Favourite
SUZIE DAVIES Peterloo
JOHN PAUL KELLY Stan & Ollie
BECK RAINFORD Ray & Liz
Best Sound supported by Silk Factory
JOHNNIE BURN The Favourite
é PAUL DAVIES You Were Never Really Here
SÉVERIN FAVRIAU A Prayer Before Dawn
CJ MIRRA Time Trial
ANDREW STIRK American Animals
