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  • Originally published on
  • Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018
Emma Stone in "The Favourite" (photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures)
"The Favourite" Leads British Independent Film Awards With 13 Nominations
Women score more than 40% of nods across directing, writing, producing, performance and craft
LONDON --

The Favourite has topped the 2018 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) with 13 nominations. Nods were unveiled this morning (10/31) in London. The Favourite, Yorgos Lanthimos’ black comedy about the 18th century court of Queen Anne, is recognized for Best British Independent Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. Olivia Colman is nominated for Best Actress, with her co-stars in the female-led ensemble, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, competing in the Best Supporting Actress category, Weisz also receives a Best Actress nomination for Sapphic drama Disobedience. The Favourite also sweeps the technical categories, newly introduced for the 2017 awards, with nominations for seven of the nine awards, including Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Make-up & Hair Design and Best Costume Design.

The Best British Independent Film nominees are The Favourite, American Animals (11 nominations), Beast (10 nominations), Disobedience (5 nominations) and You Were Never Really Here (8 nominations). The nominations list demonstrates a record year for female representation, with over 40% of the individual nominations recognizing women in the industry across directing, writing, producing, performance and craft. Female nominees make up over 50% of the talent nominated for Best British Independent Film and dominate both Most Promising Newcomer and Breakthrough Producer, with four out of five nominations for each award. Over 140 British films were submitted for consideration and 37 different British feature films have been nominated across the BIFA categories.

The broad recognition for American Animals and You Were Never Really Here marks the return of previous award winners, writer-directors Lynne Ramsay and Bart Layton. Layton won Best Debut Director for his documentary The Imposter in 2012 and his true-crime heist drama American Animals secures him nominations for Best Director and for both Best Screenplay and Debut Screenwriter. The film sees Evan Peters and Barry Keoghan compete in the Best Supporting Actor category, marking their first BIFA nominations. Ramsay continues her long association with BIFA, with her third nomination for Best Screenplay and her second for Best Director, following past recognition for Ratcatcher, Morvern Callar and We Need To Talk About Kevin. Joaquin Phoenix secures his second BIFA Best Actor nomination for his role as a tortured hitman in the psychological noir thriller, with Jonny Greenwood and Tom Townend being recognized for Best Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group and Best Cinematography respectively.

Following a breakout year for British directorial debuts at the 2017 awards, this year’s nominations list continues the trend with acclaim for Michael Pearce’s romantic thriller Beast and Daniel Kokotajlo’s Apostasy, a sensitive drama set within the Jehovah’s Witness community. In addition to its Best British Independent Film nomination, Beast receives nods for Pearce in all directing and screenwriting categories: Best Director, Best Screenplay, Debut Screenwriter and The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director. Lead Jessie Buckley receives nominations for both Best Actress and Most Promising Newcomer, alongside Apostasy’s Molly Wright who also receives nods in both categories. Kokotajlo features alongside Pearce with nominations for Best Debut Director and Debut Screenwriter.

Joe Cole (A Prayer Before Dawn), Rupert Everett (The Happy Prince) and Charlie Plummer (Lean on Pete) all feature in the Best Actor category as first time BIFA nominees, alongside Steve Coogan (Stan & Ollie) and Joaquin Phoenix. Gemma Arterton (The Escape) and Maxine Peake (Funny Cow) round out the Best Actress category with Peake making her debut on the list.

The Richard Harris Award and The Variety Award are to be announced in November. The Richard Harris Award, introduced in 2002 in honor of Richard Harris, recognizes outstanding contribution to British Film by an actor. Previous winners have been Daniel Day Lewis, Julie Walters, John Hurt, Emma Thompson and Vanessa Redgrave in 2017. The Variety Award recognizes a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helped focus the international spotlight on the UK. Past winners include Kate Winslet, Richard Curtis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sir Michael Caine and Dame Helen Mirren.

Winners will be announced at the British Independent Film Award Ceremony on Sunday, December 2,  at Old Billingsgate

Here’s the nominations list in full:

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  /  ED GUINEY  /  FRIDA TORRESBLANCO  /  RACHEL WEISZ

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 SCREENPLAY
AMERICAN ANIMALS
BART LAYTON

BEAST
MICHAEL PEARCE

DISOBEDIENCE
SEBASTIÁN LELIO  /  REBECCA LENKIEWICZ

THE FAVOURITE
DEBORAH DAVIS  /  TONY MCNAMARA

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
LYNNE RAMSAY

BEST DIRECTOR
AMERICAN ANIMALS
BART LAYTON

BEAST
MICHAEL PEARCE

THE FAVOURITE
YORGOS LANTHIMOS

LEAN ON PETE
ANDREW HAIGH

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
LYNNE RAMSAY

BEST BRITISH SHORT
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 ACTOR
THE HAPPY PRINCE
RUPERT EVERETT

LEAN ON PETE
CHARLIE PLUMMER

A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN
JOE COLE

STAN & OLLIE
STEVE COOGAN

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
JOAQUIN PHOENIX

BEST ACTRESS
BEAST
JESSIE BUCKLEY

DISOBEDIENCE
RACHEL WEISZ

THE ESCAPE
GEMMA ARTERTON

THE FAVOURITE
OLIVIA COLMAN

FUNNY COW
MAXINE PEAKE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
AMERICAN ANIMALS
EVAN PETERS

AMERICAN ANIMALS
BARRY KEOGHAN

COLETTE
DOMINIC WEST

DISOBEDIENCE
ALESSANDRO NIVOLA

LEAN ON PETE
STEVE BUSCEMI

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
APOSTASY
MOLLY WRIGHT

DISOBEDIENCE
RACHEL MCADAMS

THE FAVOURITE
EMMA STONE

THE FAVOURITE
RACHEL WEISZ

STAN & OLLIE
NINA ARIANDA

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
APOSTASY
MOLLY WRIGHT

BEAST
JESSIE BUCKLEY

BEEN SO LONG
MICHAELA COEL

JELLYFISH
LIV HILL

OBEY
MARCUS RUTHERFORD

THE DISCOVERY AWARD
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

VOYAGEUSE
MAY MILES THOMAS

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD (DEBUT DIRECTOR)
APOSTASY
DANIEL KOKOTAJLO

BEAST
MICHAEL PEARCE

CALIBRE
MATT PALMER

PILI
LEANNE WELHAM

RAY & LIZ
RICHARD BILLINGHAM

DEBUT SCREENWRITER
AMERICAN ANIMALS
BART LAYTON

APOSTASY
DANIEL KOKOTAJLO

BEAST
MICHAEL PEARCE

CALIBRE
MATT PALMER

THE PARTY’S JUST BEGINNING
KAREN GILLAN

BEST DOCUMENTARY
BEING FRANK: THE CHRIS SIEVEY STORY
STEVE SULLIVAN

EVELYN
ORLANDO VON EINSIEDEL  /  JOANNA NATASEGARA

ISLAND
STEVEN EASTWOOD  /  ELHUM SHAKERIFAR

NAE PASARAN
FELIPE BUSTOS SIERRA

UNDER THE WIRE
CHRIS MARTIN  /  TOM BRISLEY

BREAKTHROUGH PRODUCER
APOSTASY
MARCIE MACLELLAN

BEAST
KRISTIAN BRODIE

CALIBRE
ANNA GRIFFIN

RAY & LIZ
JACQUI DAVIES

STAN & OLLIE
FAYE WARD

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
CAPERNAUM
NADINE LABAKI  /  JIHAD HOJEILY  /  MICHELLE KESERWANI  /  KHALED MOUZANAR  /  MICHEL MERKT

COLD WAR
PAWEL PAWLIKOWSKI  /  JANUSZ GLOWACKI  /  TANYA SEGHATCHIAN  /  EWA PUSZCZYNSKA

THE RIDER
CHLOÉ ZHAO  /  MOLLYE ASHER  /  SACHA BEN HARROCHE  /  BERT HAMELINCK

ROMA
ALFONSO CUARÓN  /  GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ  /  NICOLÁS CELIS

SHOPLIFTERS
HIROKAZU KOREEDA

BEST CASTING
AMERICAN ANIMALS
AVY KAUFMAN

APOSTASY
MICHELLE SMITH

BEAST
JULIE HARKIN

THE FAVOURITE
DIXIE CHASSAY

STAN & OLLIE
ANDY PRYOR

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
AMERICAN ANIMALS
OLE BRATT BIRKELAND

THE FAVOURITE
ROBBIE RYAN

LEAN ON PETE
MAGNUS NORDENHOF JØNCK

A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN
DAVID UNGARO

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
TOM TOWNEND

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
COLETTE
ANDREA FLESCH

AN EVENING WITH BEVERLY LUFF LINN
ALYSSA TULL

THE FAVOURITE
SANDY POWELL

PETERLOO
JACQUELINE DURRAN

STAN & OLLIE
GUY SPERANZA

BEST EDITING
AMERICAN ANIMALS
NICK FENTON  /  JULIAN HART  /  CHRIS GILL

THE FAVOURITE
YORGOS MAVROPSARIDIS

HAPPY NEW YEAR, COLIN BURSTEAD
BEN WHEATLEY

A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN
MARC BOUCROT

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
JOE BINI

BEST MAKE-UP & HAIR DESIGN
COLETTE
IVANA PRIMORAC

THE FAVOURITE
NADIA STACEY

PETERLOO
CHRISTINE BLUNDELL

A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN
STACEY LOUISE HOLMAN

STAN & OLLIE
MARK COULIER  /  JEREMY WOODHEAD
 

BEST MUSIC
AMERICAN ANIMALS
ANNE NIKITIN

BEAST
JIM WILLIAMS

FUNNY COW
RICHARD HAWLEY

ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS
AARON CUPPLES

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
JONNY GREENWOOD

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
COLETTE
MICHAEL CARLIN

THE FAVOURITE
FIONA CROMBIE

PETERLOO
SUZIE DAVIES

RAY & LIZ
BECK RAINFORD

STAN & OLLIE
JOHN PAUL KELLY

BEST SOUND
AMERICAN ANIMALS
ANDREW STIRK

THE FAVOURITE
JOHNNIE BURN

A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN
SÉVERIN FAVRIAU

TIME TRIAL
CJ MIRRA

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
PAUL DAVIES
 

BEST EFFECTS
DEAD IN A WEEK (OR YOUR MONEY BACK)
MATTHEW STRANGE  /  MARK WELLBAND

EARLY MAN
HOWARD JONES

PETERLOO
GEORGE ZWIER  /  PAUL DRIVER

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