BIFA 2024 Feature Film Entries

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THE BIFA 2025 RULES AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA WILL BE PUBLISHED IN MAY

 

rules and eligibility

This page is best viewed on a laptop or desktop – phones and tablets may distort or omit parts of the tables. A PDF of all of this information is available to download here. 

The British Independent Film Awards are for theatrical feature films and short films. The majority of categories are only open to British independent films. There are separate eligibility criteria for international independent films.

There have been a number of updates to the rules and eligibility requirements for this year’s awards process. For a summary of these changes, click here. 

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Timeline

Please click here for full timeline information

ENTRY DEADLINES & FEES

Please click here for entry deadlines and fee information

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Categories

Category	Named nominee(s) / recipient(s)	Eligible films	Winner decided by…
Best British Independent Film	Director, Screenwriter(s), Producer(s)	British features	BIFA voters
Best Director	Director	British features	Filmmaker Jury
Best Screenplay	Screenwriter(s)	British features	Filmmaker Jury
Best Lead Performance	Lead Performers	British features	Performance Jury
Best Supporting Performance	Supporting Performers	British features	Performance Jury
Best Joint Lead Performance	Lead Performers	British features	Performance Jury
Best Ensemble	Ensemble Performers	British features	Performance Jury
Breakthrough Performance	British Lead & Supporting Performers	British features	Performance Jury
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)	British Director	British features	Filmmaker Jury
Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary	British Director	British features	Filmmaker Jury
Best Debut Screenwriter	British Screenwriter(s)	British features	Filmmaker Jury
Breakthrough Producer	British Producer(s)	British features	Filmmaker Jury
Best Feature Documentary	Director(s) & Producer(s)	British features	BIFA voters
The Raindance Maverick Award	Director, Screenwriter(s), Producer(s) Entrants may choose to nominate all or any of the above-listed people	British features	BIFA voters
Best Casting	Casting Director	British features	BIFA voters
Best Cinematography	Director of Photography	British features	BIFA voters
Best Costume Design	Costume Designer	British features	BIFA voters
Best Editing	Editor	British features	BIFA voters
Best Effects	Special Effects Supervisor(s) Visual Effects Supervisor(s)	British features	BIFA voters
Best Make-Up & Hair Design	Make-Up Designer Hair Designer	British features	BIFA voters
Best Original Music	Composer	British features	BIFA voters
Best Music Supervision	Composer or Music Supervisor	British features	BIFA voters
Best Production Design	Production Designer	British features	BIFA voters
Best Sound	The following professionals may be entered, up to a maximum of five people: – Sound Designer / Supervising Sound Editor / HoD – Dialogue Supervisor / Editor – SFX Supervisor / Editor – Re-Recording Mixer – Production Sound Mixer / Sound Recordist	British features	BIFA voters
Best British Short Film	Director, Screenwriter(s), Producer(s)	British short films	BIFA voters
Best International Independent Film	Director, Screenwriter(s), Producer(s)	International features	BIFA voters
The Richard Harris Award	British Performer	Individual	Nomination Committee & Board
The Special Jury Prize	Individual or organisation (usually not eligible in other categories)	Individual or organisation	BIFA Juries

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VOTING & ADJUDICATION PROCESS

More details about the BIFA voting and adjudication process can be found here.

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FILM eligibility requirements

In all cases, final decisions about a film’s eligibility rest with BIFA’s Nomination Committee. Under exceptional circumstances, inclusion and consideration of films which do not strictly comply with the below criteria will be subject to the discretion of the Committee. If you have questions about your film’s eligibility, please contact BIFA on entry@bifa.film.

independent

Films will usually qualify as independent where there is no involvement in the production or financing of a film by a major studio.

Any involvement by a major studio will be assessed by BIFA and a budget cap of $25m (gross) applies.

As a guide, a film which has major studio involvement may be eligible for BIFA if:

• The film was acquired by the studio post completion for distribution only
  OR
• The gross budget did not exceed $25m and the project was not originated or majority co-produced by the major studio

BIFA considers the following companies to be ‘major studios’*:

Amazon Studios	Apple	Netflix
Paramount	Searchlight / Disney	Sony
Universal	Warner Bros.

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If there is no major studio involvement, no budget cap applies.
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*studios may be added to the major studios list at any time

UK NATIONALITY – FILMS

BIFA considers a film to be ‘British*’ if the writer(s), director and originating producer(s) are British.

Where this is not the case, films are assessed by BIFA’s Nomination Committee, who take into account the following factors:

• Whether the film was originated by a British production company or individual(s)
• The creative contribution from the UK (i.e. key creative team, lead cast and HoDs)
• UK funding source(s)
• Where each stage of production took place

Films that are not originated by a UK production company or individual(s) and that do not have a lead UK production company are unlikely to be eligible.

This applies to shorts and feature films entering all categories except for Best International Independent Film.

*Throughout the rules, when using the term ‘British’, BIFA is referring to the UK and British Crown dependencies Jersey and Guernsey (The Channel Islands) and the Isle of Man.

UK NATIONALITY – INDIVIDUALS

Where an individual must be British to qualify for an award, such as in the debut categories or for the purposes of identifying the nationality of a film, we will ask entrants if they or others who worked on a film have a British passport or the right to hold one, or if they have Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or have achieved ‘settled status’ by living in the UK for more than five years. BIFA’s Nomination Committee may, at its discretion, accept individuals as ‘British’ if they have not lived in the UK for more than five years but have demonstrably been living and working in the UK for a considerable period of time and intend to do so in the future. If you are unsure, please use this test: https://www.gov.uk/check-british-citizen and get in touch with us via entry@bifa.film.

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BFI DIVERSITY STANDARDS

British features and feature documentaries must meet the BFI Diversity Standards in order to be eligible for BIFA.

In April 2023 the BFI introduced updated Diversity Standards criteria and meeting the Standards now requires passing three of five Standards (A, B, C, D, E). Standards C and E are mandatory for all (some concessions may be made for smaller projects).

Films entered to the BIFA British feature film categories will be assessed against these new criteria and should aim to meet them by filling in the mandatory elements for all Standards as fully as possible. However, as productions continue to transition to the new requirements, allowances will be made for films that were in production or completed before January 2024, and the scale of individual projects will be taken into account.

Films that have already been assessed against the Standards (either pre or post Diversity Standards updates) do not need to be re-assessed.

If your feature film has not already been assessed against the standards, the deadline for completing the form is Wednesday 4 September. We will send this form to you after your entry has been submitted.

Short films entered to the Best British Short Film award must be assessed against the BFI’s Diversity Standards. There is no requirement for short films to meet the Standards, simply to be assessed against them. Please see the Rules and Eligibility criteria for Short films for more information.

Please note, all assessments are made by the BFI and BIFA has no input into this process.

You can find out more about the BFI Diversity Standards here

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FILM RELEASE REQUIREMENTS

RELEASE REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible, feature films must be intended for theatrical release and must screen, or be scheduled to screen, to a paying public audience either at a qualifying festival or on general release during the eligibility period.

This year, the eligibility period is 1 November 2023 to 30 November 2024.

Where formal distribution is confirmed after a qualifying festival screening, the festival screening remains as the qualifying eligibility criterion for BIFA.

No re-releases may be entered. Once entered, a film can be withdrawn up to a week before the first round of voting opens. Films that are withdrawn at this point (by 9 September 2024) can be entered in subsequent years, if eligible. Otherwise, previously entered films are not eligible.

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BRITISH FEatures

• Must be intended for UK theatrical release
• Must be over 70 minutes in running time
• Must screen or have been scheduled to screen:
  • On general release in the UK during the eligibility period, for a run consisting of at least seven screenings in aggregate

OR

• • At one of BIFA’s qualifying (see list here) film festivals during the eligibility period. Where there is no British theatrical release on the calendar, proof of intention to release theatrically may be required

Films that are between 40 and 70 minutes in length may be eligible if they have a theatrical release in the UK during the eligibility period.

Where formal distribution is confirmed after a qualifying festival screening, the festival screening remains as the qualifying eligibility criterion for BIFA. Films which have a qualifying festival screening but are scheduled for theatrical release in early 2025 (up to the cut-off date for eligibility for British films for the BAFTA Film Awards) may choose whether to enter in the current year or to wait until next year. Please contact BIFA to discuss this via entry@bifa.film.

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International features

• Must be intended for theatrical release
• Must be over 70 minutes in running time
• Must have confirmed UK distribution
• Must screen or have been scheduled to screen:
  • On general release in the UK during the eligibility period, for a run consisting of at least seven screenings in aggregate

OR

• • At one of BIFA’s qualifying international film festivals (see list here) during the eligibility period and be intended for theatrical release. Where there is no British theatrical release on the calendar, proof of intention to release theatrically may be required.

International features may also be entered if they have won an award at one of BIFA’s qualifying international film festivals and are available for voters to watch.

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category rules & requirements

Films may be submitted to as many or as few categories as entrants wish. However, voters or the Nomination Committee may choose to consider a film in additional categories to those submitted.

Credits and eligibility decisions are based on the credits featured on exhibited prints of the film.

Category/ies	Named nominee(s)	Additional rules	Supporting material required
Best British Independent Film	Fully credited writers, producers and directors Other producer credits, such as Associate, Executive, etc. are not eligible for this award. Co-directors and co-writers are only eligible where there are no lead directors or writers credited. ‘Additional Material by…’, ‘Original Story by…’ and similar credits are not eligible. Where PGA determination has been made about eligible producers, only those credited p.g.a. will be listed
Best International Independent Film	Fully credited writers, producers and directors See Best British Independent Film for our rules on which writing, directing and producing credits are eligible to be listed as nominees
Best Director	Director(s) Co-directors are only eligible where there is no lead director credited
Best Screenplay	Screenwriter(s) Co-writers are only eligible where there is no lead screenwriter credited. ‘Additional Material by…’, ‘Original Story by…’ and similar credits are not eligible		Screenplay sample [mandatory]
Best Lead Performance Best Supporting Performance	Lead & Supporting performers	Entrants may select which category a performer should be considered for but BIFA’s Nomination Committee reserves the right to make final decisions about performers’ category placement
Best Joint Lead Performance	Lead Performers	For two (or exceptionally three) performances that are the joint focus of the film, especially where the performances share a large number of scenes and screen time Entrants may choose to put performers forward for Best Joint Lead as well as Lead Performance. Please note: performers entered into this category must also be entered into the Best Lead Performance category. Performers will be listed for voting in both categories but can only be nominated and win in either the Joint Lead or Lead Performance category Performers put forward for Best Supporting Performance may not enter the Joint Lead category The number of nominations in these categories is variable (up to a maximum of five) and is dependent on the number of eligible entries in any given year
Best Ensemble Performance	Three or more performers who form a core ensemble	This award is for a group of three or more performers in films without a clear lead performer and where the ensemble drives the story. Examples might include films like The Death of Stalin or The History Boys, as opposed to films like Billy Elliot. Entrants are responsible for electing which performers to put forward for this category, but the suitability of entries will be subject to the approval of the Performance subgroup, who may decide to limit which performers are included in the ensemble of the film. This award is presented only at the discretion of the Performance subgroup. Ordinarily, the winner in this category will be announced in advance of the ceremony, with no nominations selected. Exceptionally, depending on entry numbers, up to three nominations may be announced, in which case the winner will be decided by the Performance jury and announced at the ceremony
Breakthrough Performance	Lead & supporting performers Must hold, or have the right to hold, a British passport	For British performers taking their first significant role in a theatrical feature film. Eligibility of performers with significant theatre or TV credits will be determined by the Nomination Committee
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)	Director(s) Must hold, or have the right to hold, a British passport Co-directors are only eligible where there is no lead director credited	For a British director for their debut fiction feature film. Previous television or documentary credits do not disqualify an individual from consideration. Documentaries are ineligible in this category Where a director has previously made a micro-budget feature (under £50k budget), they may still be eligible for this award for a subsequent film, subject to review by BIFA’s Nomination Committee
Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary	Director(s) Must hold, or have the right to hold, a British passport Co-directors are only eligible where there is no lead director credited	For a British director for their debut documentary feature film. Previous television or fiction feature credits do not disqualify an individual from consideration Filmmakers must be able to show the appropriate release forms if requested. If they are not able to do so, BIFA’s Nomination Committee will determine whether the film is eligible for BIFA
Best Debut Screenwriter	Screenwriter(s) Must hold, or have the right to hold, a British passport Co-writers are only eligible where there is no lead screenwriter credited. ‘Additional Material by…’, ‘Original Story by…’ and similar credits are not eligible	For a British screenwriter for their debut fiction feature film. Previous television or documentary credits do not disqualify an individual from consideration	10-page screenplay sample [mandatory]
Breakthrough Producer	Producer(s) Must hold, or have the right to hold, a British passport Other producer credits, such as Associate, Executive, etc. are not eligible for this award	For a British producer for their first or second documentary or fiction feature film Where a producer wishes to be considered for the award for their second feature film, BIFA’s subgroup and Nomination Committee will assess whether the producer’s first film could be considered their industry breakthrough	Questionnaire [mandatory] Additional statements from other members of the production team will be requested at Longlist stage.
The Raindance Maverick Award	Fully credited writer(s), producer(s) and director(s) By default, all above-listed people are listed as nominees in this category. Entrants may, at their discretion, choose instead to limit the number of nominees (e.g. just the director, or just the producers) but must explain this decision in the statement accompanying their entry See Best British Independent Film for our rules on which writing, directing and producing credits are eligible to be listed as nominees	This award highlights innovation, uniqueness of vision, maverick filmmaking and risk-taking generally in fiction films with a budget under £1m, rewarding bold, creative, ambitious work that belies its limited budget. Eligible films must not have exceeded a £1m (gross) production budget.	Questionnaire [mandatory]
Best Feature Documentary	Director(s) & Producer(s) Co-directors are only eligible where there is no lead director credited	Films should be non-fiction and photograph an actual occurrence or employ partial re-enactment, stock footage, stills, animation, stop-motion or other techniques, as long as the emphasis is on fact and not on fiction Filmmakers must be able to show the appropriate release forms, if requested. If they are not able to do so, BIFA’s Nomination Committee will determine whether the film is eligible for BIFA
Best British Short Film	Fully credited writers, producers and directors Other producer credits, such as Associate, Executive, etc. are not eligible for this award Co-directors and co-writers are only eligible where there are no lead directors or writers credited	Films must be under 40 minutes in length Must be narrative, experimental, documentary or animation. Music videos and fashion films are usually ineligible, but may be included at the discretion of the Nomination Committee and Shorts subgroup where the film has sufficient narrative elements. To request an exception, please contact entry@bifa.film
Best Casting	Casting Director		Statement [mandatory]
Best Cinematography	Director of Photography		Statement [optional]
Best Costume Design	Costume Designer		Statement [optional]
Best Editing	Editor Other editing credits, such as Assistant or Co-Editor, are not eligible		Statement [optional]
Best Effects	Special Effects Supervisor and/or Visual Effects Supervisor		Statement & Effects breakdown reel [Mandatory]
Best Make-Up & Hair Design	Make-Up & Hair Designer	Prosthetics Designers are also eligible in this category	Statement [optional]
Best Original Music	Composer/Songwriter Other credits such as co-composers are only eligible where there is no lead composer	This award is for the composition of original music for a film where original music makes up at least 40% of the film’s music soundtrack. To be eligible, it must be clear which music in the film is original score (either within the film or via supporting documents). Pre-existing instrumental music should not be considered score unless written specifically for the film Documentaries about music, where the majority of the music featured is that of the subject of the documentary, are not eligible unless the music has been composed specifically for the film The number of nominations in this category is variable (up to a maximum of five) and is dependent on the number of eligible entries in any given year. This award will only be presented if there are sufficient entries in the category	Questionnaire [mandatory] Music Cue Sheet, plus breakdown of percentages of original and source music [mandatory]
Best Music Supervision	Music Supervisor	This award is for the supervision of sourced music where sourced music makes up at least 40% of the film’s music soundtrack. To be eligible, it must be clear which music in the film is sourced or licensed music (either within the film or via supporting documents) Documentaries about music, where the majority of the music featured is that of the subject of the documentary, are not eligible The number of nominations in this category is variable (up to a maximum of five) and is dependent on the number of eligible entries in any given year. This award will only be presented if there are sufficient entries in the category	Questionnaire [mandatory] Music Cue Sheet, plus breakdown of percentages of original and source music [mandatory]
Best Production Design	Production Designer		Statement [optional]
Best Sound	The following professionals may be entered, up to a maximum of five people: Lead or sole Sound Designer / Supervising Sound Editor / HoD Lead or sole Dialogue Supervisor / Editor Lead or sole SFX Supervisor / Editor Lead or sole Re-Recording Mixer Lead or sole Production Sound Mixer / Sound Recordist		Statement [optional]
The Special Jury Prize	An individual or organisation within the British independent film industry.	This award is intended to recognise an individual or organisation for their outstanding contribution within the British independent film industry Entrants are invited to submit a single member of their entered film’s production team whose work deserves recognition but whose role is not currently recognised by one of our competitive awards categories. Eligible roles include Executive Producer, Production Manager, camera operator and not Producer, Director, Production Designer, for example Note; The Special Jury Prize is awarded by our juries. These recommendations will be compiled and submitted to our juries for consideration, though members reserve the right to award the Prize to a recipient not associated with any of the productions in competition	Statement [mandatory]

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Mandatory supporting material

CHECKLIST

Category	Statement	Questionnaire	Other Material
Best Screenplay			Mandatory: 10 page screenplay sample
Debut Screenwriter			Mandatory: 10 page screenplay sample
Breakthrough Producer		Mandatory	Confirmation of this statement by another producer / a director / writer / HoD also involved in the project is required and they may be contacted by BIFA for additional supporting information
Raindance Maverick Award		Mandatory
Best Casting	Mandatory
Best Cinematography	Optional
Best Costume Design	Optional
Best Editing	Optional
Best Effects	Mandatory		Mandatory: Breakdown reel
Best Make-Up & Hair Design	Optional
Best Music Supervision		Mandatory	Mandatory: Music Cue Sheet + percentages of original and source music
Best Original Music		Mandatory	Mandatory: Music Cue Sheet + percentages of original and source music
Best Production Design	Optional
Best Sound	Optional
The Special Jury Prize	Mandatory

You can download PDFs of the statement formats for the Craft categories (excluding Original Music and Music Supervision) and the Special Jury Prize by clicking the links below:

Craft categories (Casting, Costume Design, Cinematography, Editing, Effects, Make-Up & Hair, Production Design, Sound)

Special Jury Prize

Please be aware: the information provided by entrants in statements and questionnaires and via screenplay samples and music cue sheets is made available to all BIFA voters to view, with the exception of the Special Jury Prize statement, which is made available to the BIFA juries only. 

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important NOTES regarding award presentation

Trophies

One award trophy will be issued where the winner is a film (e.g. Best British Short Film); one award trophy will be issued to each named nominee where the winner is an individual (e.g. Best Director). Additional trophies can be purchased in the event of an award win.

Tickets

BIFA aims to include all nominees at events held to celebrate the nominees and to announce the winners but unfortunately this is not always possible. Confirmation of which nominees will be offered complimentary tickets to BIFA events will be issued in advance of each event.

Entry Thresholds

If we do not receive sufficient entries into an award category, we reserve the right to not present that award. This applies to all categories. Similarly, should we not have sufficient voters in a specialist category, BIFA reserves the right to not present that award.

If BIFA does not receive sufficient entries into the Joint Lead Performance category to ensure a minimum of three nominees, we may choose to present a longer list of nominees and two award winners in the Best Lead category.

Best Ensemble Performance Award is presented only at the discretion of the Performance subgroup. If the Subgroup deems that the award should not be presented in a given year, we may choose to present a longer list of nominees and two award winners in the Best Supporting Performance category.

If you are unsure about category placement for any of your entries, please get in touch with us at entry@bifa.film

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entry & film access

how to enter

Entries to BIFA can be made by a film’s distributor or another representative, such as the producer, a sales agent or a festivals/awards advisor. If duplicate entries are made, BIFA will contact the entrants to clarify which one to proceed with.

To enter a film to BIFA:

1. Create an account (or log in to your existing account) here: https://members.bifa.film/entries
2. Complete an entry form for the type of film that you wish to enter
3. If an entry fee is applicable, it will need to be paid on submission of the entry to BIFA

Entrants will be invited to check their completed entries before voting opens. It is the entrant’s responsibility to ensure that all category listings are accurate and complete as no changes can be made once voting is open.

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access to Entered films

Entrants must provide BIFA voters with online access to their entered films. In-person screenings may be organised at the discretion of the entrant, in addition to online access.

Feature films entered into BIFA can be uploaded to Eventive, a secure and cost-effective screening platform, which our voters have been using for two years with great success. Entrants will be asked to indicate if they wish to use this platform during the entry process. Use of is not compulsory but it is strongly encouraged as this is the preferred platform for voters. Entrants may continue to use their screening platform of choice and handle distribution of screening links directly with voters (subject to signature of a data processing agreement) where applicable. Use of Eventive will incur a charge which the entrant is responsible for covering. You can find out more about Eventive use and fees here. 

Eventive is not available for use for short film entries.

Where adequate access to films or mandatory supporting information has not been provided by the deadline of 13 September (or 23 August for Short Films), entry to BIFA will be rescinded and the film will be removed from contention. There will be no refund for any entry fees paid.

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access requirements

Mandatory:

• Online: all screeners should be provided with closed caption subtitles
• In-person: access information must be provided for all screenings and included in screening invitations

Preferred:

• Online: subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) and audio description should be included in screeners where possible
• In-person: an option for SDH subtitles at screenings or specific subtitled screenings where several screenings are offered

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SCREENING AND CAMPAIGNING RULES

BIFA does not allow campaigning of any kind. This applies to both features films and short films. Where entrants would like to invite BIFA voters to in-person screenings of their films, they must be solely for the purposes of giving voters an opportunity to experience their film in cinema.

• Screenings specially for BIFA voters must not include a Q&A or any additional activity such as drinks receptions, gifts, goody bags etc. 
• You may invite voters to screenings as part of other events, eg. festivals, premieres, cinema release and press previews which have Q&As and where drinks are offered, but these screenings must not include additional activity or gifts for BIFA voters
• Information regarding all additional film screenings for voters will be combined and sent in a weekly voter mailout and will also be available on the voter Screenings Calendar, accessible by voters and jury only. If you would like to invite voters to screenings of your films, please make sure you advise BIFA at least 5 days in advance so information can be included in the mailout before the screening
• BIFA will not send out individual emails regarding entrant’s film screenings to voters and we will not send individual supplementary emails regarding screenings
• BIFA will not permit entrants to email voters directly – we do not share our voters contact details

If you are thinking of arranging in-person screenings solely for BIFA voters, please consider that a large proportion of our voters live outside London and all voters have access to online screeners of your film, so we cannot guarantee an audience at your screening. We strongly advise that you discuss your potential screening(s) with the awards team before booking your screening.

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All decisions made by BIFA and its Board and Committees are final and no correspondence will be entered into as to why particular entries were or were not nominated.