Celebrating BIFA’s Female Filmmakers
Not that you need one, but International Women’s Day is a perfect excuse to support female filmmakers by watching their films. With the weekend coming up, it’s an opportunity to line up a whole swathe of female-focussed film watching.
Here are eight feature films, four fiction and four docs, directed or written by women and featuring strong female leads that were nominated or won awards at BIFA 2017. Follow them, seek them out and watch them when you can!
Fiction
I AM NOT A WITCH
Female nominees / winners:
Rungano Nyoni (writer / director)
Juliette Grandmont (producer)
Emily Morgan (producer)
Margaret Mulubwa (actress)
Holly Rebecca (costume designer)
Julene Paton (make-up & hair designer)
Watch online on Curzon Home Cinema, Google Play and Amazon.
LADY MACBETH
Female nominees / winners:
Alice Birch (writer)
Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly (producer)
Florence Pugh (actress)
Naomi Ackie (actress)
Ari Wegner (DOP)
Holly Waddington (costume designer)
Jacqueline Abrahams (production designer)
Sian Wilson (make-up & hair designer)
Shaheen Baig (casting director)
Watch online on Google Play and Amazon.
DARK RIVER
Female nominees / winners:
Clio Barnard (writer / director)
Tracy O’Riordan (producer)
Ruth Wilson (actress)
PIN CUSHION
Female nominees / winners:
Deborah Haywood (writer / director)
Lily Newmark (actress)
Follow on Twitter for latest screenings.
Documentaries
ALMOST HEAVEN
Female nominees / winners:
Carol Salter (director / producer)
Keep an eye on their site for latest screenings.
EVEN WHEN I FALL
Female nominees / winners:
Kate McLarnon (director)
Sky Neal (director)
Elhum Shakerifar (producer)
In cinemas now – follow on Twitter for more!
HALF WAY
Female nominees / winners:
Daisy-May Hudson (director)
Alice Hughes (producer)
Claire O’Neill (producer)
Currently unavailable to watch 🙁
KINGDOM OF US
Female nominees / winners:
Lucy Cohen (director)
Julia Nottingham (producer)
Tessa Treadaway (producer)
Listed below are all 57 women nominated at BIFA 2017.
You can also download the list in spreadsheet form here.
Name |
Role |
BIFA 2017 Film |
BIFA 2017 Nominations |
BIFA 2017 Win |
| Alice Birch | Writer | Lady Macbeth |
Best Screenplay Best Debut Screenwriter Best British Independent Film |
Best Screenplay |
| Alice Hughes | Producer | Half Way | Best Documentary | |
| Andrea Riseborough | Actor | The Death of Stalin | Best Supporting Actress | |
| Anna Bertmark | Sound Designer | God’s Own Country | Best Sound | Best Sound |
| Ari Wegner | Cinematographer | Lady Macbeth | Best Cinematography | Best Cinematography |
| Becki Ponting | Sound Designer | Breathe | Best Sound | |
| Carol Salter | Producer / Director | Almost Heaven | Best Documentary | Best Documentary |
| Claire O’Neill | Producer | Half Way | Best Documentary | |
| Cristina Casali | Production Designer | The Death of Stalin | Best Production Design | Best Production Design |
| Daisy-May Hudson |
Director |
Half Way | Best Documentary | |
| Debbie McWilliams | Casting Director | Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool | Best Casting | |
| Deborah Haywood | Writer / Director | Pin Cushion | Best Debut Screenwriter | |
| Dinah Collin | Costume Designer | My Cousin Rachel | Best Costume Design | |
| Elhum Shakerifar | Producer | Even When I Fall | The Discovery Award | |
| Emily Beecham | Actor | Daphne | Best Actress | |
| Emily Morgan | Producer | I am Not a Witch |
Breakthrough Producer Best British Independent Film |
Breakthrough Producer |
| Eve Stewart | Production Designer | Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool | Best Production Design | |
| Florence Pugh | Actor | Lady Macbeth | Best Actress | Best Actress |
| Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly | Producer | Lady Macbeth |
Breakthrough Producer Best British Independent Film |
|
| Frances McDormand | Actor | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Best Actress | |
| Gaby Chiappe | Writer | Their Finest | Best Debut Screenwriter | |
| Hannah Stevenson | Producer | In Another Life | The Discovery Award | The Discovery Award |
| Hayley Reynolds | Producer | Williams | Best Documentary | |
| Holly Rebecca | Costume Designer | I am Not a Witch | Best Costume Design | |
| Holly Waddington | Costume Designer | Lady Macbeth | Best Costume Design | Best Costume Design |
| Jacqueline Abrahams | Production Designer | Lady Macbeth | Best Production Design | |
| Jan Sewell | Hair & Make-up Designer | Breathe | Best Hair & Make-up Design | |
| Julene Paton | Hair & Make-up Designer | I am Not a Witch | Best Hair & Make-up Design | |
| Julia Nottingham | Producer | Kingdom of Us | Best Documentary | |
| Julie Walters | Actor | Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool | Best Supporting Actress | |
| Juliette Grandmont | Producer | I am Not a Witch | Best British Independent Film | |
| Kate McLarnon | Director | Even When I Fall | The Discovery Award | |
| Katy Jackson | Producer | Bad Day for the Cut | Breakthrough Producer | |
| Kelly Macdonald | Actor | Goodbye Christopher Robin | Best Supporting Actress | |
| Layla Merrick-Wolf |
Casting Director |
God’s Own Country | Best Casting | |
| Lily Newmark | Actor | Pin Cushion | Most Promising Newcomer | |
| Lisa Hague | Producer | Isolani | The Discovery Award | |
| Lucy Cohen | Director | Kingdom of Us | Best Documentary | |
| Manon Ardisson | Producer | God’s Own Country |
Breakthrough Producer Best British Independent Film |
Best British Independent Film |
| Margaret Mulubwa | Actor | I am Not a Witch | Best Actress | |
| Nadia Stacey | Hair & Make-up Designer | Journeyman | Best Hair & Make-up Design | |
| Naomi Ackie | Actor | Lady Macbeth |
Best Supporting Actress Most Promising Newcomer |
Most Promising Newcomer |
| Nicole Stafford | Hair & Make-up Designer | The Death of Stalin | Best Hair & Make-up Design | Best Hair & Make-up Design |
| Patricia Clarkson | Actor | The Party | Best Supporting Actress | Best Supporting Actress |
| Paula Vaccaro | Producer | Uncle Howard | Best Documentary | |
| Rebecca Clare-Evans | Producer | In Another Life | The Discovery Award | The Discovery Award |
| Rungano Nyoni | Writer / Director | I am Not a Witch |
Best Screenplay Best Debut Screenwriter Best Director Best Debut Director (The Douglas Hickox Award) Best British Independent Film |
Best Director Best Debut Director (The Douglas Hickox Award) |
| Ruth Wilson | Actor | Dark River | Best Actress | |
| Sandy Powell | Costume Designer | How to Talk to Girls at Parties | Best Costume Design | |
| Sarah Crowe | Casting Director | The Death of Stalin | Best Casting | Best Casting |
| Sarah Halley Finn | Casting Director | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Best Casting | |
| Sarah Hamilton | Producer | Williams | Best Documentary | |
| Shaheen Baig | Casting Director | Lady Macbeth, God’s Own Country | Best Casting | |
| Sian Wilson | Hair & Make-up Designer | Lady Macbeth | Best Hair & Make-up Design | |
| Sky Neal | Director | Even When I Fall | The Discovery Award | |
| Suzie Harman | Costume Designer | The Death of Stalin | Best Costume Design | |
| Tessa Treadaway | Producer | Kingdom of Us | Best Documentary |
