The Favourite wins 10 including Best British Independent Film
Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz win Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress
Joe Cole and Alessandro Nivola named Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor
Two BIFAs each for American Animals, You Were Never Really Here and debut Ray & Liz
Roma named Best International Independent Film
London, Sunday 2 December: 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
