04/12/2023 - Andrew Haigh’s film has grabbed seven BIFAs, with How to Have Sex and Femme also proving popular

Scooping Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and a shared gong for Best Supporting Actor, Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] was the big winner at the British Independent Film Awards held in London on Sunday night. If we add in the Best Cinematography, Best Music Supervision and Best Editing accolades that it won at the BIFA Craft Awards held in November, the movie  actually ended the night with seven BIFA wins.

The latest film by Haigh – the director behind such critically acclaimed films as Weekend [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and 45 Years [+see also:
film review
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Q&A: Andrew Haigh
film profile] – has been on the receiving end of many plaudits after premiering at Telluride and screening at the likes of London, Cork and Tallinn Black Nights, and has been hailed by some as a return to form for the British director. Due for a US release on 22 December and a UK release on 24 January, the BIFA wins should set up All of Us Strangers as a serious awards-season contender, especially at the forthcoming BAFTAs.

Another popular winner at Sunday’s BIFAs was Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Molly Manning Walker
film profile]. The film – which premiered in Un Certain Regard at this year’s edition of Cannes – garnered Best Lead Performance for Mia McKenna-Bruce and Best Supporting Performance (shared with Paul Mescal’s turn in All of Us Strangers) for Shaun Thomas. Femme [+see also:
film review
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interview: Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping
film profile] – Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping’s well-regarded thriller set in the drag sub-culture, which had already received two BIFA Craft Awards – took home Best Joint Lead Performance for Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay.

Best International Independent Feature Film went to the Palme d’Or-winning Anatomy of a Fall [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Justine Triet
film profile] (France) by Justine Triet, while the Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director was bestowed upon Savanah Leaf for Earth Mama (UK/USA), the powerful story of a pregnant single mother who fights to keep her family together, which premiered at Sundance.

Special prizes went to Liverpool-born actor Stephen Graham, who received the Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film. The Special Jury Prize went to We Are Parable and its founders, Anthony and Teanne Andrews, who have tirelessly dedicated themselves to distributing black cinema to audiences across the UK, with forthcoming titles including the aforementioned Earth Mama.

Founded in 1998, the British Independent Film Awards have become an important part of both the UK and the international film scene, not only providing an indicator of those films that could prove popular during the awards season, but also giving an insight into the directors who will become a cornerstone of the UK industry in the years to come.

The full list of 2023 BIFA winners is as follows:

Best British Independent Film
All of Us Strangers [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] - Andrew Haigh (UK/USA)

Best Joint Lead Performance
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, George MacKay - Femme [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping
film profile]

Best Lead Performance
Mia McKenna-Bruce - How to Have Sex [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Molly Manning Walker
film profile] (UK/Greece/Belgium)

Best Director
Andrew Haigh - All of Us Strangers

Best Screenplay
Andrew Haigh – All of Us Strangers

Best Supporting Performance (ex aequo)
Paul Mescal - All of Us Strangers
Shaun Thomas - How to Have Sex

Best Feature Documentary
If the Streets Were on Fire – Alice Russell

Breakthrough Performance
Vivian Oparah - Rye Lane [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Debut Screenwriter
Nida Manzoor - Polite Society [+see also:
film review
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interview: Nida Manzoor
film profile]

The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)
Savanah Leaf - Earth Mama (UK/USA)

Breakthrough Producer
Theo Barrowclough - Scrapper [+see also:
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trailer
film profile]

Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary
Chloe Abrahams - The Taste of Mango [+see also:
film review
film profile] (USA/UK)

The Raindance Maverick Award
If the Streets Were on Fire – Alice Russell

Best British Short Film
Festival of Slaps – Abdou Cissé

Best International Independent Film
Anatomy of a Fall [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Justine Triet
film profile] – Justine Triet (France)

Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film
Stephen Graham

Special Jury Prize
We Are Parable

BIFA Craft Award winners (announced in November)

Best Casting
Isabella Odoffin - How to Have Sex

Best Cinematography
Jamie D Ramsay - All of Us Strangers

Best Costume Design
Buki Ebiesuwa - Femme

Best Editing
Jonathan Alberts - All of Us Strangers

Best Effects
Jonathan Gales, Richard Baker - The Kitchen [+see also:
film review
film profile]

Best Music Supervision
Connie Farr - All of Us Strangers

Best Make-up and Hair Design
Marie Deehan - Femme

Best Original Music
Kwes - Rye Lane

Best Production Design
Nathan Parker - The Kitchen

Best Sound
Mark Jenkin - Enys Men [+see also:
film review
interview: Mark Jenkin
film profile]