Set up in 1998, The British Independent Film Awards aim to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British film, both to honour established British talent, and to promote emerging stars to a wider audience.
This year’s awards are held at The Brewery in Central London, and the extensive list of nominees documents what an incredible year British independent cinema has enjoyed - with Sir Michael Caine announced as the recipient of the prestigious Variety Award, celebrating his career which has spanned a staggering five decades; coinciding with his lead role in this year’s Harry Brown.
Daniel Day-Lewis will be honoured with the Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contributor to British Film by an actor, and is described by the BIFA jury as ‘one of the most exceptionally talented and enigmatic actors in the industry’.
Debate has been rife as to who will be crowned victorious by the BIFA jury, with Katie Jarvis, Emily Blunt, Abbie Cornish and Sophie Okonedo competing for the Best Actress award. The Best Actor category is equally hotly contested, with Aaron Johnson, Andy Serkis, Peter Capaldi, Sam Rockwell and Tom Hardy all up for nomiantion - fingers crossed that it goes to Peter Capaldi for his screen-stealing performance as Malcolm Tucker in In the loop.
Equally hard to predict is the Best British Independent Film category - with An Eductation, Fish Tank, In the Loop, Moon and No Where Boy…
This year has also seen two new additions to the BIFA jury, including Production Designer Kave Quinn and Actor/Director / Writer Nick Moran, along with the existing jury of Jodie Whittaker, Actors Idris Elba, Liam Cunningham, Eddie Marsan and Actor/Director/Writer Peter Mullan, Directors Sarah Gavron and Eran Creevy, Producers Dixie Linder, Anita Overland and Adrian Sturges, Documentary Filmmaker Kate Blewett, Film Marketing Consultant Robert Mitchell, Projectionist Paul Speed and Head of Distribution and Exhibition at The UK Film Council Peter Buckingham.
Of course, t5m will be at the BIFA Awards this Sunday evening, so stay tuned for all the red carpet outfits, gossip and exclusive interviews with the A List guest list and nominees.
