Broken and Berberian Sound Studios triumph at BIFAs

Awards celebrate the best of British independents.

by Amber Wilkinson

Broken took home the best film award at the 15th British Independent Film Awards tonight, with Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio also notching up an impressive tally of awards, taking home four from seven nominations.

Rufus Norris' directorial debut about a woman whose life is irrevocably changed after she sees a violent attack also saw Rory Kinnear win the best supporting acting gong.

It was a night of celebration for Berberian director Peter Strickland, however, as he won the best director award and saw leading man Toby Kones named best actor. The film which charts the descent of a British sound engineer working on an Italian horror film, also took home awards for best achievement in production and best technical achievement.

Andrea Riseborough was named best actress for her role as an informant in the Irish Troubles in Shadow Dancer and Olivia Colman notched up her second BIFA in two years when she won the best supporting actress award fro her role in Hyde Park On Hudson, which charts the affair between FD Roosevelt and his distant cousin Margaret Suckley.

Bart Layton's The Imposter was the big documentary winner on the night, picking up awards for best British doc and the Douglas Hickox Award for best directorial debut.

Black comedy Sightseers won the best screenplay award for Alice Lowe, Steve Oram and Amy Jump, while The Hunt snagged the award for best international independent. James Floyd was named best promising newcomer for his role in Sally E, Hosaini's tale of filial love My Brother The Devil.

Sir Michael Gambon was awarded the Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution by an actor to British film at the celebration in Billingsgate, hosted by James, and Jude Law was presented with the Variety Award, which recognises an actor, director, writer or producer who has helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK. The Special Jury Prize went to Sandra Hebron.

The Raindance Award was won by Strings. Elliot Grove, Founder of Raindance Film Festival and BIFA said: “This year’s BIFA nominations demonstrate that British filmmakers are now an international force to be reckoned with.”

The full list of nominees and winners is below:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM

Berberian Sound Studio
Winner: Broken
Sightseers
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Imposter
BEST DIRECTOR

Bart Layton – The Imposter
Ben Wheatley – Sightseers
John Madden – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Winner:Peter Strickland – Berberian Sound Studio
Rufus Norris – Broken

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]

Winner: Bart Layton – The Imposter
Ben Drew – Ill Manors
Rowan Athale – Wasteland
Rufus Norris – Broken
Sally El Hosaini – [film]My Brother the Devil
[/film]

BEST SCREENPLAY

Abi Morgan – The Iron Lady
Winner: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Amy Jump – Sightseers
Mark O'Rowe – Broken
Paul Andrew Williams – Song For Marion
Peter Strickland – Berberian Sound Studio

BEST ACTRESS

Alice Lowe (Tina) – Sightseers
Winner: Andrea Riseborough (Colette McVeigh) – Shadow Dancer
Elle Fanning (Ginger) – Ginger & Rosa
Judi Dench (Evelyn Greenslade) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Meryl Streep (Margaret Thatcher) – The Iron Lady

BEST ACTOR

Riz Ahmed (Aaron) – Ill Manors
Steve Oram (Chris) – Sightseers
Terence Stamp (Arthur) – Song For Marion
Tim Roth (Archie) – Broken
Winner: Toby Jones (Gilderoy) – Berberian Sound Studio

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Alice Englert (Rosa) – Ginger & Rosa
Eileen Davies (Carol) – Sightseers
Maggie Smith (Muriel Donnelly) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Winner: Olivia Colman (Queen Elizabeth) – Hyde Park On Hudson
Vanessa Redgrave (Marion) – Song For Marion

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Billy Connolly (Wilf) – Quartet
Cillian Murphy (Mike Kiernan) – Broken
Domhnall Gleeson (Connor) – Shadow Dancer
Winner: Rory Kinnear (Bob Oswald) – Broken
Tom Wilkinson (Graham Dashwood) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER

Elliott Tittensor (Tits) – Spike Island
Eloise Laurence (Skunk) – Broken
Winner: James Floyd (Rashid) – My Brother The Devil
Paul Brannigan (Robbie) – The Angels' Share
Zawe Ashton (Joyce Vincent) – Dreams Of A Life

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION

Winner: Berberian Sound Studio
Ill Manors
Sightseers
The Imposter
The Sweeney
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Winner: Nic Knowland BSC– Cinematography – Berberian Sound Studio
Joakim Sundström, Stevie Haywood AMPS IPS– Sound Design – Berberian Sound Studio
Electric Wave Bureau – Music – Broken
Robbie Ryan – Cinematography – Ginger & Rosa
Andrew Hulme – Editing – The Imposter
BEST DOCUMENTARY

Dreams Of A Life
London: The Modern Babylon
Marley
Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir
Winner: The Imposter
BEST BRITISH SHORT

Friday
Junk
Skyborn
Swimmer
Winner: Volume

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM

Amour
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Rust And Bone
Searching For Sugar Man
Winner: The Hunt
THE RAINDANCE AWARD

Frank
Winner: Strings
Love Tomorrow
City Slacker
Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)

Sir Michael Gambon

THE VARIETY AWARD

Jude Law

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Sandra Hebron

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