Sweet success at BIFAs for American Honey

Under The Shadow also a big winner.

by Amber Wilkinson

American Honey won the award for best British film, while Sasha Lane was named best actress at BIFAs
American Honey won the award for best British film, while Sasha Lane was named best actress at BIFAs

Andrea Arnold's road trip drama American Honey was named Best British independent film at the BIFAs last night, while Arnold picked up the best director accolade. The film also saw Sasha Lane named best actress for her debut in the film and Robbie Ryan pick up the achievement in craft award for his cinematography.

Babak Anvari also made a big impact with his debut, the Tehran-set horror Under The Shadow. The Farsi language film, which tells the story of a mother and daughter terrorised by a djinn saw Anvari pick up the Douglas Hickox Award for best debut film and the screenplay prize. His nine-year-old star Avin Manshadi was named best supporting actress for her first screen role.

The best actor award went to Dave Johns for his role in Ken Loach's benefits drama I, Daniel Blake, while his co-star Hayley Squires won the award for most promising newcomer. Brett Goldstein was named best supporting actor for his role in Rachel Tunnard's debut Adult Life Skills, which also saw the Tunnard pick up the best debut screenplay award.

The documentary award went to Pete Middleton and James Spinney for their adaptation of John Hull's audio diaries, Notes On Blindness.

The short film award went to Rene Pannevis, Ashish Ghadiali and Jennifer Eriksson for Jacked, while Moonlight was named best international film.

Full list of nominees and winners

Best British Independent Film

Best International Independent Film

Best Director

Best Screenplay

Best Actress

Best Actor

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actress

Best Documentary

The Douglas Hickox Award (debut director)

Best Debut Screenwriter

  • Ed Talfan, The Passing (Yr Ymadawiad)
  • Hope Dickson Leach, The Levelling
  • John Cairns, Michael McCartney, A Patch Of Fog
  • WINNER: Rachel Tunnard, Adult Life Skills
  • Simon Farnaby, Julian Barratt, Mindhorn

Breakthrough Producer

Discovery Award

  • Jamie Adams, Jon Rennie, Black Mountain Poets
  • Tom Kingsley, Will Sharpe, Tiani Ghosh, Jo-Jo Ellison, The Darkest Universe
  • Gareth Tunley, Jack Healy Guttmann, Tom Meeten, The Ghoul
  • Miranda Bowen, Leo Scott, Gozo
  • WINNER: Jim Hosking, Toby Harvard, Daniel Noah, Andrew Starke, Ant Timpson, Josh C Waller, Elijah Wood, The Greasy Strangler

Outstanding Achievement in Craft

Most promising Newcomer

Best British Short

  • WINNER: Rene Pannevis, Ashish Ghadiali, Jennifer Eriksson, Jacked
  • Leo Leigh, Scott O’Donnell, Mother
  • Jörn Threlfall, Jeremy Bannister, Over
  • Fyzal Boulifa, Taina Galis, Rate Me
  • Terri Matthews, Chris Cornwell, Sam Bank, The Wrong End Of The Stick

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