BIFA winners announced

Johnny and Gheorghe, played by Josh O'Connor and Alec Secareanu, in God's Own Country Photo: Courtesy of EIFF

Francis Lee's farm LGBT romance God's Own Country took home the top prize at the British Independent Film Awards last night. It's star Josh O'Connor, who plays a sheep farmer who falls for a migrant worker, was named best actor, while Lee also picked up the gong for best debut screenwriter.

The night reflected a strong year for British film, with no single film dominating the awards. William Oldroyd's dark costume drama Lady Macbeth won the best screenplay award for Alice Birch, while its star Florence Pugh was named best actress and her co-star Naomi Ackie judged most promising newcomer. Cinematographer Ari Wegner was also honoured for his work on the film. The best directing award went to Rungano Nyoni for her drama I Am Not A Witch along with the Douglas Hickox award for best debut director.

The best international film was Jordan Peele's Get Out. Supporting actor and actress honours went to Patricia Clarkson for The Party and Simon Russell Beale for The Death Of Stalin, which also did well in the technical awards.

The full list of nominees and winners is below:

Best British Independent Film

• The Death Of Stalin
• WINNER: God’s Own Country
• I Am Not A Witch
• Lady Macbeth
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best International Independent Film

• The Florida Project
• WINNER: Get Out
• I Am Not Your Negro
• Loveless
• The Square

Best Director

• Armando Iannucci, The Death Of Stalin
• Francis Lee, God’s Own Country
• Martin Mcdonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• WINNER: Rungano Nyoni, I Am Not A Witch
• William Oldroyd, Lady Macbeth

Best Screenplay

• WINNER: Alice Birch, Lady Macbeth
• Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin, The Death Of Stalin
• Francis Lee, God’s Own Country
• Martin Mcdonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Rungano Nyoni, I Am Not A Witch

Best Actress

• Emily Beecham, Daphne
• Frances Mcdormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Margaret Mulubwa, I Am Not A Witch
• WINNER: Florence Pugh, Lady Macbeth
• Ruth Wilson, Dark River

Best Actor

• Jamie Bell, Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool
• Paddy Considine, Journeyman
• Johnny Harris, Jawbone
• WINNER: Josh O’Connor, God’s Own Country
• Alec Secareanu, God’s Own Country

Best Supporting Actress

• Naomi Ackie, Lady Macbeth
• WINNER: Patricia Clarkson, The Party
• Kelly Macdonald, Goodbye Christopher Robin
• Andrea Riseborough, The Death Of Stalin
• Julie Walters, Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool

Best Supporting Actor

• WINNER: Simon Russell Beale, The Death Of Stalin
• Steve Buscemi, The Death Of Stalin
• Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Ian Hart, God’s Own Country
• Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Most Promising Newcomer

• WINNER: Naomi Ackie, Lady Macbeth
• Harry Gilby, Just Charlie
• Cosmo Jarvis, Lady Macbeth
• Harry Michell, Chubby Funny
• Lily Newmark, Pin Cushion

Best Debut Director

• Deborah Haywood, Pin Cushion
• Francis Lee, God’s Own Country
• Thomas Napper, Jawbone
• WINNER: Rungano Nyoni, I Am Not A Witch
• William Oldroyd, Lady Macbeth

Debut Screenwriter

• Alice Birch, Lady Macbeth
• Gaby Chiappe, Their Finest
• Johnny Harris, Jawbone
• WINNER: Francis Lee, God’s Own Country
• Rungano Nyoni, I Am Not A Witch

Breakthrough Producer

• Gavin Humphries, Pin Cushion
• WINNER: Emily Morgan, I Am Not A Witch
• Brendan Mullin, Katy Jackson, Bad Day For The Cut
• Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, Lady Macbeth
• Jack Tarling, Manon Ardisson, God’s Own Country

The Discovery Award

• Even When I Fall, Sky Neal, Kate Mclarnon, Elhum Shakerifar
• Halfway, Ben Caird, Jonny Paterson
• WINNER: In Another Life, Jason Wingard, Hannah Stevenson, Rebecca Clare Evans
• Isolani, R Paul Wilson, Lisa Hague
• My Pure Land, Sarmad Masud, Bill Kenwright

Best Documentary

• WINNER: Almost Heaven, Carol Salter
• Half Way, Daisy-May Hudson
• Kingdom Of Us, Lucy Cohen, Julia Nottingham, Lucas Ochoa, Thomas Benski, Bill Rudgard
• Uncle Howard, Aaron Brookner, Paula Vaccaro
• Williams, Morgan Matthews, Hayley Reynolds, Sarah Hamilton

Best British Short Film

• 1745, Gordon Napier, Morayo Akandé, John Mckay
• WINNER: Fish Story, Charlie Lyne, Catherine Bray, Anthony Ing
• The Entertainer, Jonathan Schey, Jodie Brown, Jun Bung Lee
• Work, Aneil Karia, Scott O’donnell
• Wren Boys, Harry Lighton, John Fitzpatrick, Sorcha Bacon

Best Cinematography

• Ben Davis, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• David Gallego, I Am Not A Witch</li>
• Tat Radcliffe, Jawbone
• Thomas Riedelsheimer, Leaning Into The Wind
• WINNER: Ari Wegner, Lady Macbeth

Best Casting

• Shaheen Baig, Lady Macbeth
• Shaheen Baig, Layla Merrick-Wolf, God’s Own Country
• WINNER: Sarah Crowe, The Death Of Stalin
• Sarah Halley Finn, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Debbie Mcwilliams, Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool

Best Costume Design

• Dinah Collin, My Cousin Rachel
• Suzie Harman, The Death Of Stalin
• Sandy Powell, How To Talk To Girls At Parties
• WINNER: Holly Rebecca, I Am Not A Witch
• Holly Waddington, Lady Macbeth

Best Editing

• Johnny Burke, Williams
• David Charap, Jawbone
• WINNER: Jon Gregory, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Peter Lambert, The Death Of Stalin
• Joe Martin, Us And Them

Best Effects

• WINNER: Nick Allder, Ben White, The Ritual
• Luke Dodd, Journeyman
• Effects Team, The Death Of Stalin
• Dan Martin, Double Date
• Chris Reynolds, Their Finest

Best Make Up & Hair Design

• Julene Paton, I Am Not A Witch
• Jan Sewell, Breathe
• Nadia Stacey, Journeyman
• WINNER: Nicole Stafford, The Death Of Stalin
• Sian Wilson, Lady Macbeth

Best Music

• WINNER: Carter Burwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri</li>
• Fred Frith, Leaning Into The Wind
• Matt Kelly, I Am Not A Witch
• Paul Weller, Jawbone
• Christopher Willis, The Death Of Stalin

Best Production Design

• Jacqueline Abrahams, Lady Macbeth
• WINNER: Cristina Casali, The Death Of Stalin
• James Merifield, Final Portrait
• Nathan Parker, I Am Not A Witch
• Eve Stewart, Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool

Best Sound

• WINNER: Anna Bertmark, God’s Own Country
• Maiken Hansen, I Am Not A Witch
• Andy Shelley, Steve Griffiths, Jawbone
• Joakim Sundström, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Sound Team, Breathe