Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank dominated the nominations for the 12th British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), which were announced today (October 26).

The film received eight nominations including best film, best director and two for Katie Jarvis for best actress and most promising newcomer.

It is closely followed by Duncan Jones’ sci-fi thriller Moon, which scored seven nominations including best British film, best director and best debut director.

Lone Scherfig’s An Education, Armando Iannucci’s In The Loop and Sam Taylor Wood’s Nowhere Boy all received six nominations, whilst Jane Campion’s Keats biopic Bright Star was nominated in four categories. Other films with multiple nominations were Katalin Varga, which received three, and Bronson and Bunny & The Bull receiving two nominations each. 

Daniel Day Lewis will be honoured with the Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Film by an Actor.

The BIFA Pre-Selection Committee of 70 members viewed more than 200 films, out of which they selected the nominations via ballot. To be considered, a film must be intended for theatrical release and had a public paid screening or UK festival screening between December 1 2008 and November 30 2009.

Films must have either been majority co-produced by a British company, British qualifying under Department of Culture, Media and Sport guidelines or have more than half its financing from a British source. Where there is any major studio substantially funding a film the total budget must not exceed $16m (£10m).

This year’s jury members include actress Jodie Whittaker, actors Idris Elba, Liam Cunningham, Eddie Marsan and Peter Mullan, directors Sarah Gavron and Eran Creevy and producers Dixie Linder, Anita Overland and Adrian Sturges.

The awards ceremony will be hosted by actor James Nesbitt on Sunday December 6 at The Brewery in London.

The 2009 BIFA nominations are:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM

An Education

Fish Tank 

In The Loop

Moon

Nowhere Boy

BEST DIRECTOR

Sponsored by The Creative Partnership

Andrea Arnold – Fish Tank

Armando Iannucci – In The Loop

Duncan Jones – Moon

Jane Campion – Bright Star

Lone Scherfig – An Education

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]

Armando Iannucci – In The Loop

Duncan Jones – Moon

onPeter Strickland – Katalin Varga

Sam Taylor Wood – Nowhere Boy

Samantha Morton – The Unloved

BEST SCREENPLAY

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An Education – Nick Hornby

Fish Tank – Andrea Arnold

In The Loop – Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche

Moon– Nathan Parker

Nowhere Boy – Matt Greenhalgh

BEST ACTRESS

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Abbie Cornish – Bright Star

Carey Mulligan – An Education

Emily Blunt – The Young Victoria

Katie Jarvis – Fish Tank

Sophie Okonedo – Skin

BEST ACTOR

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Aaron Johnson – Nowhere Boy

Andy Serkis – Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

Peter Capaldi – In The Loop

Sam Rockwell – Moon

Tom Hardy – Bronson

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Anne-Marie Duff – Nowhere Boy

Kerry Fox – Bright Star

Kierston Wareing – Fish Tank

Kristin Scott Thomas – Nowhere Boy

Rosamund Pike – An Education

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Sponsored by Stolichnaya

Alfred Molina – An Education

Jim Broadbent – The Damned United

John Henshaw – Looking for Eric

Michael Fassbender – Fish Tank

Tom Hollander – In The Loop

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER

Christian McKay – Me & Orson Welles

Edward Hogg – White Lightnin’

George MacKay – The Boys Are Back

Hilda Péter – Katalin Varga

Katie Jarvis – Fish Tank

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION

Bronson

Bunny & The Bull

The Hide

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Katalin Varga

RAINDANCE AWARD

Sponsored by Raindance

Colin

The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Down Terrace

Exam

They Call It Acid

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

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Bright Star – Cinematography – Greig Fraser

Bunny & The Bull – Production Design – Gary Williamson

Fish Tank – Cinematography – Robbie Ryan

Moon– Original Score – Clint Mansell

Moon– Production Design – Tony Noble

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Sponsored by Chapter Media

The Age of Stupid

The End of The Line

Mugabe and The White African

Sons of Cuba

Sounds Like Teen Spirit

 BEST BRITISH SHORT

Christmas with Dad

Leaving

Love You More

Sidney Turtlebaum

Washdays

BEST FOREIGN FILM

Il Divo

The Hurt Locker

Let The Right One In

Sin Nombre

The Wrestler

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

Daniel Day Lewis

THE VARIETY AWARD

To Be Announced

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE

Sponsored by The UK Film Council

Announced at the British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 6 December