bifa 2020 nominations

Source: Studiocanal / Netflix / Altitude

(Clockwise from top left): ‘Saint Maud’, ‘His House’, ‘Calm With Horses’, ‘Rocks’

Rose Glass’ horror Saint Maud has set a new record for most nominations for one film at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), with 17 nods. 

The nominations were announced online this morning (Wednesday December 9) by actors Holliday Grainger and Micheal Ward.

Scroll down for the full list of nominations

Saint Maud received nominations in best British independent film, as well as for Glass in best director, screenplay, debut director and debut screenwriter.  

Further nominations include breakthrough producer for Oliver Kassman, best actress for Morfydd Clark and best supporting actress for Jennifer Ehle.

The film’s 17 nominations is the most ever received by a single title, surpassing the 15 of William Oldroyd’s Lady Macbeth in 2017 (which ended up winning five awards).

Close behind this year is Remi Weekes’ His House with 16, including best British independent film, Weekes in the same four categories as Glass, breakthrough producer for Edward King and Martin Gentles, best actress for Wunmi Mosaku and best actor for Sope Dirisu.

Friendship drama Rocks received 15 nominations, including best British independent film, best director for Sarah Gavron (who made the film with associate director Anu Henriques), and five acting nominations – best actress for Bukky Bakray, best supporting actress for Kosar Ali, best supporting actor for D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu, and most promising newcomer for Bakray and Ali.

Debut features scored strongly in the nominations, being eligible in both the primary categories and the debut sections. Another to do well was Nick Rowland’s crime thriller Calm With Horses, which got 10 nominations including best British independent film, best director and debut director for Rowland, debut screenwriter for Joe Murtagh, breakthrough producer for Daniel Emmerson, best actor for Cosmo Jarvis, best supporting actor for Barry Keoghan, and best supporting actress and most promising newcomer for Niamh Algar.

Riz Ahmed received four nominations – best actor, best screenplay (with Bassam Tariq) and debut screenwriter for Mogul Mowgli (which received seven in total), and best British short film for The Long Goodbye with Aneil Karia and Tom Gardner.

There is a first BIFA nomination for Anthony Hopkins in best actor as one of six for Florian Zeller’s The Father, which also appears in best British independent film, best director and best screenplay.

Host

Source: Vertigo Releasing

‘Host’

Zoom-set horror Host achieves three nominations, for Douglas Cox in breakthrough producer, Brenna Rangott in best editing and Calum Sample in best sound.

Screen Stars of Tomorrow received 39 nominations across 22 individuals, including those for Glass, Weekes, Rowland and Ahmed, as well as Conrad Khan and Tom Wood from the 2020 Stars selection.

27 British feature films are nominated across 22 categories. The additional categories are best short and best international independent film; nominees in the latter include Shannon Murphy’s Babyteeth, Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland and Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always.

Two of the five nominees in both best director and debut director are women, with the figures at three of eight in best screenplay, three of six in debut screenwriter and one of six in breakthrough producer.

Women comprise 28 of the 58 nominees (48%) in the craft categories.

The winners of the 2020 BIFAs will be announced in early February, with further details to be announced in January including the format of the event and the recipient of this year’s honorary Richard Harris award.

For Sama was the big winner at last year’s BIFAs, taking four prizes including best British independent film and best director.

BIFA nominations 2020

Best British Independent Film

Calm With Horses - Nick Rowland, Joe Murtagh, Daniel Emmerson

The Father - Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton, David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi, Philippe Carcassonne

His House - Remi Weekes, Martin Gentles, Edward King, Roy Lee, Aidan Elliott, Arnon Milchan

Rocks - Sarah Gavron, Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson, Faye Ward, Ameenah Ayub Allen

Saint Maud - Rose Glass, Oliver Kassman, Andrea Cornwell

Best Director 

Sarah Gavron - Rocks [associate director Anu Henriques]

Rose Glass - Saint Maud 

Nick Rowland - Calm With Horses

Remi Weekes - His House

Florian Zeller - The Father 

Best Screenplay 

Rose Glass - Saint Maud 

Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson - Rocks

Bassam Tariq, Riz Ahmed - Mogul Mowgli

Remi Weekes - His House

Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton - The Father

Best Actress

Bukky Bakray - Rocks

Morfydd Clark - Saint Maud

Clare Dunne - Herself

Wunmi Mosaku - His House

Andrea Riseborough - Luxor

Best Actor

Riz Ahmed - Mogul Mowgli

Sope Dirisu - His House

Amir El-Masry - Limbo 

Anthony Hopkins - The Father 

Cosmo Jarvis - Calm With Horses

Best Supporting Actress

Niamh Algar - Calm With Horses

Kosar Ali - Rocks

Jennifer Ehle - Saint Maud

Ashley Madekwe - County Lines

Fiona Shaw - Kindred

Best Supporting Actor

Harris Dickinson - County Lines

Barry Keoghan - Calm With Horses

Alyy Khan - Mogul Mowgli

Merab Ninidze - The Courier

D’angelou Osei Kissiedu - Rocks

The Douglas Hickox Award (Debut Director)

Henry Blake - County Lines

Rose Glass - Saint Maud 

Eva Riley - Perfect 10

Nick Rowland - Calm With Horses

Remi Weekes - His House

Breakthrough Producer

Douglas Cox - Host [also produced by Emily Gotto, Samuel Zimmerman]

Daniel Emmerson - Calm With Horses 

Irune Gurtubai - Limbo [also produced by Angus Lamont]

Oliver Kassman - Saint Maud [also produced by Andrea Cornwell]

Edward King, Martin Gentles - His House [also produced by Aidan Elliott, Roy Lee, Arnon Milchan]

Debut Screenwriter

Riz Ahmed - Mogul Mowgli [also written by Bassam Tariq]

Rose Glass - Saint Maud 

Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson - Rocks 

Joe Murtagh - Calm With Horses 

Remi Weekes - His House

Most Promising Newcomer

Niamh Algar - Calm With Horses

Kosar Ali - Rocks

Bukky Bakray - Rocks

Frankie Box - Perfect 10

Conrad Khan - County Lines

Best Documentary

The Australian Dream - Daniel Gordon, Stan Grant, Sarah Thomson, Nick Batzias, Virginia Whitwell, John Battsek 

Being A Human Person - Fred Scott, Mike Brett, Steve Jamison, Jo-Jo Ellison

The Reason I Jump - Jerry Rothwell, Jeremy Dear, Stevie Lee, Al Morrow

Rising Phoenix - Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui, Greg Nugent, John Battsek, Tatyana Mcfadden

White Riot - Rubika Shah, Ed Gibbs 

The Discovery Award

Justine - Jamie Patterson, Jeff Murphy, Jason Rush, Sarah Drew, Julius Beltrame

Looted - Rene Van Pannevis, Kefi Chadwick, Jennifer Eriksson, Jessie Mangum

One Man And His Shoes - Yemi Bamiro, Will Thorne

Perfect 10 - Eva Riley, Jacob Thomas, Bertrand Faivre, Valentina Brazzini

Rose: A Love Story - Jennifer Sheridan, April Kelley, Sara Huxley, Matt Stokoe, Rob Taylor, Sophie Rundle 

Best British Short Film 

Filipiñana - Rafael Manuel, Naomi Pacifique

The Forgotten C - Molly Manning Walker, Jessi Gutch 

The Long Goodbye - Aneil Karia, Riz Ahmed, Tom Gardner

Mandem - John Ogunmuyiwa, Emily Everdee

Sudden Light - Sophie Littman, Tom Wood

Best International Independent Film 

Babyteeth (Aus) - Shannon Murphy, Rita Kalnejais, Alex White

Les Misérables (Fr) - Ladj Ly, Giordano Gederlini, Alexis Manenti, Toufik Ayadi, Christophe Barral

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (US) - Eliza Hittman, Adele Romanski, Sara Murphy

Nomadland (US) - Chloé Zhao, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey

Notturno (It-Fr-Ger) - Gianfranco Rosi, Donatella Palermo, Paolo Del Brocco, Serge Lalou, Camille Laemlé, Orwa Nyrabia, Eva-Maria Weerts 

Best Casting 

Shaheen Baig - Calm With Horses 

Kharmel Cochrane - Saint Maud

Carmen Cuba - His House

Dan Jackson - Limbo 

Lucy Pardee - Rocks 

Best Cinematography 

Nick Cooke - Limbo

Ben Fordesman - Saint Maud 

Hélène Louvart - Rocks

Annika Summerson - Mogul Mowgli

Jo Willems - His House

Best Costume Design

Michele Clapton - The Secret Garden 

Ruka Johnson - Rocks

Tina Kalivas - Saint Maud

Michael O’Connor - Ammonite

Charlotte Walter - Misbehaviour

Best Editing 

Julia Bloch - His House

Yorgos Lamprinos - The Father

Maya Maffioli - Rocks

Brenna Rangott - Host

Mark Towns - Saint Maud

Best Effects

Agnes Asplund, Martin Malmqvist - Undergods 

Scott Macintyre, Bariº Kareli, Kristyan Mallett - Saint Maud

Pedro Sabrosa, Stefano Pepin - His House

Best Make Up & Hair Design 

Jacquetta Levon - Saint Maud 

Sharon A Martin - His House

Ivana Primorac - Ammonite

Nora Robertson - Rocks

Jill Sweeney - Misbehaviour

Best Music

Roque Baños - His House

Paul Corley - Mogul Mowgli

Nainita Desai - The Reason I Jump

Connie Farr, Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch - Rocks

Adam Janota Bzowski - Saint Maud

Best Production Design 

Jacqueline Abrahams - His House

Cristina Casali - Misbehaviour

Peter Francis - The Father

Marketa Korinkova, Elo Soode - Undergods

Paulina Rzeszowska - Saint Maud

Best Sound 

Adrian Bell, Glenn Freemantle, Frank Kruse, Brendan Nicholson, Richard Pryke - His House

Paul Davies - Saint Maud 

Paul Davies, Robert Farr, Nigel Albermaniche, Ian Morgan - Mogul Mowgli

Nick Ryan, Ben Baird, Sara De Oliveira Lima - The Reason I Jump

Calum Sample - Host