The British Independent Film Awards returned to the Roundhouse in Camden last night, with hosts Lou Sanders and Harriet Kemsley setting the tone for an evening that celebrated the depth and range of British filmmaking. Carey Mulligan, Stephen Merchant, Ruth Wilson and Billy Crudup were among the presenters joining nominees and guests to recognise a year defined by bold voices and sharply drawn stories.
Celia Imrie presented the night’s top honour, Best British Independent Film, to Pillion – Harry Lighton’s offbeat romantic comedy about a timid man pulled into the orbit of a magnetic biker. Lighton, whose first feature marks him as one of the year’s most distinctive new storytellers, also claimed Best Debut Screenwriter. With earlier craft wins for Costume Design and Make-Up & Hair Design, Pillion closed the night with four awards.
Best Director, sponsored by Sky Cinema, went to Akinola Davies Jr for his debut feature My Father’s Shadow, a stirring portrait of two brothers uncovering their father’s past at a crucial moment in Nigerian history.
Comedy duo Tom Basden and Tim Key earned Best Screenplay for The Ballad of Wallis Island, presented by Apple Original Films. The pair also took home Best Joint Lead Performance for their roles in the story of a faded folk musician and his reluctant reunion with an eccentric superfan.
The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director, sponsored by BBC Film, was awarded to Cal McMau for Wasteman, a tense prison drama fronted by David Jonsson and Tom Blyth. Breakthrough Producer, backed by Pinewood and Shepperton Studios, went to Dhiraj Mahey for Ish, a coming-of-age drama produced alongside Bennett McGhee.
Performance categories delivered some of the night’s most emotional moments. Robert Aramayo won Best Lead Performance for I Swear, playing campaigner John Davison in Kirk Jones’ tender biographical drama. Jay Lycurgo took Best Supporting Performance for his role in Tim Mielants’s 1990s school-set pressure cooker Steve, which also stars Cillian Murphy. Newcomer Posy Sterling earned Breakthrough Performance for her portrayal of a mother fighting for custody in Daisy-May Hudson’s debut Lollipop. Earlier announced, the cast of Warfare claimed Best Ensemble Performance, with Will Poulter, Kit Connor, Joseph Quinn and Charles Melton accepting the award.
Myrid Carten’s deeply personal family portrait A Want in Her continued its impressive run, securing Best Feature Documentary, The Raindance Maverick Award, and Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary.
Best British Short Film went to MAGID / ZAFAR, an incisive look at a fractured relationship against the backdrop of a British-Pakistani takeaway.
In the international field, Best International Independent Film, sponsored by Champagne Taittinger, was awarded to Joaquim Trier’s Sentimental Value, marking Trier’s second win in this category following The Worst Person in the World.
Craft winners – previously announced – were also celebrated on the night. Die My Love secured two awards, including Best Cinematography for Seamus McGarvey. Nathan Parker won Best Production Design for Harvest, while Pillion added two more craft honours. I Swear earned Best Casting, and The Ballad of Wallis Island claimed Best Original Music for Tom Basden and Adem Ilhan. Warfare topped the craft categories with three awards, including Best Editing, Best Effects, and Best Sound – the latter marking a second consecutive win for Glenn Freemantle and Howard Bargroff.
This year’s Richard Harris Award was presented to Emily Watson by her friend and two-time co-star Paul Mescal, recognising her decades-long contribution to British cinema.
Warp Films received the BIFA Special Jury Prize, with jurors praising the company’s near 25-year commitment to raw, unvarnished storytelling, from Dead Man’s Shoes and This Is England through to Adolescence and Reunion.
Rounding out the night, the inaugural BIFA Cinema of the Year award – sponsored by Kia – went to The Magic Lantern Cinema in Tywyn, chosen from more than 130 venues nominated by over 100,000 filmgoers. Kia UK’s Steve Hicks highlighted the role independent cinemas play in keeping communities connected through the big-screen experience.
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