‘All of Us Strangers’ Triumphs at British Independent Film Awards With Seven Wins

“All of Us Strangers” (Credit: Searchlight Pictures)
“All of Us Strangers” (Credit: Searchlight Pictures)

Andrew Haigh’s ‘All of Us Strangers’ was the big winner at the 2023 British Independent Film Awards with seven wins.

Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers” was the big winner at the 2023 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) with seven wins.

“All of Us Strangers” won best British independent film, Haigh won best director and best screenplay and Paul Mescal won best supporting performance, adding to its three craft awards, announced in November, for cinematography, editing and music supervision.

Best lead performance went to Mia McKenna-Bruce in Molly Manning Walker’s debut feature “How to Have Sex” and the film also won the other best supporting performance BIFA for Shaun Thomas, adding to its best casting win.

Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay won best joint lead performance for “Femme,” which also won for make-up and hair design and costume design.

Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning “Anatomy of a Fall” won best international independent film. Best debut director went to Savanah Leaf for “Earth Mama,” while best debut screenwriter went to Nida Manzoor for “Polite Society.” The breakthrough producer award was won by Theo Barrowclough for Charlotte Regan’s “Scrapper.” “Rye Lane” star Vivian Oparah won the breakthrough performance award and the film also received the best original music award.

Best documentary feature went to Alice Russell’s “If the Streets Were on Fire,” which also won this year’s Raindance Maverick Award. Best debut director – documentary feature went to Chloe Abrahams for “The Taste of Mango.” Abdou Cissé’s “Festival of Slaps” won best British short film.

The winners were revealed at the annual ceremony at Londo’s Old Billingsgate with BIFA patron Ray Winstone kicking off the celebration of independent film, Lolly Adefope and Kiell Smith-Bynoe hosting and stars including Jodie Comer, Aisling Bea, Zawe Ashton, Asa Butterfield and Theo James presenting awards.

The 2023 Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film was presented to Stephen Graham by Comer. The special jury prize, presented by Paapa Essiedu, went to We Are Parable, the grassroots company founded by Anthony and Teanne Andrews to deliver Black cinema to audiences in exciting, culturally relevant, unique ways.

BIFA Winners 2023

The Richard Harris Award For Outstanding Contribution By An Actor To British Film
Stephen Graham

Best British Independent Film
“All Of Us Strangers” – Andrew Haigh, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey

Best International Independent Film Sponsored By Champagne Taittinger
“Anatomy Of A Fall” – Justine Triet, Arthur Harari, Marie-ange Luciani, David Thion

Best Director Sponsored By Sky Cinema
Andrew Haigh – “All Of Us Strangers”

Best Screenplay Sponsored By Apple Original Films
Andrew Haigh – “All Of Us Strangers”

Best Lead Performance
Mia Mckenna-Bruce – “How To Have Sex”

Best Joint Lead Performance
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, George Mackay – “Femme”

Best Supporting Performance
Paul Mescal – “All Of Us Strangers”
Shaun Thomas – “How To Have Sex”

The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) Sponsored By BBC Film
Savanah Leaf – “Earth Mama”

Breakthrough Producer Sponsored By Pinewood And Shepperton Studios
Theo Barrowclough – “Scrapper”

Breakthrough Performance Sponsored By Netflix
Vivian Oparah – “Rye Lane”

Best Debut Screenwriter Sponsored By Film4
Nida Manzoor – “Polite Society”

Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary
Chloe Abrahams – “The Taste Of Mango”

The Raindance Maverick Award
“If The Streets Were On Fire” – Alice Russell, Gannesh Rajah

Best Feature Documentary Sponsored By Intermission Film
“If The Streets Were On Fire” – Alice Russell, Gannesh Rajah

Best British Short Film
“Festival Of Slaps” – Abdou Cissé, Cheri Darbon, George Telfer

Special Jury Prize
We Are Parable

Best Casting Sponsored By Casting Society and Spotlight
Isabella Odoffin – “How To Have Sex”

Best Cinematography Sponsored By Harbor & Kodak
Jamie D. Ramsay – “All Of Us Strangers”

Best Costume Design
Buki Ebiesuwa – “Femme”

Best Editing
Jonathan Alberts – “All Of Us Strangers”

Best Effects
Jonathan Gales, Richard Baker – “The Kitchen”

Best Music Supervision
Connie Farr – “All Of Us Strangers”

Best Make-Up & Hair Design Sponsored By The Wall Group
Marie Deehan – “Femme”

Best Original Music Sponsored By Universal Music Publishing Group
Kwes – “Rye Lane”

Best Production Design Sponsored By ATC & Broadsword
Nathan Parker – “The Kitchen”

Best Sound Supported By Halo
Mark Jenkin – “Enys Men”

Source: ‘All of Us Strangers’ Triumphs at British Independent Film Awards With Seven Wins

Everything you need to know about the Bafta Film Awards 2021

After a slew of changes to the voting process, the Bafta nominations are more diverse than ever. Here‘s everything we know about the show, the changes to the Bafta system and everyone nominated for an award.

Following some strong criticism in recent years for a lack of diversity, Bafta finally tweaked its voting process for the annual film awards this year and it has paid off. For the first time ever, four women – Chloé Zhao, Shannon Murphy, Jasmila Žbanić and Sarah Gavron – have been nominated in the Best Director category (the shortlist for which has been expanded from five to six). The acting categories, too, are more diverse than ever, after nominating all-white actors across the board last year. Among the leading contenders are the late Chadwick Boseman, Riz Ahmed, Tahar Rahim and Alfre Woodard.

For the first time ever, the final nominees for the some of the awards have been decided by a jury and it seems to have had a real impact. Here’s everything you need to know about the British Academy Film Awards.

Film Nominees

    • The Father
    • The Mauritanian
    • Nomadland
    • Promising Young Woman
    • The Trial Of The Chicago 7

Read more

‘Nomadland’ Wins Three Top Prizes from London Film Critics Circle

Nomadland

Like the New York Film Critics and the Oscars, the London Critics influence the BAFTAs.

The London Film Critics Circle are to the BAFTAs as the New York Film Critics Circle are to the Oscars — more influential than predictive. And the BAFTAs, which will announce nominations March 9 (their longlists are here), are quite predictive of the Oscars, which reveal their nominations six days later.

Clearly the LFCC, a group of 160 critics, adores smart horror flick “Saint Maud,” which won Breakthrough British or Irish Filmmaker for Rose Glass, and Best British or Irish Actress for Morfydd Clark (who beat Carey Mulligan in “Promising Young Woman”). But the London critics gave three top awards to American road movie “Nomadland,” which won Best Film and Screenplay for Chloé Zhao, and Actress for Frances McDormand.

Accepting Best Director for his Emmy-eligible “Small Axe” series from Amazon Studios, Steve McQueen said: “I’m trying to find out who we are, who we want to be, and who we could be. ‘Small Axe’ was a love letter to Black London and Black Britain.”

Best British or Irish Actor Riz Ahmed won for two independent films, “Sound of Metal” and “Mogul Mowgli.” “They are both stories about someone going through a health crisis who lands in purgatory and is forced to reassess what really matters,” he said, “which is what we are all going through right now.”

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” star Colman Domingo accepted Best Actor for his costar, the late Chadwick Boseman, saying: “Working with him, I saw him put every ounce of love and joy, interrogation, spirit, and fight into Levee. He cherished every single moment and you see it in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.’ He gave you his heart and soul; he gave it everything he got.”

Romanian director Alexander Nanau’s “Collective,” nominated in three categories, won Best Documentary. “We’re living in a world,” he said, “where we have to be become more aware of the need for an independent press.”

Film of the Year

“Nomadland”

Director of the Year

Steve McQueen, “Small Axe”

Supporting Actress

Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”

Supporting Actor

Shaun Parks, “Mangrove”

Screenwriter

Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”

Actress of the Year

Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”

Actor of the Year

Read more

Lankum win RTÉ Choice Music Prize Album of the Year

Folk act Lankum have won the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year for The Livelong Day.

The winning album was announced at a ceremony in Dublin’s Vicar Street on Thursday.

Lankum are on tour in the US, so the award was accepted on their behalf by their manager, Cian Lawless.

“They have put so much effort into this, despite the financial hardship, despite the personal hardship,” he told the crowd.

Lankum receive a cheque for €10,000 – a prize which has been provided by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) – and a specially-commissioned award.

Previous Album of the Year winners, as chosen by a judging panel of journalists, broadcasters and other experts in the field, include Julie Feeney, The Divine Comedy, Jape, Delorentos, Villagers and SOAK.

Source: Lankum win RTÉ Choice Music Prize Album of the Year