2024 British Independent Film Awards Nominees Announced

2024 British Independent Film Awards: Nominees Announced

The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) has officially unveiled its nominees for the upcoming awards ceremony, scheduled to take place at the Roundhouse in London on December 8th. This year, a remarkable total of 29 British feature films have been recognized in various categories.

Leading the charge with a plethora of nominations is the Irish-language rap biopic Kneecap. This captivating film has garnered nods for Best British Independent Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, among others. Notably, all three principal actors—Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh—have also received recognition for their outstanding performances.

Related

Thessaloniki International Film Festival: Meet author and ambassador Victoria Hislop
European Film Awards: France’s ‘Emilia Pérez’ and Spain’s ‘The Room Next Door’ lead nominations

Rich Peppiatt’s comedic exploration of the semi-true narrative behind the titular Belfast hip-hop trio has emerged as one of this year’s surprise hits. Kneecap intertwines Gaelic Irish and English-language music to create a vibrant backdrop for a broader narrative on Northern Irish-British relations—an experience we described as “an absolute blast, filled with high energy and frequent hilarity.” Following closely behind Kneecap is the unconventional lesbian bodybuilding romance noir Love Lies Bleeding, directed by Rose Glass. This film has secured 12 nominations, building on Glass’s previous BIFA record of 17 nominations for her debut film Saint Maud in 2020, where she won in two categories. Love Lies Bleeding is also in contention for major awards, with nods for its two lead actresses, Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brien. When it premiered at the Berlin Film Festival this year, it was hailed as an “electrifying” ride.

This year has also seen Amy Liptrot’s acclaimed memoir “The Outrun” adapted for British audiences in two distinct formats. The theatrical adaptation stood out at the Edinburgh International Festival, while the film version, featuring the talented Saoirse Ronan, has captivated audiences, earning nine nominations in the BIFA lineup. The Outrun boldly claims to be the first major film shot on the Orkney islands, securing nominations for Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and a nomination for Ronan’s performance.

Additionally, Andrea Arnold’s coming-of-age fable Bird has garnered multiple nominations, with Nykiya Adams being recognized for Best Breakthrough Performance, alongside nominations for her more seasoned co-stars Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski. Last year, All of Us Strangers swept the awards, including Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Performance, and Best Screenplay.

Other noteworthy films recognized this year include How to Have Sex, Femme, and Rye Lane. Below is the complete list of nominees for the 2024 BIFAs:

Best British Independent Film

Kneecap
Love Lies Bleeding
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
The Outrun
Santosh

Best International Independent Film

All We Imagine as Light
Anora
La Chimera
No Other Land
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Director

Andrea Arnold for Bird
Nora Fingscheidt for The Outrun
Rose Glass for Love Lies Bleeding
Rungano Nyoni for On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Rich Peppiatt for Kneecap

Best Lead Performance

Radhika Apte in Sister Midnight
Susan Chardy in On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Marianne Jean-Baptiste in Hard Truths
Elliot Page in Close to You
Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun
Alicia Vikander in The Assessment

Best Screenplay

Nora Fingscheidt, Amy Liptrot for The Outrun
Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska for Love Lies Bleeding
Rungano Nyoni for On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Rich Peppiatt for Kneecap
Sandhya Suri for Santosh

Best Supporting Performance

Michele Austin in Hard Truths
Elizabeth Chisela in On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Barry Keoghan in Bird
Jack O’Connell in Back to Black
Franz Rogowski in Bird
Hayley Squires in Hoard

Best Joint Lead Performance

Joseph Quinn, Saura Lightfoot-Leon in Hoard
Katy O’Brian, Kristen Stewart in Love Lies Bleeding
Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh in Kneecap
Jason Patel, Ben Hardy in Unicorns

The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director

Christopher Andrews for Bring Them Down
Luna Carmoon for Hoard
James Krishna Floyd for Unicorns [also directed by Sally El Hosaini]
Karan Kandhari for Sister Midnight
Rich Peppiatt for Kneecap

Breakthrough Producer Award

Hollie Bryan and Lucy Meer for The Ceremony
Balthazar De Ganay and James Bowsher for Santosh [also produced by Mike Goodridge and Alan McAlex]
Jacob Swan Hyam for Bring Them Down [also produced by Julianne Ford, Ivana Mackinnon, Jean-Yves Roubin, Ruth Treacey, and Cassandre Warnauts]
Ben Toye for Treading Water
Rebecca Wolff for Grand Theft Hamlet [also produced by Julia Ton]

Breakthrough Performance Award

Nykiya Adams in Bird
Susan Chardy in On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Saura Lightfoot-Leon in Hoard
Ruaridh Mollica in Sebastian
Jason Patel in Unicorns

Best Debut Screenwriter

James Krishna Floyd for Unicorns
Karan Kandhari for Sister Midnight
Rich Peppiatt for Kneecap
Sandhya Suri for Santosh
Mrs & Mr Thomas for The Assessment [also written by John Donnelly]

Best Debut Director for a Feature Documentary

Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane for Grand Theft Hamlet
Manon Ouimet, Jacob Perlmutter for Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other
Rachel Ramsay for Copa 71 [also directed by James Erskine]
Clair Titley for The Contestant

Raindance Maverick Award