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| Author | Zoe Aresti |
American Honey stole the show at last night’s British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) held at Old Billingsgate last night as it picked up four awards including Best British Independent Film.
Andrea Arnold took home Best Director, Sasha Lane won Best Actress sponsored by MAC and Robbie Ryan’s Cinematography was rewarded with the Outstanding Achievement in Craft award. The film will be screened in 25 Vue, ODEON and Everyman cinemas across the country on Sunday 11 December, as the first in the BIFA Independents screening series supported by the BFI.
The 19th BIFA ceremony was hosted by Jennifer Saunders and the Best Actor award was given to the eponymous hero of I, Daniel Blake, Dave Johns, while his co-star, Hayley Squires, was named Most Promising Newcomer sponsored by The London EDITION.
Under the Shadow collected three awards on the night, including Best Screenplay sponsored by BBC Films, The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director), which went to Babak Anvari, and Avin Manshadi, the film’s nine-year-old star, won Best Supporting Actress.
Brett Goldstein was named Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Adult Life Skills and the film’s writer Rachel Tunnard won the inaugural Best Debut Screenwriter award.
Notes on Blindness was named Best Documentary. Camille Gatin received the Breakthrough Producer award for her debut project The Girl with All the Gifts. Cult comedy, The Greasy Strangler, won The Discovery Award sponsored by Raindance.
The Best British Short Film award, sponsored by NOWNESS, was presented to Jacked.
The only category of the night open to non-UK film, Best International Independent Film sponsored by Champagne Taittinger, was won by Moonlight.
The Special Jury Prize was presented to Clare Binns by Edith Bowman and Mark Herbert. The jury praised her unstinting efforts in bringing independent film to new audiences.
As previously announced Naomie Harris was presented The Variety Award by Danny Boyle in recognition of the global impact she has made in 2016, helping to focus the international film spotlight on the UK.
The Richard Harris Award was presented to Alison Steadman by Richard Harris’ granddaughter Ella Harris and Alison’s co-star from Life Is Sweet, Claire Skinner. The award recognises outstanding contribution to British film by an actor.
Highlights from the 2016 ceremony can be viewed on BIFA's Facebook page. For a full list of winners from the night click here.