02/12/2019 - Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts’ film and The Personal History of David Copperfield were the big winners at the 22nd British Independent Film Awards

Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts, the directors of For Sama, with their trophies for Best Documentary, Best Director and Best British Independent Film

The Syrian Civil War documentary For Sama [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts
film profile] picked up four awards at the BIFAs: Best British Independent Film (making it the first doc ever to snag this particular accolade), Best Director for co-directors Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts, Best Documentary and Best Editing. Accepting the awards, al-Kateab reminded the audience of the ongoing struggle to remove President Bashar al-Assad from power as well as Britain’s responsibility in the current conflict. She also added that she is making another film on the Syrian crisis.

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Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History of David Copperfield [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] ended the night with five gongs. The adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel won Best Screenplay for Iannucci and Simon Blackwell, and Best Supporting Actor for Hugh Laurie, as well as three awards in the craft categories, for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design and Best Casting.

Shola Amoo’s adolescent tale The Last Tree [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Shola Amoo
film profile] won two awards, Best Supporting Actress for Ruthxjiah Bellenea and Most Promising Newcomer for its lead, Sam Adewunmi. 

The IVF drama Only You [+see also:
film review
film profile] won Best Debut Director for Harry Wootliff and Best Actor for Josh O’Connor. Kate Byers and Linn Waite won the Breakthrough Producer Award for Mark Jenkin’s Cornish fisherman drama Bait [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mark Jenkin
film profile].

The outgoing CEO of the BFI, Amanda Nevill, collected the Special Jury Prize, and Kristin Scott Thomas took home the Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film.

Here is the list of the 2019 BIFA winners:

Best British Independent Film
For Sama [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts
film profile] - Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts (UK/USA)

Best Director
Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts - For Sama

Best Screenplay
Armando Iannucci, Simon Blackwell - The Personal History of David Copperfield [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (UK/USA)

Best Documentary
For Sama - Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts

Best Actress
Renée Zellweger - Judy [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (UK/USA)

Best Actor
Josh O’Connor - Only You [+see also:
film review
film profile] (UK)

Best Supporting Actress
Ruthxjiah Bellenea - The Last Tree [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Shola Amoo
film profile] (UK)

Best Supporting Actor
Hugh Laurie - The Personal History of David Copperfield

Most Promising Newcomer
Sam Adewunmi - The Last Tree

Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)
Harry Wootliff - Only You

Best Debut Screenwriter
Emma Jane Unsworth - Animals [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (UK/Ireland/Australia)

Breakthrough Producer
Kate Byers, Linn Waite - Bait [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mark Jenkin
film profile] (UK)

Raindance Discovery Award
Children of the Snow Land [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Zara Balfour, Marcus Stephenson, Mark Hakansson (UK/Nepal)

Best British Short
Anna - Dekel Berenson (UK/Ukraine/Israel)

Best International Independent Film
Parasite - Bong Joon-ho (South Korea)

Best Cinematography
Benjamin Kracun - Beats [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (UK)

Best Costume Design
Suzie Harman, Robert Worley - The Personal History of David Copperfield

Best Editing
Chloe Lambourne, Simon McMahon - For Sama

Best Make-up and Hair Design
Jeremy Woodhead - Judy

Best Music
Jack Arnold - Wild Rose [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (UK)

Best Production Design
Cristina Casali - The Personal History of David Copperfield

Best Sound
David Bowtle-McMillan, Joakim Sundström, Robert Farr - Beats

Best Effects
Howard Jones - A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Richard Phelan and Will Bec…
film profile] (UK/France/USA)

Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film
Kristin Scott Thomas

Special Jury Prize
Amanda Nevill