This is England best film at BIFAs

by Annika Pham

30/11/2006 - Last night’s ceremony of the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) was a celebration of new talent and social realism in British cinema: Shane Meadows won the top award for Best Film and the lead actors in Andrea Arnold’s Red Road [trailer], Tony Curran and Kate Dickie, were preferred to Peter O’Toole (Venus) and Helen Mirren (The Queen [trailer, film focus]), a choice that took many by surprise.

Kevin Macdonald was also chosen as Best Director for his first feature The Last King of Scotland [trailer], beating other established filmmakers such as Ken Loach and Stephen Frears whose films The Wind That Shakes the Barley [trailer, film focus] and The Queen had disappointing runs: Loach’s Palme d’Or winning film left empty-handed in spite of four nominations, and The Queen only turned one of its six nominations into a BIFA award: Best Screenplay for Peter Morgan.

The winner of the Best Foreign Independent film was Michael Haneke’s Hidden [trailer, film focus]

This year’s jury was chaired by Sandy Lieberson and consisted of Reuben Barnes, Martin Childs, Anne V Coates, Alan Cumming, Leo Davis, Anna Friel, Jason Isaacs, Mick Jones, Damian Lewis, Helen McCrory, Damien O’Donnell, Kelly Reilly, Martin Sherman and Colin Salmon.

John Woodward, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Film Council, the major funding partner of the BIFAs, said: "We are proud to be supporting the BIFAs, which are a great champion for the British film industry, and for excellence and originality in independent filmmaking. This year's nominations and award winners highlight the outstanding talent working in the UK with established and emerging talent both producing films that are winning critical acclaim and attracting cinema-goers alike. "

The winners are as follows:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
This is England [trailer]

BEST DIRECTOR
Kevin Macdonald – The Last King of Scotland

BEST ACTOR
Tony Curran – Red Road

BEST ACTRESS
Kate Dickie – Red Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR / ACTRESS
Leslie Phillips – Venus

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Thomas Turgoose – This is England

BEST SCREENPLAY
Peter Morgan – The Queen

BEST FOREIGN INDEPENDENT FILM
Hidden

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD – (BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR)
Menhaj Huda – Kidulthood

BEST BRITISH DOCUMENTARY
The Road to Guantanamo [trailer]

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Anthony Dod Mantle – Cinematography – The Last King of Scotland

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
London to Brighton [trailer]

BEST BRITISH SHORT
Cubs

SPECIAL AWARDS
THE VARIETY UK FILM ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – Helen Mirren

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BRITISH FILM BY AN ACTOR) – Jim Broadbent

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – Ken Loach