If you want to play a fun game, spent tomorrow morning walking through London's Soho playing a trumpet and a kettle drum. That's because this evening saw this year's British Independent Film Awards being given out at what's become, over the years, one of the drunkest and most debauched evenings in the awards season in the calendar (last year, including the host, Chris O'Dowd, who was hammered from pretty much minute one).
It's not been a year with a lot to celebrate in British films, but to the BIFAs' credit they picked out most of the films that were worth calling out. The big winner of the evening was "Berberian Sound Studio," the giallo-homaging, Lynchian psychological thriller that picked up Best Director for Peter Strickland, Best Actor for Toby Jones, Best Achievement in Production and Best Technical Achievement for sound designers Joakim Sundström and Stevie Haywood. But it missed out on the top prize, which was won by Rufus Norris' lukewarmly received Cannes entry "Broken," which stars Tim Roth and Cillian Murphy.
That film also picked up Best Supporting Actor for "Skyfall" actor Rory Kinnear, while the great Olivia Colman won Best Supporting Actress for "Hyde Park on Hudson," and Andrea Riseborough took Best Actress for IRA thriller "Shadow Dancer." "Sightseers" (the best nominated film, in our opinion), took only Best Screenplay for Alice Lowe and Steve Oram as a consolation prize, while "The Imposter" took two awards, Best Breakthrough Director for Bart Layton, and Best Documentary.
Thomas Vinterberg's excellent "The Hunt" won for Best International Independent film, while "My Brother The Devil" star James Floyd won Most Promising Newcomer, and Jude Law, Michael Gambon and former London Film Festival head Sandra Hebron all won special awards. Check out the full list of awards and nominees below, and congrats to all the winners.
Best British Independent Film
Berberian Sound Studio
Broken
Sightseers
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Imposter
Best Director
Bart Layton (The Imposter)
Ben Wheatley (Sightseers)
John Madden (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio)
Rufus Norris (Broken)
The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director
Bart Layton (The Imposter)
Ben Drew (Ill Manors)
Rowan Athale (Wasteland)
Rufus Norris (Broken)
Sally El Hosaini (My Brother the Devil)
Best Screenplay
Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady)
Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Amy Jump (Sightseers)
Mark O'Rowe (Broken)
Paul Andrew Williams (Song for Marion)
Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio)
Best Actress
Alice Lowe (Sightseers)
Andrea Riseborough (Shadow Dancer)
Elle Fanning (Ginger & Rosa)
Judi Dench (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Best Actor
Riz Ahmed (Ill Manors)
Steve Oram (Sightseers)
Terence Stamp (Song for Marion)
Tim Roth (Broken)
Toby Jones (Berberian Sound Studio)
Best Supporting Actress
Alice Englert (Ginger & Rosa)
Eileen Davies (Sightseers)
Maggie Smith (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
Olivia Colman (Hyde Park on Hudson)
Vanessa Redgrave (Song for Marion)
Best Supporting Actor
Billy Connolly (Quartet)
Cillian Murphy (Broken)
Domhnall Gleeson (Shadow Dancer)
Rory Kinnear (Broken)
Tom Wilkinson (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
Most Promising Newcomer
Elliott Tittensor (Spike Island)
Eloise Laurence (Broken)
James Floyd (My Brother the Devil)
Paul Brannigan (The Angels' Share)
Zawe Ashton (Dreams of a Life)
Best Achievement in Production
Berberian Sound Studio
Ill Manors
Sightseers
The Imposter
The Sweeney
Best Technical Achievement
Nic Knowland – Cinematography (Berberian Sound Studio)
Joakim Sundström, Stevie Haywood AMPS IPS – Sound Design (Berberian Sound Studio)
Electric Wave Bureau – Music (Broken)
Robbie Ryan – Cinematography (Ginger & Rosa)
Andrew Hulme – Editing (The Imposter)
Best Documentary
Dreams of a Life
London: The Modern Babylon
Marley
Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir
The Imposter
Best British Short
Friday
Junk
Skyborn
Swimmer
Volume
Best International Independent Film
Amour
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Rust & Bone
Searching For Sugar Man
The Hunt
The Raindance Award
Frank
Strings
Love Tomorrow
City Slacker
Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet
Richard Harris Award
Sir Michael Gambon
Special Jury Prize
Sandra Hebron
Variety Award
Jude Law