'Shame,' 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' and 'Tyrannosaur' Lead the Field for This Year’s British Independent Film Awards

LONDON – Steve McQueen’s Shame, Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Tyrannosaur, directed by Paddy Considine are the three front-runners with seven nominations for this year’s British Independent Film Awards sponsored by Moet & Chandon.

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All three titles scored nomination slots in major categories including those for best British film, best director, best actor and best supporting actor or actress nods.

Also challenging for the best British film nod will be Formula One racing documentary Senna and Lynne Ramsay’s We Need To Talk About Kevin.

McQueen, Alfredson and Considine are up against the challenges from Ben Wheatley (Kill List) and Ramsay (We Need To Talk About Kevin) to secure the evening’s best director nod.

Michael Fassbender (Shame), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Peter Mullan (Tyrannosaur) go head to head in the best actor race, finding their turns up against Neil Maskell (Kill List) and Brendan Glesson (The Guard) in the category.

One from Tilda Swinton’s eye-catching role in Kevin, Olivia Colman’s troubled portrayal of an abused wife in Tyrannosaur, Mia Wasikowska’s outing in Jane Eyre, Rebecca Hall’s haunting role in The Awakening and MyAnna Buring’s turn in Kill List will secure the best actress nod.

Other awards set to be dished out include the Douglas Hickox Award for directorial debutants.

Directors titling at the prize this year are Joe Cornish (Attack The Block), Ralph Fiennes (Coriolanus), John Michael McDonagh (The Guard), Richard Ayoade (Submarine) and Considine (Tyrannosaur).

The annual British Independent Film Awards, about to enjoy its 14th edition, has established itself as one of the key indicators in the awards season, drawing attention to small British movies ahead of the BAFTA movie awards next year.

The BIFAs will be dished out Dec. 4 during an evening shindig in the British capital.

A pre-selection committee of 70 members viewed nearly 200 films, out of which they selected the nominations, which were decided by ballot.

The winners of the BIFA nods are decided by an independent jury which this year includes writer/directors Josh Appignanesi, and Debs Paterson, actor David Thewlis, actress Ruth Wilson and producer Charles Steel.

The nominations and jury members for this year’s BIFAs were announced Monday by Helen McCrory in central London.

British Independent Film Award Nominations

BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM

Senna
Shame
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tyrannosaur
We Need To Talk About Kevin

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Wheatley – Kill List
Steve McQueen – Shame
Tomas Alfredson – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Paddy Considine – Tyrannosaur
Lynne Ramsay – We Need To Talk About Kevin

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
Joe Cornish – Attack The Block
Ralph Fiennes – Coriolanus
John Michael McDonagh – The Guard
Richard Ayoade – Submarine
Paddy Considine – Tyrannosaur

BEST SCREENPLAY
John Michael McDonagh – The Guard
Ben Wheatley, Amy Jump – Kill List
Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen – Shame
Richard Ayoade – Submarine
Lynne Ramsay, Rory Kinnear – We Need To Talk About Kevin

BEST ACTRESS
Rebecca Hall – The Awakening
Mia Wasikowska – Jane Eyre
MyAnna Buring – Kill List
Olivia Colman – Tyrannosaur
Tilda Swinton – We Need To Talk About Kevin

BEST ACTOR
Brendan Gleeson – The Guard
Neil Maskell – Kill List
Michael Fassbender – Shame
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Peter Mullan – Tyrannosaur

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Jessica Brown Findlay – Albatross
John Boyega – Attack The Block
Craig Roberts – Submarine
Yasmin Paige – Submarine
Tom Cullen – Weekend

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD(for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)
To Be Announced

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Announced at the Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 4 December.