British Independent Film Awards: 'The Favourite' Wins Record 10 Awards
The Oscar-tipped dark comedy won best British independent film, plus best director for Yorgos Lanthimos and best actress for Olivia Colman.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite lived up to its name at the 21st edition of the British Independent Film Awards on Sunday night.
The Oscar-tipped dark comedy went into the ceremony — which was held in London at Old Billingsgate and hosted by Russell Tovey — with 13 nominations, and had already won five in the craft categories, which were revealed last month. But it left with a further five nods, including best British independent film, best director for Lanthimos, best screenplay, best actress for Olivia Colman (maintaining her perfect record of winning a BIFA with every nomination) and best supporting actress for Rachel Weisz. The Favourite's 10 awards is a BIFA record.
Elsewhere on the night, Bart Layton's American Animals won two prizes for best editing and debut screenwriter (for Layton), the same number as Lynn Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here, which picked up best sound and music honors.
Joe Cole’s portrayal of an English boxer in a Thai prison in A Prayer Before Dawn earned him the best actor award, while Alessandro Nivola was named best supporting actor for his performance in Disobedience opposite Weisz and Rachel McAdams.
The Turner Prize-winning artist Richard Billingham received the Douglas Hickox Award for best debut director for Ray & Liz, while the film’s producer Jacqui Davies won the award for breakthrough producer.
Beast star Jessie Buckley was named most promising newcomer.
Evelyn, directed by Orlando von Einsiedel (who won an Oscar for his short The White Helmets), was tapped as best documentary.
As previously announced, Judi Dench was presented with the 2018 Richard Harris award for outstanding contribution by an actor to British film.
See the list of winners, below.
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Best British Independent Film
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Best Director
Andrew Haigh, Lean on Pete
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite - WINNER
Bart Layton, American Animals
Michael Pearce, Beast
Lynne Ramsay, You Were Never Really Here -
Best Screenplay
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite - WINNER
Sebastian Lelio and Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Disobedience
Bart Layton, American Animals
Michael Pearce, Beast
Lynne Ramsay, You Were Never Really Here -
Best Actress
Gemma Arterton, The Escape
Jessie Buckley, Beast
Olivia Colman, The Favourite - WINNER
Maxine Peake, Funny Cow
Rachel Weisz, Disobedience -
Best Actor
Joe Cole, A Prayer Before Dawn - WINNER
Steve Coogan, Stan & Ollie
Rupert Everett, The Happy Prince
Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here
Charlie Plummer, Lean on Pete -
Best Supporting Actress
Nina Arianda, Stan & Ollie
Rachel McAdams, Disobedience
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite - WINNER
Molly Wright, Apostasy -
Best Supporting Actor
Steve Buscemi, Lean on Pete
Barry Keoghan, American Animals
Alessandro Nivola, Disobedience - WINNER
Evan Peters, American Animals
Dominic West, Colette -
Most Promising Newcomer
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The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)
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Debut Screenwriter
Karen Gillan, The Party's Just Beginning
Daniel Kokotajlo, Apostasy
Bart Layton, American Animals - WINNER
Matt Palmer, Calibre
Michael Pearce, Beast -
Breakthrough Producer
Kristian Brodie, Beast
Jacqui Davies, Ray & Liz - WINNER
Anna Griffin, Calibre
Marcie MacLellan, Apostasy
Faye Ward, Stan & Ollie -
The Discovery Award
The Dig, Andy Tohill, Ryan Tohill, Stuart Drennan, Brian J. Falconer
Irene's Ghost, Iain Cunningham, Rebecca Mark-Lawson, David Arthur, Ellie Land
A Moment in the Reeds, Mikko Makela, James Watson
Super November, Douglas King, Josie Long
Voyageuse, May Miles Thomas - WINNER -
Best Documentary
Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story, Steve Sullivan
Evelyn, Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara - WINNER
Island, Steven Eastwood and Elhum Shakerifar
Nae Pasaran, Felipe Bustos Sierra
Under the Wire, Christopher Martin and Tom Brisley -
Best British Short Film
The Big Day, Dawn Shadforth, Kellie Smith, Michelle Stein - WINNER
Bitter Sea, Fateme Ahmadi, Emma Parsons
The Field, Sandhya Suri, Balthazar de Ganay, Thomas Bidegain
Pommel, Paris Zarcilla, Sebastian Brown, Ivan Kelava
To Know Him, Ted Evans, Kellie Smith, Jennifer Monks, Michelle Stein -
Best International Independent Film
Capernaum, Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Keserwani, Khaled Mouzanar,
Michel Merkt
Cold War, Pawel Pawlikowski, Janusz Glowacki, Ewa Puszczynska, Tanya Seghatchian
The Rider, Chloe Zhao, Mollye Asher, Sacha Ben Harroche, Bert Hamelinck
Roma, Alfonso Cuaron, Nicolas Celis, Gabriela Rodriguez - WINNER
Shoplifters, Hirokazu Koreeda