Psychological horror Saint Maud is a nose ahead of a tight-knit pack of lead nominees for the 2020 British Independent Film Awards, unveiled Wednesday morning by Holliday Grainger and Micheal Ward.
The Film4-backed debut feature from Rose Glass, which released earlier this year in the U.K. but has been pushed back several times by A24 in U.S. due to the pandemic, landed 17 nominations, including best British independent film, best screenplay, best director and best actress for Morfydd Clark, who plays a devout palliative care nurse who becomes obsessed with saving the soul of her patient, played by Jennifer Ehle, who also picked up a supporting actress nomination.
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Snapping at Saint Maud‘s chilling heels, another debut feature, Remi Weekes’ His House, weaving the real-life horrors faced by asylum seekers with supernatural terrors, amassed 16 nominations across the director, screenplay, debut and technical categories, alongside actress and best actor nominations for Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù.
One step below, Sarah Gavron and Anu Henrique’s critically-lauded Rocks, looking at life as a marginalised British teen, has 15 nominations, including double nominations for stars Bukky Bakray and Kosar Ali in best actress and supporting actress and most promising newcomer.
Further down the list, Nick Rowland’s Irish crime drama Calm With Horses earned 10 nominations and Florian Zeller’s The Father landed six, including the first-ever BIFA nod for acting icon Anthony Hopkins.
Meanwhile, Riz Ahmed has four BIFA nominations this year, shortlisted in the best actor, debut screenwriter, and best screenplay categories for Mogul Mowgli and also for The Long Goodbye, a short film which he wrote and starred in.
Traditionally held in early December, the BIFA awards have been postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis, with the winners’ ceremony now set to be held in February. More details on the event will be revealed in January.
See the full list of nominees below.
Best British Independent Film
Calm With Horses
The Father
His House
Rocks
Saint Maud
Best Director
Sarah Gavron, Rocks [Associate Director Anu Henriques]
Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Nick Rowland, Calm With Horses
Remi Weekes, His House
Florian Zeller, The Father
Best Screenplay
Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson, Rocks
Bassam Tariq, Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli
Remi Weekes, His House
Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton, The Father
Best Actress
Bukky Bakray, Rocks
Morfydd Clark, Saint Maud
Clare Dunne, Herself
Wunmi Mosaku, His House
Andrea Riseborough, Luxor
Best Actor
Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli
Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, His House
Amir El-Masry, Limbo
Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Cosmo Jarvis, Calm With Horses
Best Supporting Actress
Niamh Algar, Calm With Horses
Kosar Ali, Rocks
Jennifer Ehle, Saint Maud
Ashley Madekwe, County Lines
Fiona Shaw, Kindred
Best Supporting Actor
Harris Dickinson, County Lines
Barry Keoghan, Calm With Horses
Alyy Khan, Mogul Mowgli
Merab Ninidze, The Courier
D’angelou Osei Kissiedu, Rocks
The Douglas Hickox Award (Debut Director)
Henry Blake, County Lines
Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Eva Riley, Perfect 10
Nick Rowland, Calm With Horses
Remi Weekes, His House
Breakthrough Producer
Douglas Cox, Host [Also Produced By Emily Gotto, Samuel Zimmerman]
Daniel Emmerson, Calm With Horses
Irune Gurtubai, Limbo [Also Produced By Angus Lamont]
Oliver Kassman, Saint Maud [Also Produced By Andrea Cornwell]
Edward King, Martin Gentles, His House [Also Produced By Aidan Elliott, Roy Lee, Arnon Milchan]
Debut Screenwriter
Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli [Also Written By Bassam Tariq]
Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson, Rocks
Joe Murtagh, Calm With Horses
Remi Weekes, His House
Most Promising Newcomer
Niamh Algar, Calm With Horses
Kosar Ali, Rocks
Bukky Bakray, Rocks
Frankie Box, Perfect 10
Conrad Khan, County Lines
Best Documentary
The Australian Dream
Being A Human Person
The Reason I Jump
Rising Phoenix
White Riot
The Raindance Discovery Award
Justine
Looted
One Man And His Shoes
Perfect 10
Rose: A Love Story
Best British Short Film
Filipiñana
The Forgotten C
The Long Goodbye
Mandem
Sudden Light
Best International Independent Film
Babyteeth
Les Misérables
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland
Notturno
Best Casting
Shaheen Baig, Calm With Horses
Kharmel Cochrane, Saint Maud
Carmen Cuba, His House
Dan Jackson, Limbo
Lucy Pardee, Rocks
Best Cinematography
Nick Cooke, Limbo
Ben Fordesman, Saint Maud
Hélène Louvart, Rocks
Annika Summerson, Mogul Mowgli
Jo Willems, His House
Best Costume Design
Michele Clapton, The Secret Garden
Ruka Johnson, Rocks
Tina Kalivas, Saint Maud
Michael O’Connor, Ammonite
Charlotte Walter, Misbehaviour
Best Editing
Julia Bloch, His House
Yorgos Lamprinos, The Father
Maya Maffioli, Rocks
Brenna Rangott, Host
Mark Towns, Saint Maud
Best Effects
Agnes Asplund, Martin Malmqvist, Undergods
Scott Macintyre, Bariş Kareli, Kristyan Mallett, Saint Maud
Pedro Sabrosa, Stefano Pepin, His House
Best Make Up & Hair Design
Jacquetta Levon, Saint Maud
Sharon A Martin, His House
Ivana Primorac, Ammonite
Nora Robertson, Rocks
Jill Sweeney, Misbehaviour
Best Music
Roque Baños, His House
Paul Corley, Mogul Mowgli
Nainita Desai, The Reason I Jump
Connie Farr, Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, Rocks
Adam Janota Bzowski, Saint Maud
Best Production Design
Jacqueline Abrahams, His House
Cristina Casali, Misbehaviour
Peter Francis, The Father
Marketa Korinkova, Elo Soode, Undergods
Paulina Rzeszowska, Saint Maud
Best Sound
Adrian Bell, Glenn Freemantle, Frank Kruse, Brendan Nicholson, Richard Pryke, His House
Paul Davies, Saint Maud
Paul Davies, Robert Farr, Nigel Albermaniche, Ian Morgan, Mogul Mowgli
Nick Ryan, Ben Baird, Sara De Oliveira Lima, The Reason I Jump
Calum Sample, Host
