Category: World Dramatic Competition
Synopsis: Joseph (Peter Mullan) finds redemption in Hannah (Olivia Colman), a Christian charity shop worker. But she harbors a dark secret that could destroy them both.
Director Paddy Considine: "We managed to raise 750,000 pounds. Because there wasn't a significant budget, I got left alone to do it. The way that I work is, I rewrite scenes as I go. I'd written this three-page dialog scene between the two lead actors, and I'd just shot the scene preceding that, and I decided, 'I'm not shooting this. I don't need it,' and I just cut it. I didn't have to explain that to three or four people. If it means that I make films with this kind of budget for the rest of my life to have that freedom, then so be it."
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LONDON – Actor and director Paddy Considine and his debut feature Tyrannosaur stalked supreme at this year’s Moet & Chandon sponsored British Independent Film Awards, picking up a trio of the evening’s top nods.
Considine’s first feature, which he also wrote, secured the evening’s best British independent film plaudit and the freshman director also picked up the Douglas Hickox Award for best debut director.
Ron Howard, in the British capital doing prep for Formula One racing drama Rush, presented the award to a delighted Considine on his first trip to the podium of the night.
The movie’s Olivia Colman secured the best actress award on the night for her harrowing depiction of an abused wife, a role that is already generating early awards season heat in the U.K.
She said she was “a bit cross with herself,” for not heeding her husband’s advice to write down a few words in case she won.
Colman emerged victorious in a field boasting a former Oscar winner, picking up the nod ahead of Tilda Swinton’s eye-catching role in We Need To Talk About Kevin.
She also saw off the challenge from Mia Wasikowska’s outing in Jane Eyre, Rebecca Hall’s haunting role in The Awakening and MyAnna Buring’s turn in Kill List.
Considine, also nominated in the best director category, was beaten on the evening by Lynne Ramsay, who added another trophy to her mantle piece for We Need To Talk About Kevin.
Ramsay nudged in ahead of Steve McQueen (Shame), Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Ben Wheatley (Kill List) and Considine for the evening’s top directing honor.
The director wasn’t on hand to receive the award as she is on a belated honeymoon with husband and the film’s co-writer Rory Kinnear.
Michael Fassbender’s mesmorizing turn as a sex addict in Shame grabbed him this year’s best actor nod ahead of Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Peter Mullan (Tyrannosaur), Neil Maskell (Kill List) and Brendan Gleeson (The Guard) in the category.
Vanessa Redgrave reigned supreme in the best supporting actress category for her turn in Coriolanus. She thanked director Ralph Fiennes for the role in his film.
Coriolanus director Fiennes picked up the Richard Harris Award, an award introduced in memory of the late actor and given to talent for their outstanding contribution by an actor to British film.
The best supporting actor plaudit went to Michael Smiley for his turn in low-budget horror thriller Kill List.
Formula One racing documentary Senna secured the evening’s best documentary nod while A Separation, Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian domestic drama, took home the evening’s best foreign independent film.
Despite being nominated in seven categories and establishing itself as an early front runner, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy took home one nod, for production designer Maria Djurkovic’s work in the best technical achievement category.
The annual British Independent Film Awards, enjoying its 14thedition, has established itself as an early awards ceremony that puts independent films firmly on the awards season radar, drawing attention to British movies ahead of the BAFTA movie awards next year. Last year it was all about a small movie named The King’s Speech.
The BIFAs, popular for its less formal air and boasting an invite that read, “dress to party,” were dished out December 4 at a shindig held in the cavernous Old Billingsgate Market.
The winners of the BIFA nods are decided by an independent jury which this year included writer/directors Josh Appignanesi, and Debs Paterson, actor David Thewlis, actress Ruth Wilson and producer Charles Steel.
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