Berberian Sound Studio Screengrab - H 2012
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LONDON — Peter Strickland‘s Berberian Sound Studio emerged with the most wins at this year’s British Independent Film Awards, dished out Sunday, Dec. 9, taking home a quartet of awards.
Writer/director Strickland won best director while the movie’s Toby Jones picked up the evening’s best actor nod.
Strickland faced down fierce competition in this year’s best director race, winning ahead of Ben Wheatley (Sightseers), Rufus Norris (Broken), John Madden (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and Bart Layton (The Imposter) to secure the prize.
Jones saw off challenges from Riz Ahmed (Ill Manors), Steve Oram (Sightseers) as well as established British screen presenses Terence Stamp (Song for Marion) and Tim Roth (Broken) to win the best actor nod.
Berberian Sound Studio, billed as a dark comedy, which follows the misadventures of a sound-mixer in 1970s Italy, also won plaudits for best achievement in production and best technical achievement.
This year’s best British independent film award went to Broken with the film’s Rory Kinnear taking home the best supporting actor nod for his turn in the movie about a girl whose life changes after witnessing a violent attack.
Andrea Riseborough headed home from the evening clutching the best actress award for her turn in Northern Ireland set political drama Shadow Dancer in which she stars opposite Clive Owen.
Riseborough nosed ahead of established stars Judi Dench (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) and rising talent Alice Lowe (Sightseers) and Elle Fanning (Ginger & Rosa) to nab the best actress crown.
Olivia Colman collected her second British Independent Film Award in two years, picking up this year’s best supporting actress for Hyde Park On Hudson, vanquishing big names such as Maggie Smith (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Vanessa Redgrave (Song for Marion) and Alice Englert (Ginger & Rosa) and Eileen Davies (Sightseers) to the nod.
Colman picked up a best actress award last year for her turn in suburban social thriller Tyrannosaur.
Sightseers, the Wheatley-directed black comedy about a couple on a murderous honeymoon caravan trip, won the best screenplay award for Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Amy Jump.
James Floyd picked up the most promising newcomer award for his role in My Brother The Devil.
Meanwhile Danish drama The Hunt, a movie about a man falsely-accused of child abuse, picked up best international indie film ahead of Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Rust and Bone and Searching For Sugarman.
Bart Layton‘s The Imposter won a brace of awards, picking up best British documentary and the Douglas Hickox award (directorial debut) for Layton.
The winners, picked by a jury chaired by producer Alison Owen, picked up their nods during the ceremony hosted by actor James Nesbitt, marking the actor’s seventh year as the host.
Nesbitt returned after a break for last year’s show hosted by Chris O’Dowd (The Sapphires).
Other jury members include Oscar-winning producer Iain Canning, actor Tom Hiddleston, actress Christine Bottomley and writer Adrian Hodges.
The glittering evening saw a who’s who of British talent hitting the red carpet and also saw Sir Michael Gambon awarded the Richard Harris award for outstanding contribution by an actor to British film.
Jude Law picked up the trade paper Variety award given to an actor, director, writer or producer who helps focus the international spotlight on the U.K.
The special jury prize went to the former British Film Institute London Film Festival artistic director Sandra Hebron.
The British annual independent Film Awards, enjoying its 15thedition, has firmly established itself as an early ceremony that puts independent films firmly on the awards season radar, drawing attention to British movies ahead of the BAFTA movie awards in the new year.
Two years ago, a certain movie named The King’s Speech won big at the BIFAs, a shindig, which enjoys a less formal air than most awards, shows and whose invitation dress code reads “to party.”
The show, sponsored by champagne house Moët & Chandon, was again held this year at the cavernous Old Billingsgate Market, an increasingly popular destination for party throwers with its East end London warehouse vibe.
Said Moët British Independent Film Awards joint directors Johanna von Fischer and Tessa Collinson: “We are extremely proud that The Moët British Independent Film Awards continues to highlight the extraordinary talent that is so plentiful within British independent filmmaking today.”
Full winners:
BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
Sponsored by Moët & Chandon
Broken
BEST DIRECTOR
Sponsored by AllCity & Intermission
Peter Strickland– Berberian Sound Studio
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios
Bart Layton– The Imposter
BEST SCREENPLAY
Sponsored by BBC Films
Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Amy Jump– Sightseers
BEST ACTRESS
Sponsored by M.A.C
Andrea Riseborough– Shadow Dancer
BEST ACTOR
Toby Jones– Berberian Sound Studio
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Olivia Colman– Hyde Park on Hudson
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sponsored by Sanderson & St Martins Lane
Rory Kinnear– Broken
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Sponsored by Studiocanal
James Floyd– My Brother the Devil
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
Sponsored by Company3
Berberian Sound Studio
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Sponsored by LightBrigade Media
Joakim Sundström, Stevie Haywood AMPS IPS– Sound Design – Berberian Sound Studio
BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Imposter
BEST BRITISH SHORT
Supported by the BFI
Volume
BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
The Hunt
THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Strings
THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)
Sir Michael Gambon
THE VARIETY AWARD
Jude Law
THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Sandra Hebron
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