Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley Among British Independent Film Awards Nominees
5:30 AM PST 11/3/2014 by Alex Ritman

Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley The Imitation Game Premiere - H 2014
' '71' and 'Pride' lead the nominations, with 'The Imitation Game,' Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Fassbender also among the nominees
Irish thriller ’71 on Monday earned the most nominations for the 17th annual Moet British Independent Film Awards.
Yann Demange’s debut feature got nine nominations, including for best British independent film, best director, debut director, best screenplay, best actor for Jack O’Connell and best supporting actor for Sean Harris.
Pride, the all-star U.K. comedy about the LGBT movement’s involvement with the British miners’ strike in the 1980s, picked up seven nominations, including for best supporting actress for Imelda Staunton, while Catch Me Daddy, Frank and Mike Leigh's Cannes competition entry Mr Turner got five apiece.
Read more 'Pride' Screenwriter Reveals Plans for Musical Adaptation
In terms of big stars, it is down to The Imitation Game to bring home the BIFA bacon, with Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley getting best actor and actress nominations.
Major international shout-outs went to Alicia Vikander with a best actress nomination for Testament of Youth, Maggie Gyllenhaal for best supporting actress in Frank and Michael Fassbender for best supporting actor in Frank.
In the best international independent film category, nominations went to Blue Ruin, Boyhood, Fruitvale Station and The Babadook.
The Monday nominations event also saw Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper unveiled as the jury head to decide the 2014 award winners, which will be announced in a ceremony on Dec. 7.
Hooper’s The King’s Speech was a big winner at the BIFAs in 2010. Other past winners of the best film award include Slumdog Millionaire, Moon and The Constant Gardener.
Here is the complete list of nominees:
BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
'71
Calvary
Mr Turner
Pride
The Imitation Game
BEST DIRECTOR
John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Lenny Abrahamson – Frank
Matthew Warchus – Pride
Mike Leigh – Mr Turner
Yann Demange – '71
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
Daniel Wolfe, Matthew Wolfe – Catch Me Daddy
Hong Khaou – Lilting
Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard – 20,000 Days on Earth
Morgan Matthews – X+Y
Yann Demange – '71
BEST SCREENPLAY
Graham Moore – The Imitation Game
Gregory Burke – '71
John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan – Frank
Stephen Beresford – Pride
BEST ACTRESS
Alicia Vikander – Testament of Youth
Cheng Pei Pei – Lilting
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – Catch Me Daddy
BEST ACTOR
Asa Butterfield – X+Y
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Brendan Gleeson – Calvary
Jack O'Connell – '71
Timothy Spall – Mr Turner
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Dorothy Atkinson – Mr Turner
Imelda Staunton – Pride
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Frank
Sally Hawkins – X+Y
Sienna Guillory – The Goob
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Andrew Scott – Pride
Ben Schnetzer – Pride
Michael Fassbender – Frank
Rafe Spall – X+Y
Sean Harris – ‘71
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Ben Schnetzer – Pride
Cara Delevingne – The Face of An Angel
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle
Liam Walpole – The Goob
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – Catch Me Daddy
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
'71
20,000 Days on Earth
Catch Me Daddy
Lilting
The Goob
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Chris Wyatt - Editing - '71
Dick Pope - Cinematography - Mr Turner
Robbie Ryan - Cinematography - Catch Me Daddy
Stephen Rennicks - Music – Frank
Tat Radcliffe - Cinematography - '71
BEST DOCUMENTARY
20,000 Days on Earth
Next Goal Wins
Night Will Fall
The Possibilities Are Endless
Virunga
BEST BRITISH SHORT
Crocodile
Emotional Fusebox
Keeping Up With The Joneses
Slap
The Karman Line
BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
Blue Ruin
Boyhood
Fruitvale Station
Ida
The Babadook
THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Flim: The Movie...
Gregor
Luna
Keeping Rosy
The Beat Beneath My Feet