Nominations and winners announced for the 11th British Independent Film Awards

The much anticipated 11th awards ceremony has taken place on Sunday 30 November at the Old Billingsgate Market in London and was hosted by James Nesbitt.

Elliot Grove, founder of Raindance and the BIFA's says "The nominationed films and filmmakers and winners prove that filmmaking is alive and well in the U.K. I am proud to be a part of it."

Johanna von Fischer and Tessa Collinson, BIFA co-directors say: "It's been another stellar year for independent film in Britain. The diverse range of films nominated showcases an astounding lineup of talent both new and established that demands to be celebrated."

John Woodward, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Film Council, the major funding partner of the BIFAs says: "This year's BIFA nominations and award winners really highlight the range of talent working in the UK with powerful, ground-breaking and imaginative films coming from filmmakers with diverse voices.  Over the years these awards have developed a great knack for discovering exciting new talent and promoting them to a wider film world, consequently championing British independent film excellence and originality."

BIFA are proud to announce the following nominees and winners (++) for this year's awards:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
Hunger
In Bruges
Man on Wire
++Slumdog Millionaire
Somers Town

BEST DIRECTOR
Sponsored by The Creative Partnership
Mark Herman – The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Steve McQueen – Hunger
++Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
Shane Meadows – Somers Town
Garth Jennings – Son of Rambow

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
James Watkins – Eden Lake
Rupert Wyatt – The Escapist
++Steve McQueen – Hunger
Martin McDonagh – In Bruges
Eran Creevy – Shifty

BEST SCREENPLAY
Sponsored by BBC Films
Enda Walsh, Steve McQueen – Hunger
++Martin McDonagh – In Bruges
Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire
Paul Fraser – Somers Town
Garth Jennings – Son of Rambow

BEST ACTRESS
Sponsored by M.A.C.
++Vera Farmiga – The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Samantha Morton – The Daisy Chain
Keira Knightley  – The Duchess
Kelly Reilly – Eden Lake
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST ACTOR
++Michael Fassbender – Hunger
Colin Farrell – In Bruges
Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges
Riz Ahmed – Shifty
Thomas Turgoose – Somers Town

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emma Thompson – Brideshead Revisited
Hayley Atwell – The Duchess
Kristin Scott Thomas – Easy Virtue
Sienna Miller – The Edge of Love
++Alexis Zegerman – Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sponsored by Tiscali
Ralph Fiennes – The Duchess
++Eddie Marsan – Happy-Go-Lucky
Liam Cunningham – Hunger
Ralph Fiennes – In Bruges
Daniel Mays– Shifty

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Asa Butterfield – The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas  
++Dev Patel – Slumdog Millionaire
Ayush Mahesh Khedekar – Slumdog Millionaire
Bill Milner – Son of Rambow
Will Poulter – Son of Rambow

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
Sponsored by Recorded Picture Company
The Daisy Chain            
++The Escapist
Hush            
Shifty                                      
Telstar                    

RAINDANCE AWARD
Clubbed
Flick
One Day Removals
++Zebra Crossings        

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Sponsored by Skillset  
Wardrobe – Michael O'Connor – The Duchess
++Cinematography – Sean Bobbitt – Hunger
Editing – Jon Gregory – In Bruges
Music – Harry Escott, Molly Nyman – Shifty
Cinematography – Anthony Dod Mantle – Slumdog Millionaire

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Sponsored by Chapter Media
A Complete History of My Sexual Failures
Derek
++Man on Wire
Of Time and the City
Three Miles North of Molkom  

BEST BRITISH SHORT
Sponsored by Dailymotion
Alex and Her Arse Truck
Gone Fishing
Love Does Grow on Trees
Red Sands
++Soft

BEST FOREIGN FILM
The Diving Bell & The Butterfly
Gomorrah
I've Loved You So Long
Persepolis
++Waltz with Bashir

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution to British Film)
Sponsored by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
David Thewlis

THE VARIETY AWARD
Michael Sheen

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Joe Dunton

• BIFA would like to thank its Sponsors: UK Film Council, BBC Films, Chapter Media, The Creative Partnership, Dailymotion, Film London, M.A.C, Raindance, Recorded Picture Company, Skillset, Soho House, Tiscali, Variety, Walt Disney Studios. 
• For further press information, contact Elizabeth Benjamin or Zoe Flower at Emfoundation: elizabeth@emfoundation.com  / zoe@emfoundation.com / 020 7247 4171
• For further information on BIFA, visit www.bifa.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS
BIFA was created by Raindance in 1998.

For ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 2008 and for more information on BIFA rules please go to www.bifa.org.uk