Syrian civil war documentary For Sama received an awards season boost on Sunday night as it picked up a number of top honors at the British Independent Film Awards.
The film by Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts — a scarring portrait of a young mother’s experience during the ongoing Middle East conflict — earned best British independent film, director and documentary honors at the ceremony. Those awards were on top of the BIFA prize for best editing, which was announced last month.
Another big BIFA winner was Armando Iannucci's The Personal History of David Copperfield. A lively twist on Charles Dickens' classic, the film earned Hugh Laurie the best supporting actor award for his portrayal of Mr. Dick and the best screenplay award for Iannucci and Simon Blackwell. Additionally, it was previously announced that the pic earned honors for best casting, costume design and production design.
Elsewhere, Renee Zellweger saw some extra fuel added to her Oscars engine as she was tapped as best actress for playing Judy Garland in Judy, while Josh O'Connor — who can currently be seen as Prince Charles on The Crown — won the best actor prize for Only You. O'Connor won the same award in 2017 for God's Own Country.
As previously announced, Kristin Scott Thomas was presented with the 2019 Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution by an actor to British film, while outgoing British Film Institute CEO Amanda Nevill was awarded a special jury prize.
See the full list of BIFA winners below.
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Best British Independent Film
Bait
For Sama – WINNER
The Personal History Of David Copperfield
The Souvenir
Wild Rose -
Best Director
Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts, For Sama – WINNER
Oliver Hermanus, Moffie
Joanna Hogg, The Souvenir
Mark Jenkin, Bait
Asif Kapadia, Diego Maradona -
Best Screenplay
Joanna Hogg, The Souvenir
Armando Iannucci, Simon Blackwell, The Personal History Of David Copperfield – WINNER
Paul Laverty, Sorry We Missed You
Peter Strickland, In Fabric
Nicole Taylor, Wild Rose -
Best Documentary
Coup 53
Diego Maradona
For Sama – WINNER
Seahorse Jeanie Finlay, Andrea Cornwell
Tell Me Who I Am -
Best Actress
Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose
Holliday Grainger, Animals
Sally Hawkins, Eternal Beauty
Vicky Knight, Dirty God
Renée Zellweger, Judy – WINNER -
Best Actor
Sam Adewunmi, The Last Tree
Tom Burke, The Souvenir
Kris Hitchen, Sorry We Missed You
Josh O’Connor, Only You – WINNER
Dev Patel, The Personal History Of David Copperfield -
Best Supporting Actress
Jessica Barden, Scarborough
Ruthxjiah Bellenea, The Last Tree – WINNER
Elizabeth Debicki, Vita & Virginia
Tilda Swinton, The Personal History Of David Copperfield
Julie Walters, Wild Rose -
Best Supporting Actor
Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
Hugh Laurie, The Personal History Of David Copperfield – WINNER
Edilson Manuel Olbera Nuñez, Yuli – The Carlos Acosta Story
Peter Mullan, The Vanishing
Bluey Robinson, Dirty God -
Most Promising Newcomer
Sam Adewunmi, The Last Tree – WINNER
Vicky Knight, Dirty God
Lorn Macdonald, Beats
Roxanne Scrimshaw, Lynn + Lucy
Honor Swinton Byrne, The Souvenir -
The Douglas Hickox Award (Debut Director)
Will Becher, Richard Phelan, A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Fyzal Boulifa, Lynn + Lucy
Ninian Doff, Boyz In The Wood
Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
Harry Wootliff, Only You – WINNER -
Debut Screenwriter
Kieran Hurley, Beats
Lisa Owens, Days Of The Bagnold Summer
Nicole Taylor, Wild Rose
Emma Jane Unsworth, Animals – WINNER
Harry Wootliff, Only You -
Breakthrough Producer
Finn Bruce, Tucked
Kate Byers, Linn Waite, Bait – WINNER
Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, Blue Story [Also Produced By Damian Jones]
Becky Read, Three Identical Strangers [Also Produced By Grace Hughes-Hallett]
Jack Sidey, Moffie [Also Produced By Eric Abraham] -
The Raindance Discovery Award
A Bump Along The Way
Children Of The Snow Land – WINNER
Here For Life
Muscle
The Street -
Best Casting Sponsored
Shaheen Baig, In Fabric
Shaheen Baig, Aisha Bywaters, The Last Tree
Kahleen Crawford, Caroline Stewart, Only You
Kahleen Crawford, Wild Rose
Sarah Crowe, The Personal History Of David Copperfield – WINNER -
Best Cinematography
Ole Bratt Birkeland, Judy
Benjamin Kracun, Beats – WINNER
Zac Nicholson, The Personal History Of David Copperfield
Jamie D Ramsay, Moffie
Ari Wegner, In Fabric -
Best Costume Design
Suzie Harman, Robert Worley, The Personal History Of David Copperfield – WINNER
Anna Mary Scott Robbins, Wild Rose
Grace Snell, The Souvenir
Jany Temime, Judy
Jo Thompson, In Fabric -
Best Editing
Mick Audsley, Peter Lambert, The Personal History Of David Copperfield
Mark Jenkin, Bait
Chris King, Diego Maradona
Chloe Lambourne, Simon Mcmahon, For Sama – WINNER
Helle Le Fevre, The Souvenir -
Best Effects
Howard Jones, A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon – WINNER
Paul Mann, In Fabric
Andy Quinn, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind -
Best Make-Up & Hair Design
Morten Jacobsen, Rogier Samuels, Lindelotte Van Der Meer, Dirty God
Karen Hartley-Thomas, The Personal History Of David Copperfield
Emma Scott, In Fabric
Jody Williams, Wild Rose
Jeremy Woodhead, Judy – WINNER -
Best Music
Jack Arnold, Wild Rose – WINNER
Cavern Of Anti-Matter, In Fabric
Nainita Desai, For Sama
Antonio Pinto, Diego Maradona
Jd Twitch, Penelope Trappes, Stephen Hindman, Beats -
Best Production Design
Cristina Casali, The Personal History Of David Copperfield – WINNER
Stéphane Collonge, The Souvenir
Kave Quinn, Judy
Anne Seibel, The White Crow
Paki Smith, In Fabric -
Best Sound
Anna My Bertmark, Jonathan Seale, Jules Woods, Gwen
David Bowtle-Mcmillan, Joakim Sundström, Robert Farr, Beats – WINNER
Stephen Griffiths, Tim Cavagin, Max Walsh, Andy Shelley, Diego Maradona
Lee Walpole, Colin Nicholson, Stuart Hilliker, Wild Rose
Martin Pavey, Rob Entwistle, In Fabric -
Best British Short Film
Anna – WINNER
Boiling Point
The Devil’s Harmony
Goldfish
Serious Tingz -
Best International Independent Film
Ash Is Purest White
Marriage Story
Monos
Parasite – WINNER
Portrait Of A Lady
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