Kosar Ali and Wunmi Mosaku Win Big at the British Independent Film Awards

In an online ceremony hosted by Tom Felton, the winners of the 2020 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) were announced. Live from Wales, where he is filming Save the Cinema for Sky Cinema, Tom welcomed a glittering array of stars to announce the winners.

Best British Independent Film was awarded to coming-of-age drama Rocks by Zendaya with actress Kosar Ali also taking home the awards for both Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer with her young co-star D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu winning Best Supporting Actor. The four awards on the night took the film’s BIFA tally to five with Lucy Pardee winning the award for Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society of America and Spotlight when the craft award winners were announced in January. 

British horror His House was awarded two BIFAs on the night with Remi Weekes winning Best Director and Wunmi Mosaku winning Best Actress for her acclaimed performance with the awards for Best Production Design sponsored by Studio Juice won by Jacqueline Abrahams and Best Effects going to Pedro Sabrosa and Stefano Pepin. 

Anthony Hopkins’ poignant portrayal of an ageing man in The Father won him Best Actor amongst three wins for the film which also took home the awards for Best Screenplay sponsored by BBC Film for Florian Zeller, who also directed, and Christopher Hampton, and Best Editing sponsored by Intermission Film for Yorgos Lamprinos. 

Riz Ahmed took home the award for Debut Screenwriter sponsored by Film4 for Mogul Mowgli, also written by Bassam Tariq, which was also awarded Best Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group for Paul Corley. 

Saint Maud director Rose Glass was awarded The Douglas Hickox Award for Debut Director sponsored by Kodak & Pinewood with Ben Fordesman winning Best Cinematography sponsored by Dirty Looks in January. 

The Breakthrough Producer trophy went to Irune Gurtubai for her work on Limbo, director Ben Sharrock’s poignant look at the asylum experience on a remote Scottish island.   

Jerry Rothwell’s documentary The Reason I Jump won Best Documentary on the night and Best Sound for Nick Ryan, Ben Baird and Sara De Oliveira Lima.

Misbehaviour was awarded Best Make-Up and Hair Design for Jill Sweeney and Best Costume Design for Charlotte Walter. 

Best Short Film sponsored by the BFI Network went to Aneil Karia, Riz Ahmed and Tom Gardner for The Long Goodbye and The Raindance Discovery Award went to Perfect 10.

The only category of the night open to non-UK films, Best International Independent Film sponsored by Champagne Taittinger, was won by Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland.