For Sama directed by Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts was named Best British Independent Film 2019 at the 22nd British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) ceremony, becoming the first documentary to win that award.
The film, an intimate and scarring portrait of a young mother’s experience of the Syrian civil war, also won for Best Director and Best Documentary; in addition to the previously announced win for Best Editing.
The Personal History of David Copperfield won two awards including Best Supporting Actor for Hugh Laurie, who plays Mr Dick in Armando Iannucci’s adaptation of the Dickens classic, and Best Screenplay for writers Armando Iannucci and Simon Blackwell. Previously announced the film won for Best Casting, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.
Josh O’Connor’s portrayal of lovesick romantic Jake in Harry Wootliff’s debut feature Only You won him the Best Actor award – his second after 2017’s win for his role in Francis Lee’s Yorkshire-set love story God’s Own Country. The film’s director Harry Wootliff was named Best Debut Director.
Renée Zellweger won Best Actress for her performance as Judy Garland in Rupert Goold’s critically-acclaimed biopic, Judy in addition to the previously announced win for Best Make Up & Hair Design.
Sam Adewunmi was named Most Promising Newcomer for his first significant performance in a British feature film, Shola Amoo’s The Last Tree. In the film he plays Femi, a British boy of Nigerian heritage struggling to adjust to a new life in London. His co-star Ruthxjiah Bellenea received the award for Best Supporting Actress.
Writer Emma Jane Unsworth won the award for Debut Screenwriter for her big-screen adaptation of her second novel, Animals, and producers Kate Byers and Linn Waite won the Breakthrough Producer award for their film Bait.
The Raindance Discovery Award went to Children of the Snow Land; the award for Best British Short Film was presented to Dekel Berenson’s Anna and the Best International Independent Film was won by Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite.
The Special Jury Prize was presented to Amanda Nevill CBE, outgoing CEO of the British Film Institute (BFI); and Kristin Scott Thomas was presented with the 2019 Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film.
Winners of 22nd British Independent Film Awards
BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
FOR SAMA Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts
BEST DIRECTOR
WAAD AL-KATEAB, EDWARD WATTS For Sama
BEST SCREENPLAY
ARMANDO IANNUCCI, SIMON BLACKWELL The Personal History of David Copperfield
BEST ACTRESS
RENEE ZELLWEGER Judy
BEST ACTOR
JOSH O’CONNOR Only You
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
RUTHXJIAH BELLENEA The Last Tree
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
HUGH LAURIE The Personal History of David Copperfield
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD (DEBUT DIRECTOR)
HARRY WOOTLIFF Only You
BREAKTHROUGH PRODUCER
KATE BYERS, LINN WAITE Bait
DEBUT SCREENWRITER
EMMA JANE UNSWORTH Animals
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
SAM ADEWUNMI The Last Tree
BEST DOCUMENTARY
FOR SAMA Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts
THE RAINDANCE DISCOVERY AWARD
CHILDREN OF THE SNOW LAND Zara Balfour, Marcus Stephenson, Mark Hakansson
BEST BRITISH SHORT FILM
ANNA Dekel Berenson, Merlin Merton, Olga Beskhmelnitsyna
BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
PARASITE Bong Joon-ho, Jan Young-Hwan, Moon Yang-kwon, Sin-ae Kwak, Han Jin Won
BEST CASTING
SARAH CROWE The Personal History of David Copperfield
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BENJAMIN KRACUN Beats
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
SUZIE HARMAN, ROBERT WORLEY The Personal History of David Copperfield
BEST EDITING
CHLOE LAMBOURNE, SIMON McMAHON For Sama
BEST EFFECTS
HOWARD JONES A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
BEST MAKE UP & HAIR DESIGN
JEREMY WOODHEAD Judy
BEST MUSIC
JACK ARNOLD Wild Rose
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
CRISTINA CASALI The Personal History of David Copperfield
BEST SOUND
DAVID BOWTLE-McMILLAN, JOAKIM SUNDSTRÖM, ROBERT FARR Beats