Broken leads BIFA pack with nine nominations

The nominations for the 15^th annual Moët British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) were announced today in London with Rufus Norris’ Broken [pictured] leading the pack with nine nominations, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Debut Director.

Ben Wheatley’s black comedy Sightseers and Peter Strickland’s giallo-inspired thriller Berberian Sound Studio were close behind with seven nods each, while Bart Layton’s critically acclaimed documentary The Imposter picked up six nominations.

John Madden’s box office smash The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel received five nominations and Ben Drew’s iLL Manors, Paul Andrew Williams’ Song For Marion and Sally Potter’s Ginger & Rosa each received three.

Best Film will be contested by Berberian Sound Studio, Broken, Sightseers, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Imposter; Best Director between Layton, Wheatley, Madden, Strickland and Norris; while Riz Ahmed, Steve Oram, Terence Stamp, Tim Roth and Toby Jones will be in contention for Best Actor and Best Actress will go to Alice Lowe, Andrea Riseborough, Elle Fanning, Judi Dench or Meryl Streep.

The jury for the 2012 awards consists of chair Alison Owen (producer), Adrian Hodges (writer), Christine Bottomley (actress), Danny Leigh (film critic), Iain Canning (producer), Jamie Thraves (director/writer), Jina Jay (casting director), John Boyega (actor), John Fletcher (marketing director, Paramount), Lesley Sharp (actress), Maria Djurkovic (production designer), Michelle Eastwood (producer), Nick Angel (music supervisor), Paul Franklin (SFX supervisor), Tom Hiddleston (actor) and Tristan Goligher (producer).

BIFA Patron James Nesbitt will host the ceremony for the seventh time, with the ceremony taking place at the Old Billingsgate in London on Dec 9.

BIFA joint directors Johanna von Fischer & Tessa Collinson commented: “In this our 15^th year, we are delighted to welcome back six-time former host James Nesbitt. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated Pre-Selection Committee who watched over 200 films in order to produce the 2012 Nominations, which once again reflect the diverse range of British film talent, and also welcome this year’s appointed independent Jury who will now spend the next month considering the nominated films.”

The BIFAs are sponsored by Moët & Chandon, BFI, 3 Mills Studios, BBC Films, Company3, M.A.C, Raindance, Sanderson & St Martins Lane – Morgans Hotel Group, Soho House, Studiocanal, Swarovski, Variety, AD Creative, AllCity, Intermission and LightBrigade Media.

Full nominations:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM Sponsored by Moët & Chandon

Berberian Sound Studio
Broken
Sightseers
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Imposter

BEST DIRECTOR Sponsored by AllCity & Intermission

Bart Layton – The Imposter
Ben Wheatley – Sightseers
John Madden – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Peter Strickland – Berberian Sound Studio
Rufus Norris – Broken

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR] Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios

Bart Layton – The Imposter
Ben Drew – Ill Manors
Rowan Athale – Wasteland
Rufus Norris – Broken
Sally El Hosaini – My Brother the Devil

BEST SCREENPLAY Sponsored by BBC Films

Abi Morgan – The Iron Lady
Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Amy Jump – Sightseers
Mark O’Rowe – Broken
Paul Andrew Williams – Song for Marion
Peter Strickland – Berberian Sound Studio 

BEST ACTRESS Sponsored by M.A.C

Alice Lowe (Tina) – Sightseers
Andrea Riseborough (Colette McVeigh) – Shadow Dancer
Elle Fanning (Ginger) – Ginger & Rosa
Judi Dench (Evelyn Greenslade) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Meryl Streep (Margaret Thatcher) – The Iron Lady 

BEST ACTOR

Riz Ahmed (Aaron) – Ill Manors
Steve Oram (Chris) – Sightseers
Terence Stamp (Arthur) – Song for Marion
Tim Roth (Archie) – Broken
Toby Jones (Gilderoy) – Berberian Sound Studio

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Alice Englert (Rosa) – Ginger & Rosa
Eileen Davies (Carol) – Sightseers
Maggie Smith (Muriel Donnelly) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Olivia Colman (Queen Elizabeth) – Hyde Park on Hudson
Vanessa Redgrave (Marion) – Song for Marion 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Sponsored by Sanderson & St Martins Lane

Billy Connolly (Wilf) – Quartet
Cillian Murphy (Mike Kiernan) – Broken
Domhnall Gleeson (Connor) – Shadow Dancer
Rory Kinnear (Bob Oswald) – Broken
Tom Wilkinson (Graham Dashwood) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER Sponsored by Studiocanal

Elliott Tittensor (Tits) – Spike Island
Eloise Laurence (Skunk) – Broken
James Floyd (Rashid) – My Brother the Devil
Paul Brannigan (Robbie) – The Angels’ Share
Zawe Ashton (Joyce Vincent) – Dreams of a Life 

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION Sponsored by Company3

Berberian Sound Studio
Ill Manors
Sightseers
The Imposter
The Sweeney 

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT Sponsored by LightBrigade Media

Nic Knowland Bsc– Cinematography – Berberian Sound Studio
Joakim Sundström, Stevie Haywood AMPS IPS– Sound Design – Berberian Sound Studio
Electric Wave Bureau – Music – Broken
Robbie Ryan – Cinematography – Ginger & Rosa
Andrew Hulme – Editing – The Imposter 

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Dreams of a Life
London: The Modern Babylon
Marley
Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir
The Imposter 

BEST BRITISH SHORT Supported by the BFI

Friday
Junk
Skyborn
Swimmer
Volume

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM

Amour
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Rust & Bone
Searching For Sugar Man
The Hunt

THE RAINDANCE AWARD

Frank
Strings
Love Tomorrow
City Slacker
Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)

To Be Announced

THE VARIETY AWARD

To Be Announced

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE

Announced at the ceremony on Dec 9