BIFA Awards preview: ‘Rye Lane’ and ‘All of Us Strangers’ lead the pack

Raine Allen Miller‘s acclaimed British rom-com “Rye Lane” leads the pack at this weekend’s British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) with a whopping 16 bids. In all, 26 British feature films number among this year’s nominations. Some winners have already been announced (more on that shortly) but the majority of winners will be announced this coming Sunday, December 5 in a ceremony that celebrates the very best of independent British filmmaking.

While “Rye Lane” has the most nominations with 16, Andrew Haigh‘s “All of Us Strangers,” and Charlotte Regan‘s “Scrapper” are right behind with 14 bids apiece. Molly Manning Walker‘s breakout “How to Have Sex” has a lucky 13 nominations while “Femme” and “The End We Start From” have 11 and nine nominations, respectively.

“Rye Lane” scored a nomination for Best Film as well as Director for Allen Miller, Joint Lead Performance for stars David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah, Breakthrough Performance for Oparah, and Screenplay for Nathan Byron and Tom Melia. It also picked up bids for Casting, Cinematography, Costume Design, Editing, Makeup and Hair Design, Original Music, Music Supervision, Production Design, Debut Director, Debut Screenwriter, and Breakthrough Producer. It has already won for Original Music.

“All of Us Strangers,” meanwhile, has already won Cinematography, Editing, and Music Supervision. It contends in major categories: Best Film; Director for Haigh; Lead Performance for Andrew Scott; Supporting Performance for Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, and Claire Foy; and Screenplay for Haigh. Plus, it is also nominated for Casting, Makeup and Hair Design, Production Design, and Sound.

“Scrapper” is up for Best Film, Director for Regan, Joint Lead Performance for Lola Campbell and Harris Dickinson, Breakthrough Performance for Campbell, Screenplay for Regan, Debut Director, Debut Screenwriter, and Breakthrough Producer. It is also nominated for Casting, Cinematography, Costume Design, Music, Production Design, and Sound.

There are some other big names in contention, too, with Jodie Comer (“The End We Start From”), Tilda Swinton (“The Eternal Daughter”), and Scott all nominated for Lead Performance. The other nominees are Mia McKenna-Bruce (“How to Have Sex”), Tia Nomore (“Earth Mama”), and Nabhaan Rizwan (“In Camera”). It’s the same story in Supporting Performance, which features 10 nominees instead of five. Mescal, Bell, and Foy are all nominated for “All of Us Strangers” while Alia Shawkat is nominated for “Drift” and Katherine Waterston is nominated for “The We Start From.” The other nominees are Ritu Arya (“Polite Society”), Samuel Bottomley (“How to Have Sex”), Alexandra Burke (“Pretty Red Dress”), Amir El-Masry (“In Camera”), and Shaun Thomas (“How to Have Sex”).

Plus, International Feature lists some major Oscar contenders in Celine Song‘s “Past Lives” and Justine Triet‘s “Anatomy of a Fall.” The other nominees in this category are “Fallen Leave,” “Fremont,” and “Monster.”

Among the other early winners: “Femme” took Costume Design and Makeup and Hair Design while “The Kitchen” claimed Production Design and Effects. Meanwhile, Casting went to “How to Have Sex” and Sound went to “Enys Men.” Scroll down below for a complete nominations list.

Best British Independent Film
“All Of Us Strangers”
“Femme”
“How To Have Sex”
“Rye Lane”
“Scrapper”

Best International Independent Film sponsored by Champagne Taittinger
“Anatomy of a Fall”
“Fallen Leaves”
“Fremont”
“Monster”
“Past Lives”

Best Director sponsored by Sky Cinema
Raine Allen Miller, “Rye Lane”
Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, “Femme”
Andrew Haigh, “All Of Us Strangers”
Molly Manning Walker, “How To Have Sex”
Charlotte Regan, “Scrapper”

Best Screenplay sponsored by Apple Original Films
Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, “Rye Lane”
Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, “Femme”
Andrew Haigh, “All of Us Strangers”
Molly Manning Walker, “How to Have Sex”
Charlotte Regan, “Scrapper”

Best Lead Performance
Jodie Comer,” The End We Start From”
Mia McKenna-Bruce, “How to Have Sex”
Tia Nomore, “Earth Mama”
Nabhaan Rizwan, “In Camera”
Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers”
Tilda Swinton, “The Eternal Daughter”

Best Supporting Performance
Ritu Arya, “Polite Society”
Jamie Bell, “All of Us Strangers”
Samuel Bottomley, “How to Have Sex”
Alexandra Burke, “Pretty Red Dress”
Amir El-Masry, “In Camera”
Clair Foy, “All of Us Strangers”
Paul Mescal, “All of Us Strangers”
Alia Shawkat, “Drift”
Shaun Thomas, “How to Have Sex”
Katherine Waterston, “The End We Start From”

Best Joint Lead Performance
Lola Campbell and Harris Dickinson, “Scrapper”
David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah, “Rye Lane”
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay,” Femme”

The Douglas Hickox Award  for Best Debut Director sponsored by BBC Film
Raine Allen Miller, “Rye Lane”
Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, “Femme”
Savanah Leaf, “Earth Mama”
Holly Manning Walker, “How to Have Sex”
Charlotte Regan, “Scrapper”

Breakthrough Producer sponsored by Pinewood and Shepperton Studios
Theo Barrowclough, “Scrapper”
Georgia Goggin, “Pretty Red Dress”
Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo, “Rye Lane”
Gannesh Rajah, “If the Streets Were on Fire”
Chi Thai, “Raging Grace”

Breakthrough Performance sponsored by Netflix
Le’Shantey Bonsu, “Girl”
Lola Campbell, “Scrapper”
Priya Kansara, “Polite Society”
Mia McKenna-Bruce, “How to Have Sex”
Vivian Oparah, “Rye Lane”

Best Debut Screenwriter sponsored by Film4
Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, “Rye Lane”
Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, “Femme”
Molly Manning Walker, “How to Have Sex”
Nida Manzoor, “Polite Society”
Charlotte Regan, “Scrapper”

Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary
Chloe Abrahams, “The Taste of Mango”
Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn, “Another Baby”
Ella Glendining, “Is There Anybody Out There?”
Alice Russell, “If the Streets Were on Fire”
Christopher Sharp, “Bobi Wine: The People’s President”

The Raindance Maverick Award
“If the Streets Were on Fire”
“Is There Anybody Out There?”
“Name Me Lawand”
“Raging Grace”
“Red Herring”

Best Feature Documentary sponsored by Intermission Film
“Another Body”
“Bobi Wine: The People’s President”
“If the Streets Were on Fire”
“Lyra”
“Occupied City”

Best British Short Film
“Christopher At Sea”
“Festival of Slaps”
“Lions”
“Muna”
“The Talent”

Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society & Spotlight 
Shaheen Baig, “Scrapper”
Kharmel Cochrane, “Rye Lane”
Kahleen Crawford, “All of Us Strangers”
Isabella Odoffin, “How to Have Sex” — WINNER
Salome Oggenfuss, Geraldine Barón, and Abby Harri, “Earth Mama”

Best Cinematography sponsored by Harbor & Kodak
Olan Collardy, “Rye Lane”
Suzie Lavelle, “The End We Start From”
Molly Manning Walker, “Scrapper”
Jamie D. Ramsay, “All of Us Strangers” — WINNER
James Rhodes, “Femme”

Best Costume Design
George Buxton, “How to Have Sex”
Oliver Cronk, “Scrapper”
Buki Ebiesuwa, “Femme” — WINNER
Cynthia Lawrence-John, “Rye Lane”
PC Williams, “The End We Start From”

Best Editing 
Jonathan Alberts, “All of Us Strangers” — WINNER
Victoria Boydell, “Rye Lane”
Paul Carlin, “Bobi Wine: The People’s President”
Avdhesh Mohla, “High & Low – John Galliano”
Arttu Salmi, “The End We Start From”

Best Effects
Paddy Eason, “Polite Society”
Theodor Flo-Groeneboom, “The End We Start From”
Jonathan Gales and Richard Baker, “The Kitchen” — WINNER

Best Music Supervision
Ciara Elwis, “Femme”
Connie Farr, “All of Us Strangers” — WINNER
David Fish, “Rye Lane”

Best Make-Up & Hair Design sponsored by The Wall Group
Zoe Clare Brown, “All of Us Strangers”
Claire Carter, “Polite Society”
Marie Deehan, “Femme” — WINNER
Natasha Lawes, “How to Have Sex”
Bianca Simone Scott, “Rye Lane”

Best Original Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group
Adam Janota Bzowski, “Femme”
Patrick Jonsson, “Scrapper”
Kwes, “Rye Lane” — WINNER
Anna Meredith, “The End We Start From”
Ré Olunuga, “Girl”

Best Production Design sponsored by ATC & Broadsword
Laura Ellis Cricks, “The End We Start From”
Sarah Finlay, “All of Us Strangers”
Elena Muntoni, “Scrapper”
Nathan Parker, “The Kitchen” — WINNER
Anna Rhodes, “Rye Lane”

Best Sound supported by Halo
“Scrapper”
“How to Have Sex”
“All of Us Strangers”
“Enys Men” — WINNER
“The End We Start From”

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