‘Belfast,’ ‘Boiling Point’ lead 2021 BIFA nominations

Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast and Philip Barantini’s Boiling Point head the nominations for the 2021 British Independent Film Awards with 11 each; Censor, After Love, The Souvenir Part II come in with nine

Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film Belfast earned top BIFA nominations today in best actress for Caitriona Balfe, best supporting actress for Judi Dench, best supporting actor for Ciarán Hinds and breakthrough performance for young Jude Hill. The film also earned nods for its casting, cinematography, editing, music, production design and makeup.

Boiling Point, Barantini’s second feature as director, scored nominations including best British independent film, with nominations for Barantini in best director, Stephen Graham for best actor, Vinette Robinson for best supporting actress, Ray Panthaki for best supporting actor and Hester Ruoff for breakthrough producer. Barantini’s short of the same name was nominated at the 2019 BIFAs.

Three films followed with nine nominations each. Aleem Khan’s After Love’s nine nominations included best British independent film, Joanna Scanlan in best actress and Khan in director, screenplay, debut director and debut screenwriter. Khan is the only debut filmmaker in the best British independent film category this year. 

Prano Bailey-Bond’s Censor also secured nine nominations, including for Bailey-Bond in debut director and debut screenwriter; while The Souvenir Part II’s nine nominations included best British independent film, best director and best screenplay for Joanna Hogg, best supporting actress for Tilda Swinton and best supporting actor for Richard Ayoade.

Casting director Shaheen Baig scored a coup in best casting, snagging three of the five spots for After Love, Ali & Ava and Pirates. Ali & Ava was a top nomination getter today with seven total.

The nominations were announced by actors Sam Adewunmi (a 2019 Star of Tomorrow) and Mimi Keene, live from the Curzon Soho cinema in London. Winners in the craft categories will be announced on November 19; with the remaining categories announced at the in-person ceremony on Sunday, December 5.

Here is the full list of nominations for the 2021 British Independent Film Awards.

Best British Independent Film

After Love – Aleem Khan, Matthieu De Braconier

Ali & Ava – Clio Barnard, Tracy O’riordan

Boiling Point – Philip Barantini, James Cummings, Bart Ruspoli, Hester Ruoff

The Nest – Sean Durkin, Ed Guiney, Derrin Schlesinger, Rose Garnett, Amy Jackson, Cristina Piovesan

The Souvenir Part II – Joanna Hogg, Ed Guiney, Emma Norton, Andrew Lowe, Luke Schiller

Best Director

Philip Barantini – Boiling Point

Clio Barnard – Ali & Ava

Sean Durkin – The Nest

Joanna Hogg – The Souvenir Part II

Aleem Khan – After Love

Best Screenplay

Clio Barnard – Ali & Ava

Terence Davies – Benediction

Sean Durkin – The Nest

Joanna Hogg – The Souvenir Part II

Aleem Khan – After Love

Best Actress

Caitríona Balfe – Belfast

Carrie Coon – The Nest

Claire Rushbrook – Ali & Ava

Joanna Scanlan – After Love

Ruth Wilson – True Things

Best Actor

Riz Ahmed – Encounter

Adeel Akhtar – Ali & Ava

Stephen Graham – Boiling Point

Jude Law – The Nest

James Norton – Nowhere Special

Best Supporting Actress

Judi Dench – Belfast

Jo Hartley – Sweetheart

Nathalie Richard – After Love

Vinette Robinson – Boiling Point

Tilda Swinton – The Souvenir Part II

Best Supporting Actor

Talid Ariss – After Love

Richard Ayoade – The Souvenir Part II

Lucian-River Chauhan – Encounter

Ciarán Hinds – Belfast

Ray Panthaki – Boiling Point

The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)

Prano Bailey-Bond – Censor

Celeste Bell – Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché [also directed by Paul Sng]

Cathy Brady – Wildfire

Aleem Khan – After Love

Marley Morrison – Sweetheart

Breakthrough Producer

Michelle Antoniades – Sweetheart

Helen Jones – Censor

Jessica Malik – She Will [also produced by Bob Last]

Hester Ruoff – Boiling Point [also produced by Bart Ruspoli]

Rob Watson – The Power [also produced by Matthew James Wilkinson]

Breakthrough Performance

Lauryn Ajufo – Boiling Point

Nell Barlow – Sweetheart

Max Harwood – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Jude Hill – Belfast

Ellora Torchia – In The Earth

Best Debut Screenwriter

Prano Bailey-Bond – Censor [also written by Anthony Fletcher]

Cathy Brady – Wildfire

Aleem Khan – After Love

Marley Morrison – Sweetheart

Reggie Yates – Pirates

Best Documentary

Cow – Andrea Arnold, Kat Mansoor

Dying To Divorce – Chloë Fairweather, Sinead Kirwan

I Am Belmaya – Sue Carpenter, Christopher Hird

Keyboard Fantasies – Posy Dixon, Liv Proctor

Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché – Paul Sng, Celeste Bell, Zoë Howe, Rebecca Mark-Lawson, Matthew Silverman, Daria Nitsche

The Discovery Award

Bank Job – Daniel Edelstyn, Hilary Powell, Christopher Hird

The Bike Thief – Matt Chambers, Pk Fellowes, Sophia Gibber, Lene Bausager

I Am Belmaya – Sue Carpenter, Christopher Hird

Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché Paul Sng, Celeste Bell, Zoë Howe, Rebecca Mark-Lawson, Matthew Silverman, Daria Nitsche

Rebel Dykes – Harri Shanahan, Siân A. Williams, Siobhan Fahey

Best British Short Film

Egúngún (Masquerade) – Olive Nwosu, Alex Polunin

Femme – Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Sam Riztenberg, Hayley Williams, Rienjke Attoh

Night Of The Living Dread – Ida Melum, Laura Jayne Tunbridge, Hannah Kelso, Danielle Goff

Play It Safe – Mitch Kalisa, Chris Toumazou

Precious Hair & Beauty – John Ogunmuyiwa, Sophia Gibber, Tony Longe, Lene Bausager

Best International Independent Film

Compartment No. 6 – Juho Kuosmanen, Livia Ulman, Andris Feldmanis, Jussi Rantamäki, Emilia Haukka

First Cow – Kelly Reichardt, Jon Raymond, Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani

Flee – Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Amin Nawabi, Monica Hellstrøm, Signe Byrge Sørensen

Petite Maman – Céline Sciamma, Bénédicte Couvreur

Pleasure – Ninja Thyberg, Peter Modestij, Erik Hemmendorff, Eliza Jones, Markus Waltå

Best Casting

Shaheen Baig – After Love

Shaheen Baig – Ali & Ava

Shaheen Baig – Pirates

Lucy Bevan, Emily Brockmann – Belfast

Carolyn Mcleod – Boiling Point

Best Cinematography

Mátyás Erdély – The Nest

Magdalena Kowalczyk – Cow

Matthew Lewis – Boiling Point

Annika Summerson – Censor

Haris Zambarloukos – Belfast

Best Costume Design

Michael O’Connor – The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain

Grace Snell – The Souvenir Part II

Guy Speranza – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Annie Symons – Benediction

Charlotte Walter – Belfast

Best Editing

Helle Le Fevre – The Souvenir Part II

Rebecca Lloyd, Jacob Schulsinger, Nicolas Chaudeurge – Cow

Úna Ní Dhonghaíle – Belfast

Mark Towns – Censor

Ben Wheatley – In The Earth 

Best Music

Iain Cooke – Pirates

Connie Farr, Harry Escott – Ali & Ava

Jed Kurzel – Encounter

Clint Mansell – In The Earth

Van Morrison – Belfast 

Best Make-Up & Hair

Siobhan Harper-Ryan – The Souvenir Part II

Vickie Lang, Kristyan Mallett, Donald McInnes – The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain

Ruth Pease – Censor

Nadia Stacey – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Wakana Yoshihara – Belfast

Best Effects

Steven Bray, Mike Knights – DASHCAM

Gary Brown, István Molnár, Dan Martin – Censor

Rupert Davies – The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain

Best Production Design

Jim Clay – Belfast

Stéphane Collonge – The Souvenir Part II

Suzie Davies – The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain

Aimee Meek – Boiling Point

Paulina Rzeszowska – Censor

Best Sound

Nicolas Becker, Cyril Holtz, Linda Forsen – Cow

James Drake – Boiling Point

Tim Harrison, Jamie Roden, Adele Fletcher – Censor

Martin Pavey – In The Earth

Andrew Stirk, Paul Davies, Morgan Muse, Bernard O’reilly, Julian Howarth – Encounter