British Independent Film Awards 2021

Annual film awards

Date

5 December 2021

Most awards

After Love (6)

Most nominations

Boiling Point (11)
Belfast

Website

www.bifa.film

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The British Independent Film Awards 2021 were held on 5 December 2021 to recognise the best in British independent cinema and filmmaking talent from United Kingdom.^[1] The nominations were announced on 3 November 2021, by actors Samuel Adewunmi and Mimi Keene via live-stream from the Curzon Soho in London.^[2]

The winners of the craft categories were announced on 19 November while the winners for the rest of the categories were presented at the ceremony on 5 December. The awards were hosted by Asim Chaudhry.

Winners and nominees

Best British Independent Film	Best Director
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, Christina Piovesan The Souvenir Part II – Joanna Hogg, Ed Guiney, Emma Norton, Andrew Lowe, Luke Schiller	After Love – Aleem Khan Ali & Ava – Clio Barnard Boiling Point – Philip Barantini The Nest – Sean Durkin The Souvenir Part II – Joanna Hogg
Best Actor	Best Actress
*Adeel Akhtar – Ali & Ava* as Ali** Riz Ahmed – Encounter as Malik Kahn Stephen Graham – Boiling Point as Andy Jones Jude Law – The Nest as Rory O'Hara James Norton – Nowhere Special as John	*Joanna Scanlan – After Love* as Mary Hussain** Caitríona Balfe – Belfast as Buddy's mother Carrie Coon – The Nest as Allison O'Hara Claire Rushbrook – Ali & Ava as Ava Ruth Wilson – True Things as Kate
Best Supporting Actor	Best Supporting Actress
*Talid Ariss – After Love* as Solomon** Richard Ayoade – The Souvenir Part II as Patrick Lucian River-Chauhan – Encounter as Jay Kahn Ciarán Hinds – Belfast as Buddy's grandfather Ray Panthaki – Boiling Point as Freeman	*Vinette Robinson – Boiling Point* as Carly** Judi Dench – Belfast as Buddy's grandmother Jo Hartley – Sweetheart as Tina Nathalie Richard – After Love as Genevieve Longuet Tilda Swinton – The Souvenir Part II as Rosalind Harte
Breakthrough Performance	Best Screenplay
*Nell Barlow – Sweetheart* as AJ** Lauryn Ajufo – Boiling Point as Andrea Max Harwood – Everybody's Talking About Jamie as Jamie New / Mimi Me Jude Hill – Belfast as Buddy Ellora Torchia – IN THE EⱯRTH as Alma	After Love – Aleem Khan Ali & Ava – Clio Barnard The Nest – Sean Durkin Benediction – Terence Davis The Souvenir Part II – Joanna Hogg
Best Documentary	Best Short Film
Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché – Paul Sng, Celeste Bell, Zoë Howe, Rebecca Mark-Lawson, Matthew Silverman, Daria Mitsche Cow – Andrea Arnold, Kat Mansoor Dying to Divorce – Chloe Fairweather, Sinead Kirwan I Am Belmaya – Sue Carpenter, Christopher Hird Keyboard Fantasies – Posy Dixon, Liv Proctor	Femme – Sam H Freeman, MG Choon Ping, Sam Ritzenberg, Hayley Williams, Rienjke Attoh Egúngún (Masquerade) – Olive Nwosu, Alex Polunin Night of the Living Dead – Ida Melum, Laura Jayne Tunbridge, Hannah Kelso, Danielle Goff Play It Safe – Mitch Kalisa, Chris Toumazou Precious Hair & Beauty – John Ognmuyiwa, Sophia Gibber, Tony Longe, Lene Basager
Best International Independent Film	Best Casting
Flee – Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Amin Nawabi, Monica Hellstrøm, Signe Byrge Sørensen Compartment No. 6 – Juho Kuosmanen, Livia Ulvan, Andris Feldmanis, Jussi Rantamäki, Emilia Hakka First Cow – Kelly Reichardt, Jon Raymond, Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani Petite Maman – Céline Sciamma, Bénédicte Couvreur Pleasure – Ninja Thyberg, Peter Modestij, Eliza Jones, Markus Waltå, Erik Hemmendorff	Boiling Point – Carolyn McLeod After Love – Shaheen Baig Ali & Ava – Shaheen Baig Pirates – Shaheen Baig Belfast – Lucy Bevan, Emily Brockmann
Cinematography	Best Costume Design
Boiling Point – Matthew Lewis The Nest – Mátyás Erdély Cow – Magda Kowalczyk Censor – Annika Summerson Belfast – Haris Zambarloukos	The Souvenir Part II – Grace Snell The Electrical Life of Louis Wain – Michael O'Connor Everybody's Talking About Jamie – Guy Speranza Benediction – Annie Symons Belfast – Charlotte Walter
Best Editing	Best Effects
The Souvenir Part II – Helle le Fevre Cow – Rebecca Lloyd, Jacob Schulsinger, Nicolas Chaudeurge Belfast – Úna Ní Dhonghaíle Censor – Mark Towns IN THE EⱯRTH – Ben Wheatley	DASHCAM – Steven Bray, Mike Knights Censor – Gary Brown, István Molnár, Dan Martin The Electrical Life of Louis Wain – Rupert Davies
Best Make-Up & Hair Design	Best Music
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain – Vickie Lang, Kristyan Mallett, Donald McInnes The Souvenir Part II – Siobhan Harper-Ryan Censor – Ruth Pease Everybody's Talking About Jamie – Nadia Stacey Belfast – Wakana Yoshihara	Ali & Ava – Connie Farr, Harry Escott Pirates – Iain Cooke Encounter – Jed Kurzel IN THE EⱯRTH – Clint Mansell Belfast – Van Morrison
Best Production Design	Best Sound
The Souvenir Part II – Stéphane Collonge Boiling Point – Aimee Meek Belfast – Jim Clay The Electrical Life of Louis Wain – Suzie Davies Censor – Paulina Rzeszowska	Boiling Point – James Drake, Rob Entwistle and Kiff McManus Cow – Nicolas Becker, Cyril Holtz, Linda Forsen Censor – Tim Harrison, Jamie Roden, Adele Fletcher IN THE EⱯRTH – Martin Pavey Encounter – Andrew Stirk, Paul Davies, Morgan Muse, Bernard O'Reilley, Julian Howarth
Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)	Best Debut Screenwriter
After Love – Aleem Khan Censor – Prano Bailey-Bond Wildfire – Cathy Brady Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché – Celeste Bell Sweetheart – Marley Morrison	Wildfire – Cathy Brady Censor – Prano Bailey-Bond After Love – Aleem Khan Sweetheart – Marley Morrison Pirates – Reggie Yates
Breakthrough Producer	The Raindance Discovery Award
Sweetheart – Michele Antoniades Censor – Helen Jones She Will – Jessica Malik Boiling Point – Hester Ruoff The Power – Rob Watson	Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché – Paul Sng, Celeste Bell, Zoë Howe, Rebecca Mark-Lawson, Matthew Silverman, Daria Mitsche Bank Job – Daniel Edelsty, Hilary Powell, Christopher Hird The Bike Thief – Matt Chambers, PK Fellowes, Sophia Gibber, Lene Bausager I Am Belmaya – Sue Carpenter, Christopher Hird Rebel Dykes – Harri Shanahan, Sian A. Williams, Siobhan Fahey

Films with multiple nominations and awards

Films that received multiple nominations
Nominations	Film
11	Boiling Point
11	Belfast
9	The Souvenir Part II
	Censor
	After Love
7	Ali & Ava
6	The Nest
5	Sweetheart
4	Cow
	Encounter
	IN THE EⱯRTH
	The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
3	Everybody's Talking About Jamie
	Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché
	Pirates
2	Benediction
	I Am Belmaya
	Wildfire

References

^ "NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR BIFA 2021". BIFA. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
^ Ramachandran, Naman (3 November 2021). "'Belfast,' 'Boiling Point' Lead BIFA Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 3 November 2021.