Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech took the lion’s share of the awards on offer last night at the 13th British Independent Film Awards, winning the Best British Independent Film, Best Actor for Colin Firth and Best Supporting Actor and Actress for Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Cater, who also took home the Richard Harris award for Outstanding Contribution to British Film.
David Seidler won an award for his screenplay for The King’s Speech and Carey Mulligan repeated last year’s Best Actress win for her work in Mark Romanek’s adaptation of Never Let Me Go, and while many expected Romanek to triumph in the Best Director award it was not to be. Instead it was Gareth Edwards’ night, taking home the award as well as Best Technical Achievement and Achievement in Production awards for Monsters.
Recalling the love for Duncan Jones’ Moon last year it’s good to see a film like Monsters championed here and it will hopefully act as encouragement to filmmakers, which is exactly what these awards are for.
Here’s the full list of awards direct from the BIFA website,
BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
Sponsored by Moët & Chandon
THE KING’S SPEECH
BEST DIRECTOR
Sponsored by The Creative Partnership
GARETH EDWARDS (MONSTERS)
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios
CLIO BARNARD (THE ARBOR)
BEST SCREENPLAY
Sponsored by BBC Films
DAVID SEIDLER (THE KING’S SPEECH)
BEST ACTRESS
Sponsored by M.A.C
CAREY MULLIGAN (NEVER LET ME GO)
BEST ACTOR
COLIN FIRTH (THE KING’S SPEECH)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
HELENA BONHAM CARTER (THE KING’S SPEECH)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
GEOFFREY RUSH (THE KING’S SPEECH)
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Sponsored by Optimum Releasing
JOANNE FROGGATT (IN OUR NAME)
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
Sponsored by Ascent Media
MONSTERS
RAINDANCE AWARD
Sponsored by Exile Media
SON OF BABYLON
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Sponsored by Chapter Media
GARETH EDWARDS – VISUAL EFFECTS (MONSTERS)
BEST DOCUMENTARY
ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE
BEST BRITISH SHORT
BABY
BEST FOREIGN FILM
A PROPHET
THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD(for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)
Sponsored by Working Title
HELENA BONHAM CARTER
THE VARIETY AWARD
LIAM NEESON
THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Sponsored by UK Film Council
JENNE CASAROTTO
