Kneecap, Rich Peppiat’s comedy following the west Belfast hip-hop trio won the award for Best British Independent Film at the 2024 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA). The film won seven BIFAs in total, including Best Debut Screenwriter for Peppiatt and Best Joint Lead for trio Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh along with the four craft awards.
Rungano Nyoni, won her her third BIFA for On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, with Breakthrough Performance award going to the film’s star, Susan Chardy.
Other acting honors including Best Lead Performance went to Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Mike Leigh’s Hard Truth and Best Supporting Performance went to Franz Rogowski for his role in Andrea Arnold’s Bird. Wicked Little Letters picked up Best Ensemble Performance, for cast members including Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Lolly Adefope, Eillen Atkins, Timothy Spall and Hugh Skinner.
Best Documentary Feature went to Elizabeth Sankey’s Witches, Sean Baker’s Anora won for Best International Independent Film, and Best British Short Film went to the stopmotion animation Wander to Wonder
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) went to Christopher Andrews for Bring Them Down, and Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane won Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary award as well as The Raindance Maverick Award for Grand Theft Hamlet.
The thriller Santosh took Best Screenplay for Sandhya Suria along with Breakthrough Producer for Balthazar de Ganay and James Bowsher.
The 2024 Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film was presented to Sophie Okonedo by her friend and collaborator Ben Daniels.
On behalf of the 2024 jury, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett presented this year’s Special Jury Prize to Fully Focused | Million Youth Media, a multi-award winning youth-driven production company supporting young people from underrepresented communities to gain the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to progress their careers and share their stories.
See the nominations for 2024 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).
Winners of 2024 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA)
Best British Independent Film
KNEECAP
Best International Independent Film
ANORA
Best Director sponsored by Sky Cinema
RUNGANO NYONI On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Best Lead Performance
MARIANNE JEAN-BAPTISTE Hard Truths
Best Screenplay sponsored by Apple Original Films
The Douglas Hickox Award
(Best Debut Director)
CHRISTOPHER ANDREWS Bring Them Down
Breakthrough Producer
BALTHAZAR DE GANAY, JAMES BOWSHER Santosh
Breakthrough Performance
SUSAN CHARDY, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Best Debut Screenwriter sponsored by Film4
RICH PEPPIATT Kneecap
Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary
Grand Theft HamletRICH PEPPIATT Kneecap
The Raindance Maverick Award
GRAND THEFT HAMLET
Best Feature Documentary
WITCHES
Best British Short Film
WANDER TO WONDER
SANDHYA SURI Santosh
Best Supporting Performance
FRANZ ROGOWSKI Bird
Best Joint Lead Performance
LIAM ÓG Ó HANNAIDH, NAOISE Ó CAIREALLÁIN, JJ Ó DOCHARTAIGH Kneecap