British Independent Film Awards 2008
2008 British Independent Film Awards
2008 British Independent Film Award nominations: October 28, 2008
2008 British Independent Film Award winners: Old Billingsgate Market in London on November 30, 2008
The romantic fantasy Slumdog Millionaire (above, top photo), about a poor young man (best newcomer winner Dev Patel) who gets a chance to become a millionaire on an Indian TV game show, was the top winner at the 2008 British Independent Film Awards, bagging trophies for best British independent film and best director (Danny Boyle).
The Douglas Hickox award for debut director went to Steve McQueen for the Anglo-Irish political drama Hunger (above, lower photo). Hunger also won awards for actor Michael Fassbender, who plays real-life Republican leader Bobby Sands, and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt in the technical achievement category.
Surprisingly, American Vera Farmiga was named best actress for the Holocaust drama The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (instead of favorite Sally Hawkins for the feel-good Happy-Go-Lucky), while Martin McDonagh won the best screenplay award for In Bruges — that film’s sole win.
Last year’s big BIFA winner, Control, was all but ignored by the (generally speaking) Hollywood-centric US critics and other voting bodies in the United States. Considering the Oscar buzz surrounding Slumdog Millionaire, this year things will quite likely be different.
("*" denotes the winner in each category)
BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
Hunger
In Bruges
Man on Wire
* Slumdog Millionaire
Somers Town
BEST FOREIGN FILM
The Diving Bell & The Butterfly
Gomorrah
I’ve Loved You So Long
Persepolis
* Waltz With Bashir
BEST DOCUMENTARY
A Complete History of My Sexual Failures
Derek
* Man on Wire
Of Time and The City
Three Miles North of Molkom
BEST DIRECTOR
Mark Herman – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Steve McQueen – Hunger
* Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
Shane Meadows – Somers Town
Garth Jennings – Son of Rambow
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR
James Watkins – Eden Lake
Rupert Wyatt – The Escapist
* Steve McQueen – Hunger
Martin McDonagh – In Bruges
Eran Creevy – Shifty
BEST ACTRESS
* Vera Farmiga – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Samantha Morton – The Daisy Chain
Keira Knightley – The Duchess
Kelly Reilly – Eden Lake
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky
BEST ACTOR
* Michael Fassbender – Hunger
Colin Farrell – In Bruges
Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges
Riz Ahmed – Shifty
Thomas Turgoose – Somers Town
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emma Thompson – Brideshead Revisited
Hayley Atwell – The Duchess
Kristin Scott Thomas – Easy Virtue
Sienna Miller – The Edge of Love
* Alexis Zegerman – Happy-Go-Lucky
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ralph Fiennes – The Duchess
* Eddie Marsan – Happy-Go-Lucky
Liam Cunningham – Hunger
Ralph Fiennes – In Bruges
Daniel Mays– Shifty
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Asa Butterfield – The Boy in the Striped Paamas
* Dev Patel – Slumdog Millionaire
Ayush Mahesh Khedekar – Slumdog Millionaire
Bill Milner – Son of Rambow
Will Poulter – Son of Rambow
BEST SCREENPLAY
Enda Walsh, Steve McQueen – Hunger
* Martin McDonagh – In Bruges
Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire
Paul Fraser – Somers Town
Garth Jennings – Son of Rambow
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
The Daisy Chain
* The Escapist
Hush
Shifty
Telstar
RAINDANCE AWARD
Clubbed
Flick
One Day Removals
* Zebra Crossings
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Wardrobe – Michael O’Connor – The Duchess
* Cinematography – Sean Bobbitt – Hunger
Editing – Jon Gregory – In Bruges
Music – Harry Escott, Molly Nyman – Shifty
Cinematography – Anthony Dod Mantle – Slumdog Millionaire
BEST BRITISH SHORT
Alex And Her Arse Truck
Gone Fishing
Love Does Grow On Trees
Red Sands
* Soft
THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution to British Film)
David Thewlis
THE VARIETY AWARD
Michael Sheen
THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Joe Dunton
The nominations are selected by a committee composed of 70 members.
Winners’ Jury: Producer and Chair, Simon Relph, Actresses Anne Marie Duff and Eva Birthistle, Actors Mark Strong and Christopher Simpson, Director Joe Wright, Photographer/Director Rankin, Writer/Director Paul Andrew Williams, Writer Abi Morgan, Producers David Lawson, Gina Carter and Cat Villiers, Xavier Marchand Distributor (Momentum), Casting Director Shaheen Baig, Agent Tor Belfrage and Col Needham, Founder and Managing Director of the Internet Movie Database.
British Independent Film Awards
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Film Awards: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
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I have to say, Slumdog was just about the best movie I’ve seen in the last five years. Every beat was perfect, the cast was terriffic, and after what happened in Mumbai last month it was an amazing lens on the total abject poverty there and how that could lead to explosive violence. Pretty amazing, really.