Saint Maud leads British independent film award nominations

Psychological horror Saint Maud has emerged at the front of the pack for the British independent film awards (Bifas), closely followed by supernatural thriller His House and Rocks, the widely acclaimed film about east London schoolchildren.

Saint Maud, written and directed by Rose Glass, recorded 17 nominations, including best British independent film, best director and best screenplay for Glass, and best actress for Morfydd Clark. Glass was also nominated for best debut director.

Remi Weekes’s His House, another debut feature, received 16 nominations; the spooky thriller about refugee couple in England whose house appears to be haunted is also up for best British independent film, best director and best screenplay, as well as best actor and best actress for its leads Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù.

Rocks, which was greeted with a five-star review from the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw on its premiere at the Toronto film festival in 2019, is just behind on 15, with three of its cast nominated: Bukky Bakray for best actress, Kosar Ali for best supporting actress, and D’angelou Osei Kissiedu for best supporting actor.

Anthony Hopkins is nominated for his first Bifa for his lead role as a man affected by dementia in The Father, while Riz Ahmed is nominated in four different categories: best actor, debut screenwriter and best screenplay for Mogul Mowgli, and for best short film for The Long Goodbye, which he co-created and acted in.

The winners are to be announced in February, but no announcement has yet been made on what kind of event will be staged.

Full list of nominations

Best British independent film
Calm With Horses
The Father
His House
Rocks
Saint Maud

Best director
Sarah Gavron and associate director Anu Henriques, Rocks
Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Nick Rowland, Calm With Horses
Remi Weekes, His House
Florian Zeller, The Father

Best screenplay
Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson, Rocks
Bassam Tariq, Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli
Remi Weekes, His House
Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton, The Father

Best actress
Bukky Bakray, Rocks
Morfydd Clark, Saint Maud
Clare Dunne, Herself
Wunmi Mosaku, His House
Andrea Riseborough, Luxor

Best actor
Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli
Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, His House
Amir El-Masry, Limbo
Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Cosmo Jarvis, Calm With Horses

Best supporting actress
Niamh Algar, Calm With Horses
Kosar Ali, Rocks
Jennifer Ehle, Saint Maud
Ashley Madekwe, County Lines
Fiona Shaw, Kindred

Best supporting actor
Harris Dickinson, County Lines
Barry Keoghan, Calm With Horses
Alyy Khan, Mogul Mowgli
Merab Ninidze, The Courier
D’angelou Osei Kissiedu, Rocks

Douglas Hickox award (debut director)
Henry Blake, County Lines
Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Eva Riley, Perfect 10
Nick Rowland, Calm With Horses
Remi Weekes, His House

Breakthrough producer
Douglas Cox, Host [also produced by Emily Gotto, Samuel Zimmerman]
Daniel Emmerson, Calm With Horses
Irune Gurtubai, Limbo [also produced by Angus Lamont]
Oliver Kassman, Saint Maud [also produced by Andrea Cornwell]
Edward King, Martin Gentles, His House [also produced by Aidan Elliott, Roy Lee, Arnon Milchan]

Debut screenwriter
Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli [also written by Bassam Tariq]
Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson, Rocks
Joe Murtagh, Calm With Horses
Remi Weekes, His House

Most promising newcomer
Niamh Algar, Calm With Horses
Kosar Ali, Rocks
Bukky Bakray, Rocks
Frankie Box, Perfect 10
Conrad Khan, County Lines

Best documentary
The Australian Dream
Being a Human Person
The Reason I Jump
Rising Phoenix
White Riot

Raindance discovery award
Justine
Looted
One Man and His Shoes
Perfect 10
Rose: A Love Story

Best British short film
Filipiñana
The Forgotten C
The Long Goodbye
Mandem
Sudden Light

Best international independent film
Babyteeth
Les Misérables
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland
Notturno

Best casting
Calm With Horses
Saint Maud
His House
Limbo
Rocks

Best cinematography
Limbo
Saint Maud
Rocks
Mogul Mowgli
His House

Best costume design
The Secret Garden
Rocks
Saint Maud
Ammonite
Misbehaviour

Best editing
His House
The Father
Rocks
Host
Saint Maud

Best effects
Undergods
Saint Maud
His House

Best make up and hair design
Saint Maud
His House
Ammonite
Rocks
Misbehaviour

Best music
His House
Mogul Mowgli
The Reason I Jump
Rocks
Saint Maud

Best production design
His House
Misbehaviour
The Father
Undergods
Saint Maud

Best sound
His House
Saint Maud
Mogul Mowgli
The Reason I Jump
Host