The nominees for the 2021 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) were announced on Thursday, 4 November 2021, ahead of the organisation’s awards ceremony scheduled for 5 December 2021. The BIFAs celebrate the creativity, talent and technical achievements of independent British cinema, highlighting both established figures and emerging voices across performance, directing, writing and crafts.
This year’s roster of nominees includes a mix of familiar industry names and rising stars. Veterans such as Kenneth Branagh, Jude Law and Ruth Wilson appear alongside Riz Ahmed, a 2021 Academy Award nominee, reflecting the breadth of work recognised by the BIFAs. Two films led the nominations: Philip Barantini’s one-shot drama Boiling Point, starring Stephen Graham, and Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast—each earned 11 nominations. Several other standout films secured multiple nods, including Prano Bailey-Bond’s debut horror Censor, Aleem Khan’s intimate drama After Love, and Joanna Hogg’s anticipated sequel The Souvenir: Part II, each receiving nine nominations.
The nominees for the 2021 British Independent Film Awards:
Best British Independent Film
After Love
Ali & Ava
Boiling Point
The Nest
The Souvenir: Part II
Best Director
Philip Barantini (Boiling Point)
Clio Barnard (Ali & Ava)
Sean Durkin (The Nest)
Joanna Hogg (The Souvenir: Part II)
Aleem Khan (After Love)
Best Actress
Caitríona Balfe (Belfast)
Carrie Coon (The Nest)
Claire Rushbrook (Ali & Ava)
Joanna Scanlan (After Love)
Ruth Wilson (True Things)
Best Actor
Riz Ahmed (Encounter)
Adeel Akhtar (Ali & Ava)
Stephen Graham (Boiling Point)
Jude Law (The Nest)
James Norton (Nowhere Special)
Best Supporting Actress
Judi Dench (Belfast)
Jo Hartley (Sweetheart)
Nathalie Richard (After Love)
Vinette Robinson (Boiling Point)
Tilda Swinton (The Souvenir: Part II)
Best Supporting Actor
Talid Ariss (After Love)
Richard Ayoade (The Souvenir: Part II)
Lucian-River Chauhan (Encounter)
Ciarán Hinds (Belfast)
Ray Panthaki (Boiling Point)
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)
Prano Bailey-Bond (Censor)
Celeste Bell (Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché)
Cathy Brady (Wildfire)
Aleem Khan (After Love)
Marley Morrison (Sweetheart)
Best Screenplay
Clio Barnard (Ali & Ava)
Terence Davies (Benediction)
Sean Durkin (The Nest)
Joanna Hogg (The Souvenir: Part II)
Aleem Khan (After Love)
Breakthrough Producer
Michelle Antoniades (Sweetheart)
Helen Jones (Censor)
Jessica Malik (She Will)
Hester Ruoff (Boiling Point)
Rob Watson (The Power)
Best Debut Screenwriter
Prano Bailey-Bond (Censor)
Cathy Brady (Wildfire)
Aleem Khan (After Love)
Marley Morrison (Sweetheart)
Reggie Yates (Pirates)
The Raindance Discovery Award
Bank (Job Daniel Edelstyn, Hilary Powell, Christopher Hird)
The Bike Thief (Matt Chambers, Pk Fellowes, Sophia Gibber, Lene Bausager)
I Am Belmaya (Sue Carpenter, Christopher Hird)
Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché (Paul Sng, Celeste Bell, Zoë Howe, Rebecca Mark-Lawson, Matthew Silverman, Daria Nitsche)
Rebel Dykes (Harri Shanahan, Siân A. Williams, Siobhan Fahey)
Best British Short Film
Egúngún (Masquerade)
Femme
Night of the Living Dread
Play It Safe
Precious Hair & Beauty
Best International Independent Film
Compartment No. 6
First Cow
Flee
Petite Maman
Pleasure
Best Casting
Shaheen Baig (After Love)
Shaheen Baig (Ali & Ava)
Shaheen Baig (Pirates)
Lucy Bevan, Emily Brockmann (Belfast)
Carolyn Mcleod (Boiling Point)
Best Cinematography
Mátyás Erdély (The Nest)
Magdalena Kowalczyk (Cow)
Matthew Lewis (Boiling Point)
Annika Summerson (Censor)
Haris Zambarloukos (Belfast)
Best Costume Design
Michael O’Connor (The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain)
Grace Snell (The Souvenir: Part II)
Guy Speranza (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie)
Annie Symons (Benediction)
Charlotte Walter (Belfast)
Best Music
Iain Cooke (Pirates)
Connie Farr, Harry Escott (Ali & Ava)
Jed Kurzel (Encounter)
Clint Mansell (In the Earth)
Van Morrison (Belfast)
Best Effects
Steven Bray, Mike Knights (Dashcam)
Gary Brown, István Molnár, Dan Martin (Censor)
Rupert Davies (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain)
Best Editing
Helle Le Fevre (The Souvenir: Part II)
Rebecca Lloyd, Jacob Schulsinger, Nicolas Chaudeurge (Cow)
Úna Ní Dhonghaíle (Belfast)
Mark Towns (Censor)
Ben Wheatley (In the Earth)
Best Make-Up & Hair
Siobhan Harper-Ryan (The Souvenir: Part II)
Vickie Lang, Kristyan Mallett, Donald Mcinnes (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain)
Ruth Pease (Censor)
Nadia Stacey (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie)
Wakana Yoshihara (Belfast)
Best Production Design
Jim Clay (Belfast)
Stéphane Collonge (The Souvenir: Part II)
Suzie Davies (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain)
Aimee Meek (Boiling Point)
Paulina Rzeszowska (Censor)
Best Sound
Nicolas Becker, Cyril Holtz, Linda Forsen (Cow)
James Drake (Boiling Point)
Tim Harrison, Jamie Roden, Adele Fletcher (Censor)
Martin Pavey (In the Earth)
Andrew Stirk, Paul Davies, Morgan Muse, Bernard O’Reilly, Julian Howarth (Encounter)
The 2021 BIFAs showcase a diverse slate of films — from intimate dramas and debut horror to international co-productions and inventive shorts — and underscore the strong creative output across the UK’s independent scene. With multiple nominations across directing, acting, technical and craft categories, films such as Boiling Point, Belfast, After Love, Censor and The Souvenir: Part II demonstrate the range of storytelling and technical excellence celebrated by the awards.
The winners were to be revealed at the awards ceremony on 5 December 2021. These nominations not only highlight distinguished individual performances and technical achievements but also point to the ongoing vitality and international reach of British independent filmmaking being recognised by the BIFAs.