The nominees for the 2018 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) have been officially announced. Yorgos Lanthimos’ dark period comedy The Favourite leads the nominations with 13 nods, including a Best Actress nomination for Olivia Colman and supporting actress nominations for co-stars Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. Rachel Weisz also receives a separate Best Actress nomination for her role in Disobedience. This year’s shortlist reflects a diverse and vibrant selection of independent films from the UK and beyond, highlighting strong performances, inventive filmmaking and distinctive storytelling across genres.
BIFA marks its 20th anniversary in 2018 and will host the awards ceremony at Old Billingsgate, London, on Sunday 2nd December 2018. The awards celebrate the best in independent cinema, honoring achievements in acting, directing, writing, technical crafts and emerging talent. Below is the full list of nominees for the 2018 British Independent Film Awards, organized by category for easy reference.
Best British Independent Film
American Animals
Beast
Disobedience
The Favourite
You Were Never Really Here
Best Screenplay (Supported by BBC Films)
Bart Layton (American Animals)
Michael Pearce (Beast)
Sebastián Lelio / Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Disobedience)
Deborah Davis / Tony McNamara (The Favourite)
Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here)
Best Director (Sponsored by Broadsword Event House)
Bart Layton (American Animals)
Michael Pearce (Beast)
Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite)
Andrew Haigh (Lean on Pete)
Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here)
Best British Short (Supported by BFI Network)
The Big Day
Bitter Sea
The Field
Pommel
To Know Him
Best Actor
Rupert Everett (The Happy Prince)
Charlie Plummer (Lean on Pete)
Joe Cole (A Prayer Before Dawn)
Steve Coogan (Stan & Ollie)
Joaquin Phoenix (You Were Never Really Here)
Best Actress (Sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics)
Jessie Buckley (Beast)
Rachel Weisz (Disobedience)
Gemma Arterton (The Escape)
Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Maxine Peake (Funny Cow)
Best Supporting Actor
Evan Peters (American Animals)
Barry Keoghan (American Animals)
Dominic West (Colette)
Alessandro Nivola (Disobedience)
Steve Buscemi (Lean on Pete)
Best Supporting Actress
Molly Wright (Apostasy)
Rachel McAdams (Disobedience)
Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Rachel Weisz (The Favourite)
Nina Arianda (Stan & Ollie)
Most Promising Newcomer
Molly Wright (Apostasy)
Jessie Buckley (Beast)
Michaela Coel (Been So Long)
Liv Hill (Jellyfish)
Marcus Rutherford (Obey)
The Discovery Award (Sponsored by Raindance)
The Dig
Irene’s Ghost
A Moment in the Reeds
Super November
Voyageuse
The Douglas Hickox Award – Debut Director (Sponsored by Kodak & Pinewood)
Daniel Kokotajlo (Apostasy)
Michael Pearce (Beast)
Matt Palmer (Calibre)
Leanne Welham (Pili)
Richard Billingham (Ray & Liz)
Debut Screenwriter
Bart Layton (American Animals)
Daniel Kokotajlo (Apostasy)
Michael Pearce (Beast)
Matt Palmer (Calibre)
Karen Gillan (The Party’s Just Beginning)
Best Documentary
Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story
Evelyn
Island
Nae Pasaran
Under the Wire
Breakthrough Producer (Sponsored by Creativity Media)
Marcie MacLellan (Apostasy)
Kristian Brodie (Beast)
Anna Griffin (Calibre)
Jacqui Davies (Ray & Liz)
Faye Ward (Stan & Ollie)
Best International Independent Film (Sponsored by Champagne Taittinger)
Capernaum
Cold War
The Rider
Roma
Shoplifters
Best Casting (Sponsored by Casting Society of America & Spotlight)
Avy Kaufman (American Animals)
Michelle Smith (Apostasy)
Julie Harkin (Beast)
Dixie Chassay (The Favourite)
Andy Pryor (Stan & Ollie)
Best Cinematography (Supported by Blackmagic Design)
Ollie Bratt Birkeland (American Animals)
Robbie Ryan (The Favourite)
Magnus Nordenhof Jønck (Lean on Pete)
David Ungaro (A Prayer Before Dawn)
Tom Townend (You Were Never Really Here)
Best Costume Design
Andrea Flesch (Colette)
Alyssa Tull (An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn)
Sandy Powell (The Favourite)
Jacqueline Durran (Peterloo)
Guy Speranza (Stan & Ollie)
Best Editing (Sponsored by Intermission Film)
Nick Fenton / Julian Hart / Chris Gill (American Animals)
Yorgos Mavropsaridis (The Favourite)
Ben Wheatley (Happy New Year, Colin Burstead)
Marc Boucrot (A Prayer Before Dawn)
Joe Bini (You Were Never Really Here)
Best Make-Up & Hair Design
Ivana Primorac (Colette)
Nadia Stacey (The Favourite)
Christine Blundell (Peterloo)
Stacey Louise Holman (A Prayer Before Dawn)
Mark Coulier / Jeremy Woodhead (Stan & Ollie)
Best Music (Sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group)
Anne Nikitin (American Animals)
Jim Williams (Beast)
Richard Hawley (Funny Cow)
Aaron Cupples (Island of the Hungry Ghosts)
Jonny Greenwood (You Were Never Really Here)
Best Production Design
Michael Carlin (Colette)
Fiona Crombie (The Favourite)
Suzie Davies (Peterloo)
Beck Rainford (Ray & Liz)
John Paul Kelly (Stan & Ollie)
Best Sound (Supported by Silk Factory)
Andrew Stirk (American Animals)
Johnnie Burn (The Favourite)
Séverin Favriau (A Prayer Before Dawn)
CJ Mirra (Time Trial)
Paul Davies (You Were Never Really Here)
Best Effects
Matthew Strange / Mark Wellband (Dead in a Week (or Your Money Back))
Howard Jones (Early Man)
George Zwier / Paul Driver (Peterloo)
Image: BIFA
These nominees showcase a wide range of independent filmmaking—from intimate dramas and bold comedies to powerful documentaries and technically ambitious productions. The Favourite’s strong showing across acting, costume, production and screenplay categories underlines the film’s broad industry impact, while titles like Beast, Disobedience, American Animals and You Were Never Really Here demonstrate the variety of storytelling and talent recognized by BIFA in 2018.
As the awards approach, attention will turn to which films and individuals take home honours in each category. The British Independent Film Awards remain a key event for celebrating creativity and innovation in independent cinema, offering recognition to established artists and rising talent alike. For those following BIFA and the wider awards season, the 2018 nominations provide a useful snapshot of the films and performances that defined the year in independent film.
A full list of 2017 BIFA winners is available from BIFA’s official records for reference and comparison with this year’s nominations.