David Farnor | On 31, Oct 2019

Netflix has nabbed five nominations for the 2019 British Independent Film Awards, with The Personal History of David Copperfield and Wild Rose leading the pack.

Armando Iannucci’s fresh take on Dickens’ novel about the ups and downs in the life of its eponymous character is recognised for Best British Independent Film and Best Screenplay sponsored by BBC Films, among nine other awards. Dev Patel is nominated for Best Actor, with co-stars Tilda Swinton and Hugh Laurie competing in the respective Supporting categories.

Jessie Buckley returns to BIFA this year in the Best Actress category for Wild Rose, having taken home the trophy for Most Promising Newcomer in 2018 for her role in Beast. The film receives broad recognition alongside its Best British Independent Film nod, with nominations including Best Screenplay sponsored by BBC Films, Best Supporting Actress, Debut Screenwriter sponsored by Film4, Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society of America & Spotlight, Best Costume Design, Best Make Up & Hair Design sponsored by MAC Cosmetics, Best Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group and Best Sound supported by Halo Post.

Also competing in the Best Actress category is Sally Hawkins, who has previously been nominated at BIFA four times and is nominated this year for Eternal Beauty.

Completing the five Best British Independent Film nominations alongside The Personal History of David Copperfield are Bait (4 nominations), For Sama (5 nominations) and The Souvenir (8 nominations).

For Sama and The Souvenir are both notable contenders, with the former now available to stream for free on All 4 and the latter now available to stream on MUBI UK, following a groundbreaking deal between the streamer and distributor Curzon.

Tom Burke for The Souvenir is up against Dev Patel for The Personal History of David Copperfield in the Best Actor category, alongside Kris Hitchen (Sorry We Missed You), Sam Adewunmi (The Last Tree), also nominated in the Most Promising Newcomer Category, and 2017 Best Actor winner Josh O’Connor (Only You).

Tilda Swinton (The Personal History of David Copperfield), whose daughter Honor Swinton Byrne (also of The Souvenir) features in this year’s Most Promising Newcomer nominations, is joined by Julie Walters (Wild Rose), Jessica Barden (Scarborough), Elizabeth Debicki (Vita & Virginia) and Ruthxjiah Bellenea (The Last Tree) in being nominated for the Best Supporting Actress award.

Netflix’s nominations are primarily driven by The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, which is nominated for three awards, including The Douglas Hickox Award for Debut Director and Best Supporting Actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor. Also nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category are Peter Mullan (The Vanishing), Bluey Robinson (Dirty God), Edlison Manuel Olbera Núñez (Yuli – The Carlos Acosta Story) and Hugh Laurie (The Personal History of David Copperfield).

Ed Perkins and Simon Chinn are nominated for Best Documentary for Netflix’s powerful Tell Me Who I Am, released this month after its premiere at the London Film Festival. Neflix’s Marriage Story is also nominated for Best International Independent Film, alongside Parasite, Monos, Ash Is Purest White and Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

The winners will be announced at the British Independent Film Award Ceremony on Sunday 1st December at Old Billingsgate. The ceremony will be hosted by Aisling Bea.

Add to Watchlist