BIFA Nominations: Lady Macbeth and Three Billboards Boosts

by Nathaniel R

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool received 4 nominationsHot on the heels of the Gotham Awards, the British Independent Film Awards have announced their 2017 nominations. Though they don't tend to get much press in the US due to the the first two words in their title, they're worth noting. And, we'd argue, they're worth noting precisely for their limited jurisdiction. Awards groups with their own identity / purview are all too rare. Lady Macbeth led the field (15 nominations) with gay romantic drama God's Own Country (11 nominations), political satire The Death of Stalin (13 nominations), I Am Not a Witch (12 nominations) and one big tragicomedy Oscar hopeful Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (11 nominations) also super popular

I think the nomination I'm happiest to see (just because it was no sure thing) is Jamie Bell in Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool for Best Actor. He's just brilliant in the film as I've mentioned before but it's the type of role -- nuanced / romantic / skewing "feminine" in its appeal -- for which male actors are rarely honored no matter how good they are. The complete list of nominees is after the jump...

Best British Independent Film

LADY MACBETH

• The Death Of Stalin Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin, Yann Zenou, Kevin Loader, Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, Laurent Zeitoun
• God’s Own Country Francis Lee, Jack Tarling, Manon Ardisson
• I Am Not A Witch Rungano Nyoni, Juliette Grandmont, Emily Morgan
• Lady Macbeth William Oldroyd, Alice Birch, Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Martin McDonagh, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin

Best International Independent Film 

Get Out

• The Florida Project (US) Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, Kevin Chinoy, Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Francesca Silvestri, Shih-Ching Tsou
• Get Out (US) Jordan Peele, Jason Blum, Edward H Hamm Jr, Sean McKittrick
• I Am Not Your Negro (US) Raoul Peck, James Baldwin, Hébert Peck, Rémi Grellety
• Loveless (Russia) Andrey Zvyaginstev, Oleg Negin, Gleb Fetisov, Sergey Melkumov, Alexander Rodnyansky
• The Square (Sweden) Ruben Östlund, Erik Hemmendorff

Best Director

• The Death Of Stalin Armando Iannucci
• God’s Own Country Francis Lee
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Martin Mcdonagh
• I Am Not A Witch Rungano Nyoni
• Lady Macbeth William Oldroyd

Best Screenplay 

• Lady Macbeth Alice Birch
• The Death Of Stalin Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin
• God’s Own Country Francis Lee
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Martin Mcdonagh
• I Am Not A Witch Rungano Nyoni

Best Actress 

Margaret Mulumba is only 8 years old and nominated for I AM NOT A WITCH

• Daphne Emily Beecham
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Frances Mcdormand
• I Am Not A Witch Margaret Mulubwa
• Lady Macbeth Florence Pugh
• Dark River Ruth Wilson

Best Actor

God's Own Country

• Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool Jamie Bell
• Journeyman Paddy Considine
• Jawbone Johnny Harris
• God’s Own Country Josh O’connor
• God’s Own Country Alec Secareanu

Best Supporting Actress

• Lady Macbeth Naomi Ackie
• The Party Patricia Clarkson
• Goodbye Christopher Robin Kelly Macdonald
• The Death Of Stalin Andrea Riseborough
• Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool Julie Walters

Best Supporting Actor

The supporting men of THREE BILLBOARDS... we should add Harrelson to the chart, too.

• The Death Of Stalin Simon Russell Beale
• The Death Of Stalin Steve Buscemi
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Woody Harrelson
• God’s Own Country Ian Hart
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Sam Rockwell

Most Promising Newcomer

• Lady Macbeth Naomi Ackie
• Just Charlie Harry Gilby
• Lady Macbeth Cosmo Jarvis
• Chubby Funny Harry Michell
• Pin Cushion Lily Newmark

The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)

• Pin Cushion Deborah Haywood
• God’s Own Country Francis Lee
• Jawbone Thomas Napper
• I Am Not A Witch Rungano Nyoni
• Lady Macbeth William Oldroyd

Debut Screenwriter

• Lady Macbeth Alice Birch
• Their Finest Gaby Chiappe
• Jawbone Johnny Harris
• God’s Own Country Francis Lee
• I Am Not A Witch Rungano Nyoni

Breakthrough Producer

• Pin Cushion Gavin Humphries
• I Am Not A Witch Emily Morgan
• Bad Day For The Cut Brendan Mullin, Katy Jackson
• Lady Macbeth Fodhla Cronin O’reilly
• God’s Own Country Jack Tarling, Manon Ardisson

The Discovery Award

• Even When I Fall Sky Neal, Kate McLarnon, Elhum Shakerifar
• Halfway Ben Caird, Jonny Paterson
• In Another Life Jason Wingard, Hannah Stevenson, Rebecca Clare Evans
• Isolani R Paul Wilson, Lisa Hague
• My Pure Land Sarmad Masud, Bill Kenwright

Best Documentary

• Almost Heaven Carol Salter
• Half Way Daisy-May Hudson
• Kingdom Of Us Lucy Cohen, Julia Nottingham, Lucas Ochoa, Thomas Benski, Bill Rudgard
• Uncle Howard Aaron Brookner, Paula Vaccaro
• Williams Morgan Matthews, Hayley Reynolds, Sarah Hamilton

Best British Short Film 

• 1745 Gordon Napier, Morayo Akandé, John McKay
• Fish Story Charlie Lyne, Catherine Bray, Anthony Ing
• The Entertainer Jonathan Schey, Jodie Brown, Jun Bung Lee
• Work Aneil Karia, Scott O’Donnell
• Wren Boys Harry Lighton, John Fitzpatrick, Sorcha Bacon

Best Cinematography

• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Ben Davis
• I Am Not A Witch David Gallego
• Jawbone Tat Radcliffe
• Leaning Into The Wind Thomas Riedelsheimer
• Lady Macbeth Ari Wegner

Best Casting

• Lady Macbeth Shaheen Baig
• God’s Own Country Shaheen Baig, Layla Merrick-Wolf
• The Death Of Stalin Sarah Crowe
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Sarah Halley Finn
• Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool Debbie Mcwilliams

Best Costume Design

My Cousin Rachel

• My Cousin Rachel Dinah Collin
• The Death Of Stalin Suzie Harman
• How To Talk To Girls At Parties Sandy Powell
• I Am Not A Witch Holly Rebecca
• Lady Macbeth Holly Waddington

Best Editing

• Williams Johnny Burke
• Jawbone David Charap
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Jon Gregory
• The Death Of Stalin Peter Lambert
• Us And Them Joe Martin

Best Effects

• The Ritual Nick Allder, Ben White
• Journeyman Luke Dodd
• The Death Of Stalin Effects Team
• Double Date Dan Martin
• Their Finest Chris Reynolds

Best Make Up & Hair Design

• I Am Not A Witch Julene Paton
• Breathe Jan Sewell
• Journeyman Nadia Stacey
• The Death Of Stalin Nicole Stafford
• Lady Macbeth Sian Wilson

Best Music

• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Carter Burwell
• Leaning Into The Wind Fred Frith
• I Am Not A Witch Matt Kelly
• Jawbone Paul Weller
• The Death Of Stalin Christopher Willis 

Best Production Design

• Lady Macbeth Jacqueline Abrahams
• The Death Of Stalin Cristina Casali
• Final Portrait James Merifield
• I Am Not A Witch Nathan Parker
• Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool Eve Stewart

Best Sound

• God’s Own Country Anna Bertmark
• I Am Not A Witch Maiken Hansen
• Jawbone Andy Shelley, Steve Griffiths
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Joakim Sundström
• Breathe Sound Team

What do you make of their nominations? 

Comments

[Andrew Carden]

How odd that Bell and Walters made the cut without Bening.

[Robert J.]

Interesting set of nominees. I haven't paid much attention to them in the past, but it seems as if they really love Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri. It is very odd that Bening is not nominated here, but glad to see Bell and Walters nominated.

[Alex]

Same takeaway. Really not great for Annette Bening.

[Steve_Man]

While reviews were positive for Bening, many highlighted it as Bell's show. I I don't like jumping to conclusions but the miss here confirms what I suspected: she's not a threat this year. I think the best she can hope for is a GG Comedy nomination.

Interesting that Breathe also got a nomination but no signs of Foy or Garfield.

Another major thing I'd point out is Get Out's shutout in the International category. Making it with heavy hitters like I Am Not Your Negro and The Square. It's coming strong.

[TOM]

I watched the trailer for 'Film Stars...' and thought that Bening was playing Melanie Griffith instead of Gloria Grahame. Though I don't have a concrete portrait of Gloria in her later years, I will support this film and hope for the best...

[Hilary Swank]

Nothing for Annette? She really can't get a break.

[DAVID]

Really hoping the love for Sam Rockwell holds ! Would love to see him get his due

[grrr]

@DAVID I am absolutely with you on Rockwell.

It just may be that Bening is not all that in the movie!!??

[Claran]

Great list! but sad tt Bening din make the cut. If she din get any love fr Indie Spirit awards or GG next then her chance is really gone.

The best actress race here looks like to be between McDormand n Pugh now.

[Philip H.]

I never really believed Bening was happening this year tbh.

[Owl]

Quite a totally different list of nominees than the more mainstream film awards -- but of course since this is very independent film-focused (whatever independent means nowadays). So pleasantly surprised to see Paul Weller nominated for his score/music in Jawbone -- a film I have got to see. Being a fan of The Jam and The Style Council growing up, I support any film Paul Weller affiliates himself.

Also surprised not to see Annette Bening's name in the lead actress category. While the focus is on Frances McDormand and Florence Pugh given the nominations of their respective films, I am very curious about Ruth Wilson's new film Dark River and Emily Beecham in Daphne. Also very intrigued of I Am Not a Witch which claims to have English as the language. That probably makes sense given the occupation of the UK in a country that was known then as Northern Rhodesia.

Also happy to see Julie Walters and Jamie Bell in the same movie and getting nominations for their work. I often wonder what Mrs Wilkinson would say to Billy after many years.

[mirko]

Bifa is becoming the real Bafta

[Glenn Dunks]

Yes, Jamie Bell's nomination is great alongside the two GOD'S OWN COUNTRY actors.

[Mareko]

Poor Bening! Film stars don't get nominated in London.

[Johnny Hintergardt]

Is this the first time they have added a costume category?

[Michael R]

I think Harrelson and Rockwell are going to be the double dippers this year.