British Independent Film Awards announce 2008 nominations

The nominations and jury members for the tenth annual British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) were announced today in London. The BIFA pre-selection committee viewed more than 150 films, out of which they selected the nominations with a handful of titles dominating most categories.

Anton Corbijin’s Control leads with ten nominations, And When Did You Last See Your Father? receives seven nominations, Hallam Foe follows with six, followed by Eastern Promises (five nominations), Notes on a Scandal (four) and Garbage Warrior (three). Other films to receive multiple nominations include Brick Lane, Black Gold, It’s A Free World, Sunshine, Exhibit A and 28 Weeks Later.

First time BIFA actor nominees include Anne Hathaway, Sam Riley, Kierston Wareing, Sophia Myles, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Imogen Poots, Matthew Beard, Bradley Cole, Armin Muehler Stahl and 2004 jury member Cate Blanchett. This year sees repeat nominations for actors Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent, Samantha Morton, Cillian Murphy and Toby Kebbell.

BIFA Directors, Johanna von Fischer & Tessa Collinson say: “For the 10th year, the BIFA Nominations throw the spotlight on the UK’s wealth of new emerging talent. At the same time we are very proud to be honouring two very different and special British acting talents and careers with The Richard Harris Award and The Variety Award. All these ingredients promise to make our 10th anniversary a celebration of British film and filmmakers to remember.”

Ray Winstone is the recipient of The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor. Winstone, who is a three time BIFA nominee, won Best Actor for Nil by Mouth at the first Awards in 1998. Also this year, The Variety Award honours Daniel Craig for his contribution to bringing the international spotlight to the British film industry. Craig has also been nominated at BIFA three times and won Best Actor for his role in Some Voices.

BIFA’s new jury is comprised of professionals and talents from across the British film industry including: actresses Hayley Atwell, Archie Panjabi and Kathy Burke, actors Tony Curran, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Matthew Macfadyen, directors Annie Griffin, Menhaj Huda, Neil Marshall and Peter Webber, LFF Artistic Director Sandra Hebron, producer Mark Herbert, cinematographer Brian Tufano, distributor Will Clarke and musician Nitin Sawhney.

The 10th awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 28 November 2007 at the Roundhouse in London and will be hosted by James Nesbitt.