The nominations for the 2025 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) have been unveiled, highlighting a competitive lineup of films and talent. Akinola Davies Jr.’s coming-of-age drama *My Father’s Shadow*, set in Lagos, leads the nominations with an impressive twelve nods. Following closely behind is Harry Lighton’s queer romance *Pillion*, which garnered ten nominations. Both films debuted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, receiving widespread acclaim.
The announcements were made by actors Ben Hardy and Saura Lightfoot-Leon at an event in One Hundred Shoreditch, London. Notably, Davies and Lighton are both recognized in the Best Debut Director category, alongside nominations for Best Screenplay and Best Debut Screenwriter.
In performance categories, high-profile nominees include *Jennifer Lawrence* for *Die, My Love*, which secured eight nominations in total, and *Cillian Murphy* for his role in *Steve*. In addition, David Jonsson and Tom Blyth received nominations for their performances in *Wasteman*.
Among the contenders for Best Lead Performance, *Harry Melling* and *Alexander Skarsgard* are nominated for their roles in *Pillion*. Meanwhile, *Robert Aramayo*, recognized for his performance in *I Swear*, faces competition from Frank Dillane, nominated for his role in *Urchin*, which achieved a total of nine nominations.
Breakthrough Talents and Ensemble Highlights
The BIFAs have also spotlighted several breakthrough talents. *Ebada Hassan* and *Saffiya Ingar* are nominated for Best Joint Lead Performance for their work in Nadia Fall’s debut feature *Brides*, and both actresses have also received nominations for Breakthrough Performance. They will compete against *Posy Sterling* for *Lollipop* and *Connor Tompkins* for *The Son and The Sea*.
The Best Ensemble Performance award is set to go to *Warfare*, directed by Alex Garfield, which has been recognized for its ensemble cast including D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, and Cosmo Jarvis. This film has received a total of six craft nominations.
In the international feature category, *Jafar Panahi’s* film *It Was Just An Accident* competes against notable titles such as *Sentimental Value* by *Joachim Trier*, *Sirāt* from *Oliver Laxe*, *Sorry, Baby* by *Eva Victor*, and *Sound of Falling* by *Mascha Schilinski*.
The nominations for Breakthrough Producer include *Wyn Baptiste* for the activism documentary *Shoot the People*, *Charlotte Knowles* for the cross-border documentary *Palestine Comedy Club*, *Joann Kushner* for the screenlife heist movie *LifeHack*, and *Dhiraj Mahey* for the social-realist coming-of-age film *Ish*.
Full List of Nominees and Categories
The complete list of nominees for the 2025 BIFAs showcases the rich diversity of talent and storytelling within the British independent film scene. Highlights include:
– **Best British Independent Film**: *The Ballad of Wallis Island*, *I Swear*, *My Father’s Shadow*, *Pillion*, *Urchin*
– **Best Director**: *Laura Carreira* (*On Falling*), *Akinola Davies Jr.* (*My Father’s Shadow*), *Kirk Jones* (*I Swear*), *Harry Lighton* (*Pillion*), *Lynne Ramsay* (*Die, My Love*)
– **Best Lead Performance**: *Robert Aramayo* (*I Swear*), *Frank Dillane* (*Urchin*), *David Jonsson* (*Wasteman*), *Jennifer Lawrence* (*Die, My Love*), *Harry Melling* (*Pillion*), *Cillian Murphy* (*Steve*)
The awards ceremony is anticipated to be a celebration of independent filmmaking, showcasing both emerging and established talent. As the film industry evolves, the BIFAs continue to honor the creativity and diversity that characterizes British cinema.
