BFI-backed Irish film comes out top at British Independent Film Awards

Jason Korsner

An Irish-language film about a rap group that supports removing Northern Ireland from the UK has won the top prize at the British Independent Film Awards.

Kneecap also won the prize for the best joint leads for the group members, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, as well as taking the best debut screenwriter award for its director Richard Peppiatt, who noted the irony that the best British film was Irish. The film – which was also backed by Screen Ireland – will be the Republic’s entry for the Best International Feature category at next year’s Oscars.

On Becoming A Guinea Fowl won the best director prize for Rungano Nyoni and the breakthrough performance award for Susan Chardy.

There were also two two awards for Santosh and Grand Theft Hamlet.

The main acting awards went to Marianne Jean-Baptiste, for Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, and Franz Rogowski for Andrea Arnold’s Bird.

The Cannes Palme d’Or winning Anora was named the best international independent film.

The organisers honoured the actress Sophie Okonedo with the Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution by an actor to British film.

And a special jury prize went to Fully Focused: The Million Youth Project – a youth-driven production company that supports young people from communities that are underrepresented in the industry.

Here is the full list of winners – both the main categories announced at the main ceremony and the craft awards, previously announced:

 

Best British independent film

  • Kneecap  – Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling

Best international independent film

  • Anora  – Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

Best director

  • Rungano Nyoni – On Becoming A Guinea Fowl

Best joint lead performance

  • Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh – Kneecap

Best screenplay

  • Sandhya Suri – Santosh

Best lead performance

  • Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths

Best supporting performance

  • Franz Rogowski – Bird

Best debut director

  • Christopher Andrews – Bring Them Down

Best debut screenwriter

  • Rich Peppiatt – Kneecap

Breakthrough producer

  • Balthazar De Ganay, James Bowsher – Santosh  (alongside Mike Goodridge and Alan McAlex)

Raindance maverick award

  • Grand Theft Hamlet  – Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane, Julia Ton, Rebecca Wolff

Best debut director – Feature Documentary

  • Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane – Grand Theft Hamlet

Breakthrough performance

  • Susan Chardy – On Becoming A Guinea Fowl

Best feature documentary

  • Witches  – Elizabeth Sankey, Jeremy Warmsley, Chiara Ventura, Manon Ardisson

Best British short film

  • Wander To Wonder  – Nina Gantz, Stienette Bosklopper, Simon Cartwright, Daan Bakker, Maarten Swart

BIFA craft winners 2024

  • Casting – Carla Stronge, Kneecap
  • Cinematography – Ben Fordesman, Love Lies Bleeding
  • Costume design – Michael O’Connor, Firebrand
  • Editing – Julian Ulrichs and Chris Gill, Kneecap
  • Effects – David Simpson, Civil War
  • Music supervision – Chris Welch and Jeanette Rehnstrom, Kneecap
  • Make-up & hair design – Lisa Mustafa, Unicorns
  • Original music – Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante, Kneecap
  • Production design – Jan Houllevigue, The Assessment
  • Sound – Glenn Freemantle, Mary H Ellis and Howard Bargroff, Civil War