British Independent Film Awards: ‘Aftersun’ Sweeps With 7 Wins Including Best Film

Scottish filmmaker Charlotte Wells 's acclaimed debut feature Aftersun swept the board, snagging seven wins at the British Independent Film Awards ( BIFA ) in London this evening.

The film won Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director. This evening's four wins were added to the film's previously announced haul in the craft categories with three wins including Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Music Supervision.

Georgia Oakley's 1980s Section 28 era set Blue Jean , which trailed only Aftersun for the most nominations, picked up three awards on the night: Best Lead Performance for Rosy McEwen, Best Supporting Performance for Kerrie Hayes, and Oakley took home the Best Debut Screenwriter award sponsored by Film4.

Elsewhere, Safia Oakley-Green won the Breakthrough Performance award for her role in Andrew Cumming's debut feature The Origin and Tamara Lawrance and Letitia Wright picked up BIFA's inaugural Best Joint Lead Performance for their portrayal of real-life siblings who communicated only with each other in Agnieszka Smoczynska's 2022 feature The Silent Twins .

Our River…Our Sky took home the Best Ensemble award for cast members including Zainab Joda, Darina Al Joundi, Amed Hashimi, Mahmoud Abo Al Abbas, Basim Hajar, Labwa Arab, Meriam Abbas, and Siham Mustafa, who portray neighbors caught in Baghdad during the civil war of 2006. Joachim Trier's millennial romcom The Worst Person in the World won the Best International Independent Film award.

Previously announced craft award winners were also honored at the ceremony, including Jenny Beavan for Best Costume Design for her work on Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris , Matthew Herbert for Best Original Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group for The Wonder , Eugene Souleiman and Scarlett O'Connell for Best Make-Up and Hair Design for Medusa Deluxe , Helen Scott for Best Production Design for Living , David Simpson for Best Effects for Men and Tim Harrison, Raoul Brand and Cassandra Rutledge for Best Sound for Flux Gourmet .

The 2022 Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film was presented to Samantha Morton.

The Special Jury Prize, awarded by the BIFA Main Jury and presented by 2022 jury member Jenna Coleman, was given to Open Door for their work helping talented young people without financial support or resources gain places at leading UK drama schools.

Check out the full winners list below:

The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film Samantha Morton

The Special Jury Prize Open Door

Best British Independent Film BLUE JEAN Georgia Oakley, Hélène Sifre

Best Director sponsored by Sky Cinema OLIVER HERMANUS Living « CHARLOTTE WELLS Aftersun

Best Screenplay KATY BRAND Good Luck to You, Leo Grande « CHARLOTTE WELLS Aftersun

Best Lead Performance SALLY HAWKINS The Lost King « ROSY McEWEN Blue Jean BILL NIGHY Living

Best Supporting Performance ZOEY DEUTCH The Outfit « KERRIE HAYES Blue Jean ZAINAB JODA Our River… Our Sky

Best Joint Lead Performance FRANKIE CORIO, PAUL MESCAL Aftersun « TAMARA LAWRANCE, LETITIA WRIGHT The Silent Twin

Best Ensemble Performance BLUE JEAN Ensemble including Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes, Lucy Halliday, Lydia Page, Stacy « OUR RIVER… OUR SKY Ensemble including Zainab Joda, Darina Al Joundi, Amed Hashimi, Mahmoud Abo Al Abbas, Basim Hajar, Labwa Arab, Meriam Abbas, Siham Mustafa THE WONDER Ensemble including Kíla Lord Cassidy, Florence Pugh, Tom Burke, Toby Jones, Niamh Algar, Elaine Cassidy, Ciarán Hinds, Brían F. O'Byrne, Josie Walker

The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) sponsored by BBC Film ANDREW CUMMING The Origin « CHARLOTTE WELLS Aftersun

Breakthrough Producer sponsored by Pinewood and Shepperton Studios ALEKSANDRA BILIĆ, JENNIFER CORCORAN Nascondino [Hide & Seek] « NADIRA MURRAY Winners [also produced by Paul Welsh] HÉLÈNE SIFRE Blue Jean

Breakthrough Performance sponsored by Netflix FRANKIE CORIO Aftersun « SAFIA OAKLEY-GREEN The Origin

Best Debut Screenwriter sponsored by Film4 SHANE CROWLEY God's Creatures « GEORGIA OAKLEY Blue Jean CHARLOTTE WELLS Aftersun

Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary VICTORIA FIORE Nascondino [Hide & Seek]

The Raindance Discovery Award ELECTRIC MALADY Marie Lidén, Aimara Reques « WINNERS Hassan Nazer, Nadira Murray, Paul Welsh

Best Feature Documentary sponsored by Intermission MY CHILDHOOD, MY COUNTRY – 20 YEARS IN AFGHANISTAN Phil Grabsky, Shoaib Sharifi, Amanda Wilkie « NOTHING COMPARES Kathryn Ferguson, Eleanor Emptage, Michael Mallie YOUNG PLATO Neasa Ní Chianáin, Declan McGrath, David Rane

Best British Short Film supported by BFI Network A FOX IN THE NIGHT Keeran Anwar Blessie, Benjamin Jacob Smith « TOO ROUGH Sean Lìonadh, Ross McKenzie, Alfredo Covell

Best International Independent Film sponsored by Champagne Taittinger ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, « THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar, Thomas Robsahm

Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society & Spotlight LEILA BERTRAND Our River… Our Sky

Best Cinematography sponsored by Dirty Looks & Kodak ALFREDO DE JUAN Nascondino [Hide & Seek] « GREGORY OKE Aftersun ARI WEGNER The Wonder

Best Costume Design SAFFRON CULLANE Flux Gourmet (with

Best Editing JOANNA CRICKMAY Elizabeth: A Portrait in Parts « BLAIR McCLENDON Aftersun

Best Original Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing DANNY BENSI, SAUNDER JURRIAANS God's Creatures « MATTHEW HERBERT The Wonder ADAM JANOTA BZOWSKI The Origin

Best Make-Up & Hair Design « EUGENE SOULEIMAN, SCARLETT O'CONNELL Medusa Deluxe

Best Effects CHRIS MARSHALL The Feast « DAVID SIMPSON Men AHMED YOUSRY Nezouh

Best Music Supervision PHIL CANNING The Phantom of the Open

Best Sound supported by Halo CASSANDRA RUTLEDGE Flux Gourmet

Best Production Design FLETCHER JARVIS Flux Gourmet « HELEN SCOTT Living BILLUR TURAN Aftersun