London's Hammersmith Palais was awash with the prime movers and shakers of UK cinema last night, as the venue played host to the ninth annual British Independent Film Awards.
Having walked away from Cannes earlier this year with the Grand Jury Prize tucked under one arm and acres of critical acclaim falling from the other, Red Road, Andrea Arnold’s bleak tale of a Glaswegian CCTV operator’s solitary existence, will need to make even more room in the gong cabinet, with both Tom Curran (Best Actor) and Kate Dickie (Best Actress) receiving key awards at last night's ceremony.
Idi Amin biopic The Last King Of Scotland also took home a pair of BIFAs, as Kevin Macdonald was awarded the Best Director trophy and Cinematographer Antony Dod Mantle received Best Technical Achievement, whilst Shane Meadows’ gritty, coming of age drama **This Is England won Best Independent Film Award **and its leading actor Thomas Turgoose was named Most Promising Newcomer.
The awards were attended by such British screen luminaries as Leslie Phillips, Charles Dance, Michael Sheen and Vanessa Redgrave, whilst Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent and Ken Loach were each specially honoured for their incomparable contributions to UK cinema.
The winners were as follows:
**BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM - SPONSORED BY THE UK FILM COUNCIL
**This is England
**BEST DIRECTOR - SPONSORED BY THE CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP
**Kevin Macdonald - The Last King of Scotland
**
BEST ACTOR**
Tony Curran - Red Road
**BEST ACTRESS - SPONSORED BY M.A.C
**Kate Dickie - Red Road
**BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR / ACTRESS
**Leslie Phillips - Venus
**MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER (ON SCREEN) - SPONSORED BY DIESEL
**Thomas Turgoose - This is England
**BEST SCREENPLAY - SPONSORED BY BBC FILMS
**Peter Morgan - The Queen
**BEST FOREIGN INDEPENDENT FILM
**Hidden [Caché]
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD - (BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR)
Menhaj Huda - Kidulthood
BEST BRITISH DOCUMENTARY
The Road to Guantanamo
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT - SPONSORED BY SKILLSET
Anthony Dod Mantle - Cinematography - The Last King of Scotland
**
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION - SPONSORED BY RECORDED PICTURE COMPANY**
London to Brighton
BEST BRITISH SHORT
Cubs
THE RAINDANCE AWARD - SPONSORED BY RAINDANCE
The Ballad of AJ Weberman
BEST 15 SECOND SHORT - SPONSORED BY NOKIA
What's the Point?
THE VARIETY UK FILM ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Helen Mirren
**
THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BRITISH FILM BY AN ACTOR) - SPONSORED BY BUENA VISTA INTERNATIONAL**
Jim Broadbent
THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Ken Loach