Even by its own ridiculously high standards, 2023 has been one hell of a year for British independent cinema. Whilst Hollywood has been all but shut down by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, over on this side of the pond, it feels like the candle for British indie cinema – and our collective love for those who make it possible – has never burned brighter. As such, it comes as no surprise to see today’s announcement of the nominations for the British Independent Film Awards 2023 filled with wall-to-wall bangers that represent the very best that British filmmaking has to offer.
Raine Allen-Miller’s whipsmart rom-com refresh Rye Lane leads the line with 16 nods, including Best Director, Best British Independent Film, and Best Debut Director as well as Screenplay. It’s closely followed by Charlotte Regan’s working class wonder Scrapper and Andrew Haigh’s upcoming queer romance All Of Us Strangers, both of which have 14 nominations - including for Best British Independent Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Molly Manning Walker’s incendiary How To Have Sex, Empire’s gala screening pick for this year’s London Film Festival, also has a huge 13 nods to its name, featuring on the shortlists for Best Director, Best British Independent Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Leading Performance for Mia McKenna-Bruce.
Elsewhere, Past Lives, Fremont, and Cannes Palme D’Or – and Palme Dog – winner Anatomy Of A Fall are among the films competing for the Best International Independent Film award, whilst Jodie Comer and Tilda Swinton make appearances on the Lead Performance shortlist for their turns in The End We Start From and Joanna Hogg's The Eternal Daughter respectively.
Here are all the main nominations for the British Independent Film Awards 2023.
Best British Independent Film
All Of Us Strangers
Femme
How To Have Sex
Rye Lane
Scrapper
Best International Independent Film
Anatomy Of A Fall
Fallen Leaves
Fremont
Monster
Past Lives
Best Director
Raine Allen-Miller - Rye Lane
Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping - Femme
Andrew Haigh - All of Us Strangers
Molly Manning Walker - How to Have Sex
Charlotte Regan - Scrapper
Best Screenplay
Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia - Rye Lane
Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping - Femme
Andrew Haigh - All of Us Strangers
Molly Manning Walker - How to Have Sex
Charlotte Regan - Scrapper
Best Lead Performance
Jodie Comer - The End We Start From
Mia McKenna-Bruce - How to Have Sex
Tia Nomore - Earth Mama
Nabhaan Rizwan - In Camera
Andrew Scott - All of Us Strangers
Tilda Swinton - The Eternal Daughter
Best Supporting Performance
Ritu Arya - Polite Society
Jamie Bell - All of Us Strangers
Samuel Bottomley - How to Have Sex
Alexandra Burke - Pretty Red Dress
Amir El-Masry - In Camera
Claire Foy - All of Us Strangers
Paul Mescal - All of Us Strangers
Alia Shawkat - Drift
Shaun Thomas - How to Have Sex
Katherine Waterston - The End We Start From
Best Joint Lead Performance
Lola Campbell, Harris Dickinson - Scrapper
David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah - Rye Lane
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, George MacKay - Femme
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)
Raine Allen-Miller - Rye Lane
Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping - Femme
Savanah Leaf - Earth Mama
Molly Manning Walker - How to Have Sex
Charlotte Regan - Scrapper
Breakthrough Performance
Le’Shantey Bonsu - Girl
Lola Campbell - Scrapper
Priya Kansara - Polite Society
Mia McKenna-Bruce - How to Have Sex
Vivian Oparah - Rye Lane