The British Independent Film Festival (BIFF) is an independent film festival that takes place annually in the United Kingdom and is one of four events hosted by the Film Festival Guild, including the British Animation Film Festival, the International Film Festival of Wales and the British Horror Film Festival. Founded in 2010, the festival aims to showcase independent films from around the world with a particular focus on British talent. The festival has previously been held in various locations throughout England, including Bournemouth, Poole, and Bury St Edmunds, but has its roots at home in London, most often screening at the Cineworld in Leicester Square. The festival has become a highly anticipated event in the UK film calendar and has featured a number of notable films and filmmakers including Sian Clifford, James Cosmo, Emily Mortimer, Doug Milsome BSC ASC, Ryan Gage, April Pearson, Laura Whitmore and Jason Flemyng.
The festival has gained a reputation for showcasing a wide range of independent films and supporting emerging talent in the film industry with filmmaker Q&A sessions and awards ceremony. Award categories include Best Feature Film, Best Short, Best Music Video, Best Director and Best Actor/Actress amongst others.
In addition to its typical in-person events, the British Independent Film Festival was also hosted online in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The British Independent Film Festival recently took place at the British Museum in May 2023.
Awards (2010-)
2010 British Independent Film Festival Official Selection & Award Winners 2010 Film Nominees (16 Films)Award WinnersMr. Bojagi (10mins, Dir. by Marco Van Belle)Best Actor (Brian Blessed), British Lion AwardTenner (12mins, Dir. by David O’Neill)Best Up & Coming DirectorBrennan's Sacrament (20mins, Dir. by Erik Kentta)Best Student FilmWhen the Rain Comes (14mins, Dir. by Jade Bell)Best Young Actress (Holly Gibbs)Edward's Turmoil (10mins, Dir. by Kim Albright)Best Young Actor (Raphael Coleman)A Very British Cult (20mins, Dir. by Adam Oldroyd)Best ComedyNoirville (13mins, Dir. by Andy Marsh)Special Recognition AwardSpoiler (14mins, Dir. by Ed Whitmore)Best Sound DesignWish 143 (24mins, Dir. by Ian Barnes)Best Short FilmKetchup (12mins, Dir. by Wenchung Lu)Best AnimationFather's Day (21mins, Dir. by Brian Rolling)Best Up & Coming ProducerWould You Like Me to Remind You (3mins, Dir. by Shannon Jennisson)Best Music VideoAmbleton Delight (110mins, Dir. by Daniel Parkes)Best Feature FilmAna Begins (80mins, Dir. by Ben O’Connor)Best Actress (Ana Begins)One Day in Cochin (95mins, Dir. by Tom Peirce)Best Cinematography Remnants of a War (56mins, Dir. by Jawad Metni)Best DocumentaryHim Upstairs (Unproduced screenplay by Sonya Quayle & Neil Mooney)Best New Unproduced Screenplay
2011 British Independent Film Festival Official Selection & Award Winners 2011 Film Nominees (26 Films)Award WinnersLittle White Lies Way Back When Broken Glass (Dir. by Adam Wareham) The Birthday Circle The Birdman of Tamworth Vacant Possession (Dir. by Rob MacGillivray) Lay Down and Die Jericho (Dir. by Liam Gavin) Paperman (Dir. by Richard Kelly) Do Men Die of Cancer or Embarrassment Moths WatchingBest Short Film Actor (Ian Hart)Best Before (Dir. by Mark Boggis) Alleyman (Dir. by Andrew Ellinas)British Lion AwardFor Alan (Dir. by Dimi Nakov) A Little Brighter SIS (Dir. by Deborah Haywood) The Last Duel (Dir. by David Landau)Best Short FilmDan: Driven to Succeed (Dir. by Tom Greenidge)Best DocumentaryTake Your MedicineBest Music VideoLove at First Sight (Dir. by Michael Davies)Best Short Film ActressRisen (113mins, Dir. by Neil Jones) Masterpiece (100mins, Dir. by Andrew Charles Tanner)Best Actor (Mark Paul Wake)Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit? (94mins, Dir. by Mark Jeavons)Best Feature FilmLovelorn (86mins, Dir. by Becky Preston)Best CinematographyThe CallingBest Actress (Emily Beecham)Body Count 1968 (Unproduced screenplay by Martha Pinson)Best New Screenplay
2012 British Independent Film Festival Official Selection & Award Winners 2012 Film Nominees (14 Films)Award WinnersThe Extraordinary Life of Rocky (14mins, Dir. by Kevin Meul)Best Short FilmBabysitting (20mins, Dir. by Sam Hoare) The Anorak Brigade (7mins, Dir. by James Copson) Callum (10mins, Dir. by Michael Van Der Put) The Uncertainty Principle (8mins, Dir. by Oliver Smyth) A Love Story in Milk (3mins, Dir. by Danann Breathnack) Lab Rats (20mins, Dir. by Sam Washington) The Firing Squad (6mins, Dir. by Erik Sandoval) The Stand In (14mins, Dir. by Ricky Lloyd George) Airborne (81mins, Dir. by Alexander Williams)British Lion AwardJump (75mins, Dir. by Bindu De Stoppani)Best Feature Film, Best Cinematography, Best Actress (Claire Price), Best Supporting Actor (Enzo Scanzi), Best DirectorIrvine Welsh's Ecstasy (99mins, Dir. by Rob Heydon) Flutter (86mins, Dir. by Giles Borg)Best Screenplay (Stephen Leslie)Bashment (110mins, Dir. by Rikki Beadle-Blair)Best Music, Best Actor (Nathan Clough), Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Daley)The Poisoned Mind of Walter Halfpenny (Unproduced screenplay by Miranda Sen)Best New Screenplay
2013 British Independent Film Festival Official Selection & Award Winners 2013 Film Nominees (16 Films)Award WinnersAmores Passageiros (23mins, Dir. by Augusto Canani) Father/Son (10mins, Dir. by Bryan Reisberg) Happy Birthday Jim (5mins, Dir. by Giles Ripley) The Horseman (7mins, Dir. by Samuel Bailey) Foxes (15mins, Dir. by Lorcan Finnegan) The Wend (15mins, Dir. by Daniel Farah) The Voorman Problem (12mins, Dir. by Mark Gill) Indoor (15mins, Dir. by Simon Atkinson & Adam Townley)Best Short FilmRotkop (18mins, Dir. by Jan & Raf Roosens) Driftwood (11mins, Dir. by James Webber)Best CinematographyThe Runner (3mins, Dir. by Michael O’Kelly) Take Me to Pitcairn (55mins, Dir. by Julian McDonnell) Dead Cat (93mins, Dir. by Stefan Georgiou)Best Music, Best Actress (Sophia Dawnay), Best Director, British Lion AwardSaving the Titanic (104mins, Dir. by Maurice Sweeney)Best Feature Film, Best Supporting Actor (Ciaran McMenamin), Best DirectorGeezas (90mins, Dir. by Simon Kassianides & Mark Jackson)Best Actor (Mark Jackson), Best Supporting Actress (Myia Ingoldsby)Sanctuary (90mins, Dir. by Norah McGettigan) Him Upstairs (Unproduced screenplay by Sonya Quayle & Neil Mooney)Best New Screenplay
2014 British Independent Film Festival Official Selection & Award Winners 2014 Film Nominees (22 Films)Award WinnersMannequins (9mins, Dir. by Isabelle Sieb) Bodies in Irreversible Detriment (25mins, Dir. by Leon Chambers) Directionless (4mins, Dir. by James Button) Dear Someone (4mins, Dir. by Tetsuo Kamata) The Spin Cycle (10mins, Dir. by Joshua Wood) Boxer on the Wilderness (7mins, Dir. by Alexandra Boyd) Glance (3mins, Dir. by Chris Rule & Ben White) Puzzled (8mins, Dir. by Oliver Kember)British Lion AwardJob (10mins, Dir. by Alex Horsfall) We Are Rhino (22mins, Dir. by Spencer Austin) Sleeping Dogs (85mins, Dir. by Floris Ramaekers)Best CinematographyKnow How (105mins, Dir. by Juan Carlos Pineiro Escoriaza) The Reckoning (85mins, Dir. by John V. Soto)Best Music, Best DirectorDesire (9mins, Dir. by Leon Ockenden) Tout Doit Disparaitre (12mins, Dir. by Emmanuel Courcol) Vis A Vis (17mins, Dir. by Dan Connolly)Best Short FilmBlackout (5mins, Dir. by Sharron Mirsky) Lonely Hearts (11mins, Dir. by Leon Chambers) Korn: Never Never (4mins, Dir. Giovanni Bucci) Making Ends Meat (5mins, Dir. by Alex Horsfall) NobblyCarrot7 (21mins, Dir. by Josh Allott)Best Actress (Verity Mullan Wilkinson)Top Dog (100mins, Dir. by Martin Kemp)Best Feature Film, Best Actor (Leo Gregory), Best Supporting Actor (Ricci Harnett), Best Supporting Actress (Lorraine Stanley)Divine (Unproduced Screenplay by Janice Hallett)Best New ScreenplayA Dose of Reality (Unproduced Screenplay by John Broadhead)Best New Screenplay (Honourable Mention)
2015 British Independent Film Festival Official Selection & Award Winners 2015 Film Nominees (14 Films)Award WinnersSolitary (90mins, Dir. by Sasha Krane) JORDANNE (5mins, Dir. by Zak Razvi) COMMAND-OPTION-DUMP (5mins, Dir. by Jonathan Flint)Best Actor (Jared Fortune)A Plea for Grimsby (16mins, Dir. by Preston Thompson)Best CinematographyClaire (3mins, Dir. by Jessica Banzing & Maximilian Geriach) Things I Have Learned About Sex and Dogs (7mins, Dir. by Janet Duncan) Two Missing (16mins, Dir. by Claire Fowler) C.T.R.L. (3mins, Dir. by Mariana Conde) Violet (11mins, Dir. by Tom Long) RETCON (5mins, Dir. by Bensalem Mitchell) Me & You (7mins, Dir. by Jack Tew)Best Short Film, Best MusicUnhallowed Ground (97mins, Dir. by Russell England)Best Supporting Actor (Marcus Griffiths), Best Supporting Actress (Rachel Petladwala)Night Bus (96mins, Dir. by Simon Baker)Best Feature Film, Best DirectorRun Away with Me (80mins, Dir. by Eren Özkural)Best Actress (Rosie MacPherson), British Lion Award Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Unproduced screenplay by Matt Pacini)Best New ScreenplayThe Devil and Maddison Rose (Unproduced screenplay by Geof Ryan)Best New Screenplay (Honourable Mention)
2016 British Independent Film Festival Official Selection & Award Winners 2016 Film Nominees (16 Films)Award WinnersThe Chameleon (117mins, Dir. by Jim Greayer)Best Feature Film, Best Cinematography, Best Actress (Sarah-Jane Potts)Angel of Decay (116mins, Dir. by Jamie Crawford)Best Actor (Ryan Gage)Twenty Twenty-Four (88mins, Dir. by Richard Mundy) Is It Dead Yet (7mins, Dir. by Kelly Wenham & Matt Bailey)Best Supporting Actress (Kate O’Brien)Last Base (15mins, Dir. by Aslak Danbolt)Best Student FilmPeople of Nowhere (2mins, Dir. by Lior Sperandeo) David Mills (3mins, Dir. by Jeric Pimentel) HOLE (19mins, Dir. by Mike Callaghan)British Lion AwardOne of These Days (5mins, Dir. by Franklyn Banks) The Big, The Bad and The Bunny (3mins, Dir. by Minji Sohn) Twine (20mins, Dir. by Richard Heap)Best Short Film, Best Supporting Actor (Dylan Smith), Best DirectorSilver Girl (6mins, Dir. by Min Reid) What Do You Desire (4mins, Dir. by Bruno Downey) Not Sophie's Choice (7mins, Dir. by Matt Holt) The Head Hunter (87mins, Dir. by Tom Keeling) Miss in Her Teens (80mins, Dir. by Matthew Butler)Best MusicPeople of Nowhere (Dir. by Lior Sperandeo)Best Music VideoQueensgate (Unproduced screenplay by Nevada McPherson)Best Unproduced Screenplay
2017 British Independent Film Festival Official Selection & Award Winners