BIFA worships "Aftersun". Do you?
Monday, December 5, 2022 at 11:27PM by Nathaniel R
Aftersun
The British Independent Film Awards were not in much of a sharing mood this season, showering most of their awards upon Charlotte Wells critically-acclaimed memoir Aftersun. The beautiful mood piece took seven of their prizes in total. Its fans are truly passionate. Do you count yourself among them? And if you haven't seen it yet, make sure to do so if it's playing in a theater near you. Despite its dominance, three other films managed multiple wins with the lesbian school drama Blue Jean picking up both main acting prizes and casting, the documentary about Sinéad O'Connor, Nothing Compares, receiving two awards, and the UK's current Oscar submission Winners also nabbing prizes. (Nothing Compares is streaming on Showtime and Blue Jean will be released next year in the US by Magnolia. There's no word yet on a US release for Winners)
Though Aftersun also took prizes for its cinematography and editing, it didn't win all the craft prizes making room for a few other films to emerge as winners, too. Complete winners list after the jump. Links to go our coverage of the films...
Best British Independent Film
- ★ AFTERSUN -Charlotte Wells, Barry Jenkins, Mark Ceryak, Adele Romanski, Amy Jackson
- BLUE JEAN -Georgia Oakley, Hélène Sifre
- GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE -Sophie Hyde, Katy Brand, Debbie Gray, Adrian Politowski
- LIVING -Oliver Hermanus, Kazuo Ishiguro, Stephen Woolley, Elizabeth Karlsen
- THE WONDER -Sebastián Lelio, Emma Donoghue, Alice Birch, Juliette Howell, Andrew Lowe, Tessa Ross, Ed Guiney
Best Director sponsored by Sky Cinema
- OLIVER HERMANUS Living
- SOPHIE HYDE Good Luck to you Leo Grande
- SEBASTIÁN LELIO The Wonder
- GEORGIA OAKLEY Blue Jean
- ★ CHARLOTTE WELLS Aftersun
Wells was a double winner, taking Debut Director as well.
Best Screenplay
- KATY BRAND - Good Luck to you Leo Grande
- KAZUO ISHIGURO- Living
- SEBASTIÁN LELIO, ALICE BIRCH, EMMA DONOGHUE- The Wonder
- GEORGIA OAKLEY- Blue Jean
- ★ CHARLOTTE WELLS- Aftersun
We also love Aftersun but the screenplay prize feels especially generous since it gains most of its power from its direction, performances, and overall vibe.
Best Lead Performance
Rosy McEwen in "Blue Jean"
- SALLY HAWKINS The Lost King
- COSMO JARVIS It Is in Us All
- EMMA MACKEY Emily
- ★ ROSY McEWEN Blue Jean
- BILL NIGHY Living
- FLORENCE PUGH The Wonder
- EMILY WATSON God's Creatures
- HALA ZEIN Nezouh
Best Supporting Performance
- ZOEY DEUTCH The Outfit
- AISLING FRANCIOSI God's Creatures
- LUCY HALLIDAY Blue Jean
- ★ KERRIE HAYES Blue Jean
- ZAINAB JODA Our River… Our Sky
- FATMA MOHAMED Flux Gourmet
- PAUL MESCAL God's Creatures
- FIONN WHITEHEAD Emily
- AIMEE LOU WOOD Living
Best Joint Lead Performance
- FRANKIE CORIO, PAUL MESCAL- Aftersun
- DARYL McCORMACK, EMMA THOMPSON- Good Luck to you Leo Grande
- JESSIE BUCKLEY, RORY KINNEAR- Men
- ★ TAMARA LAWRANCE, LETITIA WRIGHT- The Silent Twins
A surprise win here given that The Silent Twins has an extremely low profile compared to its competition. Perhaps it made bigger waves in the UK? It played in the US for just two weeks earning $200k at the box office.
Best Ensemble Performance
- BLUE JEAN -Ensemble including Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes, Lucy Halliday, Lydia Page, Stacy Abalogun, Farrah Cave, Amy Booth-Steel
- EMILY -Ensemble including Amelia Gething, Emma Mackey, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Fionn Whitehead, Alexandra Dowling, Gemma Jones, Adrian Dunbar
- FLUX GOURMET -Ensemble including Makis Papadimitriou, Gwendoline Christie, Asa Butterfield, Fatma Mohamed, Ariane Labed, Richard Bremmer
- ★ 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
- THOMAS HARDIMAN Medusa Deluxe
- FRANCES O’CONNOR Emily
- GEORGIA OAKLEY Blue Jean
- ★ CHARLOTTE WELLS Aftersun
Charlotte Wells has had a very good week picking up prizes from two NYC groups Gotham and NYFCC and two more directing prizes at home.
Breakthrough Producer sponsored by Pinewood and Shepperton Studios
- ALEKSANDRA BILIĆ, JENNIFER CORCORAN - Nascondino [Hide & Seek]
- PAUL KENNEDY - Nightride [also produced by Jon Silk]
- RUPERT MAJENDIE- Brian and Charles
- ★ NADIRA MURRAY- Winners [also produced by Paul Welsh]
- HÉLÈNE SIFRE- Blue Jean
Breakthrough Performance sponsored by Netflix
- FRANKIE CORIO -Aftersun
- LEO LONG -I Used to Be Famous
- KÍLA LORD CASSIDY -The Wonder
- ROSY McEWEN -Blue Jean
- ★ SAFIA OAKLEY-GREEN -The Origin
Best Debut Screenwriter sponsored by Film4
- SHANE CROWLEY -God's Creatures
- DAVID EARL, CHRIS HAYWARD -Brian and Charles
- RUTH GREENBERG -The Origin
- ★ GEORGIA OAKLEY Blue Jean
- CHARLOTTE WELLS Aftersun
Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary
- ★ KATHRYN FERGUSON Nothing Compares
- VICTORIA FIORE -Nascondino [Hide & Seek]
- LEAH GORDON, EDDIE HUTTON MILLS -Kanaval
- JONO McLEOD -My Old School
- BECKY HUTNER -Fashion Reimagined
The Raindance Discovery Award
- ELECTRIC MALADY -Marie Lidén, Aimara Reques
- FADIA’S TREE -Sarah Beddington, Susan Simnett
- OFF THE RAILS -Peter Day, Grant Keir, Rob Alexander
- REBELLION -Elena Sánchez Bellot, Maia Kenworthy, Kat Mansoor
- ★ WINNERS -Hassan Nazer, Nadira Murray, Paul Welsh
Winners is the UK's Oscar submission this year. It takes place in Iran and involves children finding a "precious statue" with the poster likening that statue to an Oscar.
Best Feature Documentary sponsored by Intermission
- MY CHILDHOOD, MY COUNTRY – 20 YEARS IN AFGHANISTAN -Phil Grabsky, Shoaib Sharifi, Amanda Wilkie
- MY OLD SCHOOL -Jono McLeod, John Archer, Olivia Lichtenstein
- NASCONDINO [HIDE & SEEK] -Victoria Fiore, Jennifer Corcoran, Aleksandra Bilić
- ★ 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
- HONESTY -Roxy Rezvany, Emily Renée, Elly Camisa
- SANDSTORM -Seemab Gul, Abid Aziz Merchant
- SCALE -Joseph Pierce, Hélène Mitjavile
- ★ TOO ROUGH -Sean Lìonadh, Ross McKenzie, Alfredo Covelli
Too Rough is a gay short about a guy who wakes up hungover and has to hide his boyfriend from his parents.
Best International Independent Film sponsored by Champagne Taittinger
- ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED -Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov,
- CLOSE -Lukas Dhont, Angelo Tijssens, Michiel Dhont, Dirk Impens
- DECISION TO LEAVE -Park Chan-Wook, Chung Seo-Kyung
- EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE -Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Mike Larocca
- ★ THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD -Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar, Thomas Robsahm
A full year later and people are still revelling in the genius of The Worst Person in the World. We approve.
Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society & Spotlight
- ★ SHAHEEN BAIG -Blue Jean
- LEILA BERTRAND -Our River… Our Sky
- KHARMEL COCHRANE -The Silent Twins
- KAHLEEN CRAWFORD -Living
- LUCY PARDEE -Aftersun
Best Cinematography sponsored by Dirty Looks & Kodak
- ALFREDO DE JUAN -Nascondino [Hide & Seek]
- ROB HARDY -Men
- JOEL HONEYWELL -Kanaval
- ★ GREGORY OKE Aftersun
- ARI WEGNER The Wonder
Best Costume Design
"Mrs Harris Goes to Paris"
- ★ JENNY BEAVAN - Mrs Harris Goes to Paris
- SAFFRON CULLANE -Flux Gourmet
- ODILE DICKS-MIREAUX -The Wonder
- FRANK GALLACHER -Aftersun
- SANDY POWELL -Living
Best Editing
- JOANNA CRICKMAY -Elizabeth: A Portrait in Parts
- IZABELLA CURRY -Blue Jean
- MÁTYÁS FEKETE -Flux Gourmet
- MICK MAHON -Nothing Compares
- ★ BLAIR McCLENDON -Aftersun
Best Original Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing
"The Wonder"
- DANNY BENSI, SAUNDER JURRIAANS -God's Creatures
- OLIVER COATES -Aftersun
- ★ MATTHEW HERBERT- The Wonder
- ADAM JANOTA BZOWSKI -The Origin
- BEN SALISBURY, GEOFF BARROW -Men
Best Make-Up & Hair Design
"Medusa Deluxe"
- OYA AYGÖR, MURAT ÇAĞIN -Aftersun
- MORNA FERGUSON, LORRI ANN KING -The Wonder
- SIOBHAN HARPER-RYAN -Flux Gourmet
- NIAMH MORRISON -The Origin
- ★ EUGENE SOULEIMAN, SCARLETT O’CONNELL -Medusa Deluxe
Best Effects
"Men"
- CHRIS MARSHALL -The Feast
- ★ DAVID SIMPSON -Men
- AHMED YOUSRY -Nezouh
Best Music Supervision
Best Sound supported by Halo
"Flux Gourmet"
- ★ TIM HARRISON, RAOUL BRAND, CASSANDRA RUTLEDGE -Flux Gourmet
- GLENN FREEMANTLE, BEN BARKER, GILLIAN DODDERS, HOWARD BARGOFF, MITCH LOW- Men
- JOVAN AJDER -Aftersun
- HUGH FOX, BEN BAIRD -The Wonder
- DOM CORBISIERO, DAI SHELL -The Feast
Best Production Design
- FLETCHER JARVIS -Flux Gourmet
- GRANT MONTGOMERY -The Wonder
- ★ HELEN SCOTT -Living
- BILLUR TURAN -Aftersun
- GARY WILLIAMSON -Medusa Deluxe
Aftersun, BIFA, Blue Jean, The Silent Twins
Reader Comments (7)
All the superflux of love showers on Aftersun, and the two leads are ironically overlooked.
The movie wldn't have worked without their sensitive performance and touching chemistry
This is the only film i've seen this year that affected me,Mescal is more in the running than he was a month ago,good luck to him and all involved.
I, too, worship Aftersun. As delighted as I am by all the awards love for Colin Farrell so far, I'm hoping a few key awards bodies can drum up some Mescal momentum.
Patiently waiting for Aftersun to be released in Milwaukee. C'mon A24!
Ugh. I'm so weary of these crazy release schedules. AFTERSUN has yet to be released in the Boston area. Unless you frequent film festivals, it takes a very long time to catch these in a theater, and by the time they are released, they are also available via streaming/VOD (see also, GOD'S CREATURES, which, thankfully, is now available on VUDU).
Still waiting impatiently for AFTER LOVE, which won a freaking BAFTA for Joanna Scanlan.
“Best Joint Lead Performance” is a category I haven’t seen before. Paul Mescal and Frankie Coria are nominated here so they weren’t overlooked. They were both so good.
I just saw “Aftersun” today, so I’m still sifting through my love for it. It’s definitely a film that stays with you.
I was also glad to see some recognition for Zoey Deutch in her nomination for her supporting work in “The Outfit”.
I do not worship Aftersun, though I'm happy to consider that I am the problem since I was still buzzing from RRR on the big screen the night before. Just couldn't get into its rhythm.