Armando Iannucci’s take on the Charles Dickens classic “David Copperfield” is a strong front-runner in the British Independent Film Awards, scoring 11 nominations.
Dev Patel is up for best actor for his starring role in “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” and his co-stars, Tilda Swinton and Hugh Laurie, compete in their respective supporting categories.
“Wild Rose,” featuring Jessie Buckley as a rising singer, is also a major contender, with 10 nominations. Horror thriller “In Fabric” follows with nine, and Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir” with eight. Dance music feature “Beats,” biopic “Judy,” and documentaries “For Sama” and “Diego Maradona” landed five nods apiece.
British actors Naomi Ackie and Joe Cole unveiled the 2019 nominations in London on Wednesday.
Renee Zellweger gets a best actress nom for her turn as late-career Judy Garland. She will vie with Buckley, Holliday Grainger, Sally Hawkins and Vicky Knight for the award.
For the best actor prize, Patel is up against Sam Adewumni, Tom Burke, Krish Hitchen and Josh O’Connor.
Hogg and Waad Al-Kateab are the two female filmmakers among the six nominees for best director.
“Ash Is Purest White,” “Marriage Story,” “Monos,” “Parasite” and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” make up a strong field in the best international feature category.
BIFA has pioneered an unconscious-bias training program for its members, which is now rolling out to the wider industry. The 2019 awards will be announced at a gala ceremony, in London, on Dec. 1. Writer and actor Aisling Bea will host.
Best British Independent Film
“BAIT”
“FOR SAMA”
“THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD”
“THE SOUVENIR”
Best Director
WAAD AL-KATEAB, EDWARD WATTS (“For Sama”)
OLIVER HERMANUS (“Moffie”)
JOANNA HOGG (“The Souvenir”)
MARK JENKIN (“Bait”)
ASIF KAPADIA Diego (“Maradona”)
Best Screenplay
JOANNA HOGG (“The Souvenir”)
ARMANDO IANNUCCI, SIMON BLACKWELL (“The Personal History of David Copperfield”)
PAUL LAVERTY (“Sorry We Missed You”)
PETER STRICKLAND (“In Fabric”)
NICOLE TAYLOR (“Wild Rose”)
Best Supporting Actress
JESSICA BARDEN (“Scarborough”)
RUTHXJIAH BELLENEA (“The Last Tree”)
ELIZABETH DEBICKI (“Vita & Virginia”)
TILDA SWINTON “(The Personal History of David Copperfield”)
JULIE WALTERS (“Wild Rose”)
Best Supporting Actor
CHIWETEL EJIOFOR (“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”)
HUGH LAURIE (“The Personal History of David Copperfield”)
EDLISON MANUEL OLBERA NÚÑEZ Yuli (“The Carlos Acosta Story”)
PETER MULLAN (“The Vanishing”)
BLUEY ROBINSON (“Dirty God”)
The Douglas Hickox Award (Debut Director)
WILL BECHER, RICHARD PHELAN (“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon”)
FYZAL BOULIFA (“Lynn + Lucy”)
NINIAN DOFF (“Boyz in the Wood”)
CHIWETEL EJIOFOR (“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”)
HARRY WOOTLIFF (“Only You”)
Breakthrough Producer
FINN BRUCE (“Tucked”)
KATE BYERS, LINN WAITE (“Bait”)
JOY GHARORO-AKPOJOTOR (“Blue Story”)
BECKY READ (“Three Identical Strangers”)
JACK SIDEY (“Moffie”)
Debut Screenwriter
KIERAN HURLEY (“Beats”)
LISA OWENS (“Days of the Bagnold Summer”)
NICOLE TAYLOR (“Wild Rose”)
EMMA JANE UNSWORTH (“Animals”)
HARRY WOOTLIFF (“Only You”)
Most Promising Newcomer
SAM ADEWUMNI (“The Last Tree”)
VICKY KNIGHT (“Dirty God”)
LORN MACDONALD (“Beats”)
ROXANNE SCRIMSHAW (“Lynn + Lucy”)
HONOR SWINTON BYRNE (“The Souvenir”)
Best Documentary
“COUP 53”
“DIEGO MARADONA”
“FOR SAMA”
“SEAHORSE”
“TELL ME WHO I AM”
The Raindance Discovery Award
“A BUMP ALONG THE WAY”
“CHILDREN OF THE SNOW LAND”
“HERE FOR LIFE”
“MUSCLE”
“THE STREET”
Best British Short Film
“ANNA”
“BOILING POINT”
“THE DEVIL’S HARMONY”
“GOLDFISH”
“SERIOUS TINGZ”
Best International Independent Film sponsored by Champagne Taittinger
“ASH IS PUREST WHITE”
“MARRIAGE STORY”
“MONOS”
“PARASITE”
“PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE”