The British Independent Film Awards has revealed its 2025 New Talent longlists, celebrating exceptional debut filmmaking across 33 new British documentary and fiction features.
This year, the four debut categories that make up the filmmaker new talent longlists include 12 first-time fiction feature directors, 13 first-time feature documentary directors, 16 first-time writers and 16 breakthrough producers.
The longlist for Breakthrough Performance, which highlights outstanding acting talent in break-out roles, was announced yesterday (16 October) and spotlights 15 remarkable new British stars in the making.
The five nominees in each of the new talent categories will be announced on Monday 3 November, with winners revealed at the 28th BIFA awards ceremony on Sunday 30 November, at Camden’s Roundhouse.
The full longlists are available below.
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) Sponsored by BBC Film
- Stroma Cairns The Son and the Sea
- Laura Carreira On Falling
- Ronan Corrigan LifeHack
- Akinola Davies Jr My Father’s Shadow
- Harris Dickinson Urchin
- Patrick Dickinson Cottontail
- Nadia Fall Brides
- Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor Dreamers
- Daisy-May Hudson Lollipop
- Harry Lighton Pillion
- Cal McMau Wasteman
- Imran Perretta Ish
Best Debut Screenwriter Sponsored by FILM4
- Hunter Andrews, Eoin Doran Wasteman
- Tom Basden, Tim Key The Ballad of Wallis Island
- Laura Carreira On Falling
- Ronan Corrigan, Hope Elliott Kemp LifeHack
- Wale Davies My Father’s Shadow
- Suhayla El-Bushra Brides
- Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor Dreamers
- Daisy-May Hudson Lollipop
- Harry Lighton Pillion
- Imran Perretta Ish [also written by Enda Walsh]
- Max Porter Steve
- Imogen West, Stroma Cairns The Son and the Sea
Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary
- Myrid Carten A Want in Her
- deadhorses (Ivo Beckett & James Topley) Hakeem
- Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson Mother Vera
- Jessi Gutch Blue Has No Borders
- Grace Hughes-Hallett The Secret of Me
- Max Keegan The Shepherd and the Bear
- Eloise King The Shadow Scholars
- Victoria Mapplebeck Motherboard
- Jane Mingay Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story
- Eleanor Mortimer How Deep Is Your Love
- Toby Robson Poised
Breakthrough Producer Sponsored by Pinewood and Shepperton Studios
- Wyn Baptiste Shoot the People
- Helena Berndl In Symbiosis
- William Bridges, Brett Goldstein All of You [also produced by Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett]
- Polly Creed Holloway [also produced by Alice Hughes, Sophie Compton]
- Marie-Elena Dyche Dragonfly [also produced by Dominic Tighe]
- Ian Henry Hallow Road [also produced by Lucan Toh]
- Eloise King, Bona Orakwue The Shadow Scholars [also produced by Anna Smith Tenser, Tabs Breese]
- Charlotte Knowles Palestine Comedy Club
- Joann Kushner LifeHack [also produced by Timur Bekmambetov, Aleksandr Kletzov]
- Dhiraj Mahey Ish [also produced by Bennett McGhee]
- Archie Pearch Urchin [also produced by Scott O’Donnell]
- Laura Shacham Mother Vera
- Nick Skaugen Row
- Flora Stewart The Secret of Me [also produced by James Rogan]
Breakthrough Performance Sponsored by Netflix
- Idil Ahmed Lollipop
- Stanley Brock The Son and the Sea
- Jade Croot Rabbit Trap
- Georgie Farmer LifeHack
- Yasmin Finney LifeHack
- Farhan Hasnat Ish
- Ebada Hassan Brides
- Safiyya Ingar Brides
- Yahya Kitana Ish
- Polly Maberly Odyssey
- Tegan-Mia Stanley-Rhoads Lollipop
- Posy Sterling Lollipop
- Connor Tompkins The Son and the Sea
- Scott Ellis Watson I Swear
- Jonah West The Son and the Sea
