British Independent Film Awards: Craft winners announced

The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) today announced the first of this year’s award winners for its 10 film craft categories.

Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, a moving portrait of a father and daughter sharing a precious holiday which received 16 BIFA nominations this year, has won three Craft awards; Best Cinematography sponsored by Dirty Looks & Kodak for Gregory Oke, Best Editing for Blair McClendon and Best Music Supervision for Lucy Bright. The latter is a new category introduced this year.

Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society & Spotlight went to ten-time BIFA nominee Shaheen Baig for Blue Jean. The 1980s-set film, which follows a young schoolteacher forced to lead a double life, has been nominated for 13 BIFAs in total, including Best British Independent Film.

With nine nominations this year, including Best British Independent Film, Oliver Hermanus’ Living, a deft update of Kurosawa’s Ikiru, was awarded Best Production Design for Helen Scott.

Sebastián Lelio’s 19th century set thriller pitting religious fervour against scientific accuracy in rural Ireland, The Wonder, which received 12 nominations, including Best British Independent Film, has won Best Original Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group for Matthew Herbert.

Jenny Beavan has won the Best Costume Design award for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, which stars Lesley Manville as a woman following her dream to own a couture gown. Best Effects goes to David Simpson for his work on Men, Alex Garland’s smart psychological horror-thriller starring Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear. Best Make-Up & Hair Design goes to Eugene Souleiman and Scarlett O’Connell for Medusa Deluxe, Thomas Hardiman’s murder-mystery set in the extravagant world of competitive hair dressing.

Flux Gourmet, BIFA winner Peter Strickland’s tale of power, ego and stomach issues in the eccentric world of art and sonic catering, won Best Sound for Tim Harrison, Raoul Brand and Cassandra Rutledge.

BIFA introduced these award categories in 2017 to better recognise the wealth of exceptional talent working on British independent films. The nominations and winners have been chosen by BIFA voters over the course of three rounds of viewing, discussion and voting.

The winners in all remaining categories will be announced at the 25th BIFA ceremony on Sunday 4 December at Old Billingsgate.