Rye Lane, the London-set romcom starring Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson, has emerged as the frontrunner in the British independent film awards (Bifa), hoovering up 16 nominations, including best British independent film, best director for Raine Allen-Miller, and best joint lead performance.
Released in March after a successful premiere at the Sundance film festival, Rye Lane has attracted admiring reviews; the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw said it had “amiable, upbeat energy”, while Mark Kermode in the Observer wrote that the film would leave “a smile on your face, a spring in your step”. Named for the street in the south London district of Peckham, Rye Lane also attracted two nominations for Allen-Miller (best director and best debut director) as well as for its screenplay.
Also dominating the nominations count are Scrapper and All of Us Strangers, both on 14. The former, written and directed by Charlotte Regan, was described as “likable [and] beautifully photographed” by Peter Bradshaw in its account of the relationship between a father and daughter (played by Harris Dickinson and Lola Campbell, who are up for the best joint lead award). The latter, the new film from 45 Years director Andrew Haigh, is yet to be released in the UK, but has garnered considerable praise since its premiere at the Telluride film festival in September, with Bradshaw calling it “an enormously satisfying and affecting experience” in a five-star review.
Scrapper is also nominated for best cinematography for Molly Manning Walker – whose own debut film as director, How to Have Sex, is just behind with 13 nominations. Like Regan, Manning Walker is nominated for best director and best debut director, as well as best screenplay and best debut screenwriter.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 3 December.
Full list of nominations
Best British independent film
All of Us Strangers
Femme
How to Have Sex
Rye Lane
Scrapper
Best international independent film
Anatomy of a Fall
Fallen Leaves
Fremont
Monster
Past Lives
Best director
Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane
Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Femme
Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers
Molly Manning Walker, How to Have Sex
Charlotte Regan, Scrapper
Best lead performance
Jodie Comer, The End We Start From
Mia Mckenna-Bruce, How to Have Sex
Tia Nomore, Earth Mama
Nabhaan Rizwan, In Camera
Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers
Tilda Swinton, The Eternal Daughter
Best screenplay
Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, Rye Lane
Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Femme
Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers
Molly Manning Walker, How to Have Sex
Charlotte Regan, Scrapper
Best supporting performance
Ritu Arya, Polite Society
Jamie Bell, All of Us Strangers
Samuel Bottomley, How to Have Sex
Alexandra Burke, Pretty Red Dress
Amir El-Masry, In Camera
Claire Foy, All of Us Strangers
Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers
Alia Shawkat, Drift
Shaun Thomas, How to Have Sex
Katherine Waterson, The End We Start From
Best joint lead performance
Lola Campbell, Harris Dickinson, Scrapper
David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah, Rye Lane
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, George Mackay, Femme
Douglas Hickox award (best debut director)
Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane
Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Femme
Savanah Leaf, Earth Mama
Molly Manning Walker, How to Have Sex
Charlotte Regan, Scrapper
Breakthrough producer award
Theo Barrowclough, Scrapper
Georgia Goggin, Pretty Red Dress
Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo, Rye Lane [also produced by Damian Jones]
Gannesh Rajah, If the Streets Were on Fire
Chi Thai, Raging Grace
Breakthrough performance award
Le’Shantey Bonsu, Girl
Lola Campbell, Scrapper
Priya Kansara, Polite Society
Mia Mckenna-Bruce, How to Have Sex
Vivian Oparah, Rye Lane
Best debut director – feature documentary
Chloe Abrahams, The Taste of Mango
Sophie Compton, Reuben Hamlyn, Another Body
Ella Glendining, Is There Anybody Out There?
Alice Russell, If the Streets Were on Fire
Christopher Sharp, Bobi Wine: The People’s President [also directed by Moses Bwayo]
Best debut screenwriter
Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, Rye Lane
Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Femme
Molly Manning Walker, How to Have Sex
Nida Manzoor, Polite Society
Charlotte Regan, Scrapper
Raindance Maverick award
If the Streets Were on Fire
Is There Anybody Out There?
Name Me Lawand
Raging Grace
Red Herring
Best feature documentary
Another Body
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
If the Streets Were on Fire Alice Russell, Gannesh Rajah
Lyra
Occupied City
Best British short film
Christopher at Sea
Festival of Slaps
Lions
Muna
The Talent
Best casting
Scrapper
Rye Lane
All of Us Strangers
How to Have Sex
Earth Mama
Best cinematography
Rye Lane
The End We Start From
Scrapper
All of Us Strangers
Femme
Best costume design
How to Have Sex
Scrapper
Femme
Rye Lane
The End We Start From
Best editing
All of Us Strangers
Rye Lane
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
High & Low – John Galliano
The End We Start From
Best effects
Polite Society
The End We Start From
The Kitchen
Best music supervision
Femme
All of Us Strangers
Rye Lane
Best make-up & hair design
All of Us Strangers
Polite Society
Femme
How to Have Sex
Rye Lane
Best original music
Femme
Scrapper
Rye Lane
The End We Start From
Girl
Best production design
The End We Start From
All of Us Strangers
Scrapper
The Kitchen
Rye Lane
Best sound
Scrapper
How to Have Sex
All of Us Strangers
Enys Men
The End We Start From
