Press Release

BBC Films tops the 2009 British Independent Film Awards With 26 Nominations

Monday, October 26th

London, UK: BBC Films scooped an incredible 26 nods at this morning's nominations for the 2009 British Independent Film Awards. Films include: Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank with eight nominations, Lone Sherfig's An Education and Armando Iannucci's In the Loop receive six each, and Jane Campion's Bright Star receives four. Tom Hooper's The Damned United and Scott Hicks' The Boys are Back are nominated for one each.

Fish Tank, which is currently performing strongly in the UK for distributors Curzon Artificial Eye, has received much critical acclaim ahead of a raft of BIFA nominations including Best Film (Kees Kasander). Andrea Arnold follows her Cannes Prix du Jury win with nominations here for Best Director and Best Screenplay, and following her Best British Performance award at this year's EIFF, Katie Jarvis is also nominated for two, Best Actress and Most Promising Newcomer. Michael Fassbender picks up a nomination for Best Supporting Actor and Cinematographer Robbie Ryan is nominated for Best Technical Achievement.

Lone Sherfig's charming and heart-warming An Education is nominated for Best Film (Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey), Best Director (Lone Scherfig) and Best Actress (Carey Mulligan). Rosamund Pike is nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Alfred Molina for Best Supporting Actor and one of the UK's most celebrated authors, Nick Hornby, is nominated for Best Screenplay.

The hit political satire In the Loop is nominated for Best Film (Kevin Loader, Adam Tandy), Best Director (Armando Iannucci), who is also nominated for Best Directorial Debut and Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche are nominated for Best Screenplay. The charismatic Peter Capaldi is nominated for Best Actor and Tom Hollander is nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

Jane Campion's breathtaking Bright Star received nominations for Best Director (Jane Campion), Best Actress (Abbie Cornish), Best Supporting Actress (Kerry Fox) and Cinematographer Greig Fraser is nominated for Best Technical Achievement.

17-year-old George MacKay is nominated for Most Promising Newcomer in The Boys are Back and the wonderfully talented Jim Broadbent receives a Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Damned United.

Christine Langan, Creative Director of BBC Films, "BBC Films is thrilled at this year's bumper crop of nominations and we congratulate all our partners: this is a testament to their range of talent, originality and commitment."

BIFA 2009 will take place at The Brewery in Central London on Sunday December 6th, 2009.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Jim Selman, Freud Communications: +44 20 3003 6427 / james.selman@freud.com