The nominations for the 2018 British Independent Film Awards have been announced, and royal comedy “The Favourite” leads the pack with 13 nods. Starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz, the period pic tells the story of an unstable queen and those vying to influence her. “The Favourite’s” many nominations include Best British Independent Film, Best Screenplay (Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara), Best Actress (Colman), Best Supporting Actress (Stone and Weisz), and Best Costume Design (Sandy Powell).
Another film to receive major recognition is Lynne Ramsay’s Cannes winner “You Were Never Really Here.” The Joaquin Phoenix-starrer follows a vigilante hired to save a senator’s missing daughter — and punish those responsible for taking her. The thriller is up for Best British Independent Film, Best Director (Ramsay), and Best Screenplay (Ramsay), among other honors. Ramsay is the only woman in the running for Best Director.
Two of five films in the race for Best International Independent Film are women helmed: Nadine Labaki’s “Capernaum,” a portrait of a boy who sues his parents for bringing him into a world full of pain and suffering, and “The Rider,” Chloé Zhao’s drama about cowboy coping with the aftermath of a near-fatal rodeo accident.
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) has one female nominee, Leanne Welham for “Pili,” the story of a woman living in rural Tanzania who is trying to keep her HIV-positive status a secret.
“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” star Karen Gillan is the lone woman up for Debut Screenwriter. She’s being recognized for “The Party’s Just Beginning,” a dark comedy about a woman dealing with the death of her best friend. The project also marked Gillan’s feature directorial debut.
Four of Five nominees in the running for Breakthrough Producer are women: Jacqui Davies (“Ray & Liz”), Anna Griffin (“Calibre”), Marcie Maclellan (“Apostasy”), and Faye Ward (“Stan & Ollie”).
“Chewing Gum” creator and star Michaela Coel received a nod for Most Promising Newcomer for London-set musical “Been So Long.” Her fellow nominees include Jessie Buckley (“Beast”), Liv Hill (“Jellyfish”), and Molly Wright (“Apostasy”).
According to BIFA, more than 40 percent of the individual nominations are for women. Head over to ScreenDaily to see the complete list of nominees.
The awards ceremony will take place December 2 in London.
