Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast and Philip Barantini’s Boiling Point lead the charge in a line-up of films that shows British cinema bouncing back after a turbulent year.
The last few years have seen the profile of the British Independent Film Awards increase significantly. If it shares some crossover with BAFTA in the selection of films chosen, the BIFAs also tend to champion films that fly just beneath the radar of mainstream cinema. So Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical portrait of growing up in a divided Belfast in the late 1960s, which looks set to be a key player on the international awards circuit, shares 11 nominations with Philip Barantini’s knife-edge, single-shot drama set in a frenetic restaurant kitchen. Elsewhere, the nominations are dominated by The Selfish Giant director Clio Barnard’s Ali & Ava, Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir Part II, Aleem Khan’s After Love and Sean Durkin’s The Nest.
Belfast (2021)
Curzon has two upcoming films in the Best International Independent Film category. There’s Compartment No 6 by Juho Kuosmanen and Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s Flee. Kuosmanen’s romantic drama premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received the Grand Prix and a special mention by the Ecumenical Prize jury. It’s a singular work from the filmmaker behind The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki. Rasmussen’s animated documentary, telling the story of his Afghan friend’s journey out of Taliban-controlled Kabul and to freedom in Denmark, is as moving as it is inspiring. It won the Grand Jury Documentary Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and has been wowing audiences since, including the London Film Festival, where it played as the Flare Gala Presentation. Another Curzon release, Uberto Pasolini’s Nowhere Special, sees James Norton nominated for Best Actor.
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 5 December. Check out the full list of nominees here.
EXPLORE OUR BIFA 2021 COLLECTION ON CURZON HOME CINEMA