Syrian documentary “For Sama” was the big winner at the British Independent Film Awards on Sunday, taking home four awards for its sobering portrayal of how the ongoing war in Syria affects the women who live there.
“For Sama,” directed by Aleppo resident Waad al-Kateab with Edward Watts, follows al-Kateab through five years of her life as she gets married and gives birth to her daughter, Sama, all while the city crumbles around her. The film won BIFAs for Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Documentary, and Best Film Editing, adding to an awards list that includes The Golden Eye for Best Documentary at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the SXSW Film Festival.
Other winners include Best Actress Oscar contender Renee Zellweger, who won a BIFA for her performance as Judy Garland in the biopic “Judy.” The Best Actor award went to Josh O’Connor for his performance in the Harry Wootliff romance “Only You.”
Armando Iannucci’s “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” which premiered at TIFF and will be released in theaters in 2020, won for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Hugh Laurie. Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite,” which is seeing buzz build around it for a Best Picture Oscar nomination, won for Best International Independent Film
Read the full winners list below:
The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film
Kristin Scott Thomas
Special Jury Prize
Amanda Nevill
Best British Independent Film
“For Sama”
Best Director
Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts (“For Sama”)
Best Screenplay
Armando Ianucci, Simon Blackwell (“The Personal History of David Copperfield”)
Best Documentary
“For Sama”
Best Actress
Renee Zellweger (“Judy”)
Best Actor
Josh O’Connor (“Only You”)
Best Supporting Actress
Ruthxjiah Bellenea (“The Last Tree”)
Best Supporting Actor
Hugh Laurie (“The Personal History of David Copperfield”)
Most Promising Newcomer
Sam Adewunmi (“The Last Tree”)
The Douglas Hickox Award (Debut Director)
Harry Wootliff (“Only You”)
Debut Screenwriter
Emma Jane Unsworth (“Animals”)
Breakthrough Producer
Kate Byers, Linn Waite (“Bait”)
The Raindance Discovery Award
“Children of the Snow Land”
Best Casting
Sarah Crowe (“The Personal History of David Copperfield”)
Best Cinematography
Benjamin Kracun (“Beats”)
Best Costume Design
Suzie Harman, Robert Worley (“The Personal History of David Copperfield”)
Best Editing
Chloe Lambourne, Simon McMahon (“For Sama”)
Best Effects
Howard Jones (“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon”)
Best Make-Up & Hair Design
Jeremy Woodhead (“Judy”)
Best Music
Jack Arnold (“Wild Rose”)
Best Production Design
Cristina Casali (“The Personal History of David Copperfield”)
Best Sound
David Bowtle-McMillan, Joakim Sundstrom, Robert Farr (“Beats”)
Best British Short Film
“Anna”
Best International Independent Film
“Parasite”