While it may lack the panache of the BAFTAs, the BIFA (British Independent Film Awards) are usually seen as a key precursor for the British films that could do well this awards season.

Earlier today, they announced the nominations for their 15th annual Moët ceremony with a few familiar faces making the short-list.

Leading the pack is BBC’s Broken which focuses on a young girl in North London whose life is changed after she witnesses a brutal attack. Tim Roth, Cillian Murphy and Rory Kinnear all received acting nominations for their performances in the film which gained nine nods overall.

Sightseers and Berberian Sound Studio secured seven nods each with John Madden’s box-office hit The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and documentary The Imposter also nominated for the Best British Independent Film award.

Oscar-winner Meryl Streep and Dames Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Vanessa Redgrave are amongst cinematic royalty in the acting departments with Toby Jones, Andrea Riseborough, Terence Stamp, Billy Connolly and Tom Wilkinson being the other big-name nominees. Ben ‘Plan B’ Drew has been recognised for his first-time directing contribution of Ill Manors with a Best Debut Director mention.

Some non-British productions are also short-listed with Michael Haneke’s Palme D’Or winning film Amour, the indie-drama Beasts of the Southern Wild and Jacques Audiard’s Rust & Bone being nodded for Best International Independent Film.

The full list of nominations are below:

Best British Independent Film
Berberian Sound Studio
Broken
Sightseers
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Imposter

Best Director
Bart Layton (The Imposter)
Ben Wheatley (Sightseers)
John Madden (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio)
Rufus Norris (Broken)

The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director
Bart Layton (The Imposter)
Ben Drew (Ill Manors)
Rowan Athale (Wasteland)
Rufus Norris (Broken)
Sally El Hosaini (My Brother the Devil)

Best Actress
Alice Lowe (Sightseers)
Andrea Riseborough (Shadow Dancer)
Elle Fanning (Ginger & Rosa)
Judi Dench (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)

Best Actor
Riz Ahmed (ill Manors)
Steve Oram (Sightseers)
Terence Stamp (Song for Marion)
Tim Roth (Broken)
Toby Jones (Berberian Sound Studio)

Best Supporting Actress
Alice Englert (Ginger & Rosa)
Eileen Davies (Sightseers)
Maggie Smith (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
Olivia Colman (Hyde Park on Hudson)
Vanessa Redgrave (Song for Marion)

Best Supporting Actor
Billy Connolly (Quartet)
Cillian Murphy (Broken)
Domhnall Gleeson (Shadow Dancer)
Rory Kinnear (Broken)
Tom Wilkinson (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)

Most Promising Newcomer
Elliott Tittensor (Spike Island)
Eloise Laurence (Broken)
James Floyd (My Brother the Devil)
Paul Brannigan (The Angels’ Share)
Zawe Ashton (Dreams of a Life)

Best Screenplay
Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady)
Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Amy Jump (Sightseers)
Mark O’Rowe (Broken)
Paul Andrew Williams (Song for Marion)
Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio)

Best Achievement in Production
Berberian Sound Studio
Ill Manors
Sightseers
The Imposter
The Sweeney

Best Technical Achievement
Nic Knowland – Cinematography (Berberian Sound Studio)
Joakim Sundström, Stevie Haywood AMPS IPS – Sound Design (Berberian Sound Studio)
Electric Wave Bureau – Music (Broken)
Robbie Ryan – Cinematography (Ginger & Rosa)
Andrew Hulme – Editing (The Imposter)

Best Documentary
Dreams of a Life
London: The Modern Babylon
Marley
Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir
The Imposter

Best British Short
Friday
Junk
Skyborn
Swimmer
Volume

Best International Independent Film
Amour
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Rust & Bone
Searching For Sugar Man
The Hunt

The Raindance Award
Frank
Strings
Love Tomorrow
City Slacker
Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet

James Nesbitt will once again host the Moët British Independent Film Awards for the sixth time with the event taking place on Sunday, December 9th at Old Billingsgate in London.

The winners of the Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution by an actor to British film, Variety Award and Special Jury Prize will be announced at the ceremony.

Source: BIFA