The British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) delivered a celebratory night for bold storytelling, first-time filmmakers, and the thriving indie spirit. Leading the charge was Harry Lighton’s provocative debut feature Pillion — a sub/dom queer romance starring Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling — which emerged as the big winner of the evening.
The film took home four BIFA trophies, including the prestigious Best British Independent Film and Best Debut Screenwriter, marking an explosive arrival for Lighton on the indie scene.
‘Pillion’ Takes Center Stage With Four Awards
Presented by Celia Imrie, the Best Film win capped what has been a remarkable run for Pillion. Including its craft wins announced earlier, Lighton’s debut matched the night’s top tally — equaling the four-award haul of Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza’s Navy SEAL drama Warfare.
In his acceptance speech, Lighton delivered the night’s funniest moment, recalling his failed BIFA night in 2017:
“I didn’t win, got incredibly drunk, and burned industry bridges… Thank you to BIFA for not blacklisting me.”
He also praised his leading duo Skarsgård and Melling:
“What a hot couple! It blew my mind that I sent you both a script about butt plugs — and you said yes.”
Other Major Winners of the Night
Akinola Davies Jr. Wins Best Director
Davies earned the top directing honor for My Father’s Shadow, a Lagos-set drama starring Sopé Dirisu. The film, which represented the U.K. in the Oscars’ international race, led nominations with 12.
‘A Want in Her’ Sweeps Documentary Honors
Myrid Carten’s deeply personal exploration of addiction and mental health won:
- Best Feature Documentary
- Best Debut Director – Documentary
- The Raindance Maverick Award
International Independent Film
Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value took home the Best International Independent Film award, with co-writer Eskil Vogt accepting on Trier’s behalf.
Acting Awards
- Robert Aramayo won Best Lead Performance for I Swear, playing a Tourette’s campaigner.
- Posy Sterling earned Best Breakthrough Performance for Lollipop.
- Jay Lycurgo took Best Supporting Performance for Steve, also featuring Cillian Murphy.
- Tom Basden & Tim Key won Best Joint Lead Performance for The Ballad of Wallis Island — which also took Best Screenplay.
Debut Honors & Breakthroughs
- Cal McMau earned the Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director (Wasteman).
- Dhiraj Mahey won Best Breakthrough Producer for Ish.
Craft & Technical Awards
Films like Warfare, Pillion, Die My Love, and Harvest dominated craft categories, celebrating cinematography, editing, sound, effects, music supervision, and production design.
Emily Watson Receives the Richard Harris Award
One of the night’s most emotional moments came when Emily Watson received the Richard Harris Award for her outstanding contribution to British film. Presented by her long-time collaborator Paul Mescal, Watson used her speech to champion creative independence:
“You lot — independent, critical thinkers — will save us when storytelling becomes driven by a hungry algorithm.”
She urged filmmakers to mentor the next generation and “hold the algorithm to the fire.” Later, she admitted to THR:
“I thought I’d be fine giving the speech… then I got here and thought: ‘Oh, shit.’”
Full List of BIFA 2025 Winners
Top Honors
- Best British Independent Film: Pillion
- Best International Independent Film: Sentimental Value
- Best Feature Documentary: A Want in Her
Acting
- Best Lead Performance: Robert Aramayo — I Swear
- Best Joint Lead: Tom Basden & Tim Key — The Ballad of Wallis Island
- Best Supporting Performance: Jay Lycurgo — Steve
- Best Breakthrough Performance: Posy Sterling — Lollipop
Directors & Writers
- Best Director: Akinola Davies Jr. — My Father’s Shadow
- Best Debut Director: Cal McMau — Wasteman
- Best Debut Screenwriter: Harry Lighton — Pillion
- Best Screenplay: Basden & Key — The Ballad of Wallis Island
Craft Categories
- Best Cinematography: Seamus McGarvey — Die My Love
- Best Editing: Fin Oates — Warfare
- Best Production Design: Nathan Parker — Harvest
- Best Costume Design: Grace Snell — Pillion
- Best Makeup & Hair: Diandra Ferreira — Pillion
- Best Sound: Glenn Freemantle & team — Warfare
- Best Effects: Simon Stanley-Clamp & Ryan Conder — Warfare
- Best Music Supervision: Raife Burchell & Ian Neil — Die My Love
- Best Original Music: Basden & Adem Ilhan — The Ballad of Wallis Island
Shorts & Special Awards
- Best British Short: Magid / Zafar
- Breakthrough Producer: Dhiraj Mahey — Ish
- Raindance Maverick Award: Myrid Carten — A Want in Her
- Special Jury Prize: Warp Films
- Cinema of the Year: The Magic Lantern Cinema, Tywyn
- Richard Harris Award: Emily Watson
Final Words
This year’s BIFAs delivered a mix of bold debuts, powerful performances, and heartfelt moments — with Pillion emerging as the face of a fresh, fearless wave in British indie cinema. From Harry Lighton’s unapologetic storytelling to Emily Watson’s rallying cry for human creativity, the night reaffirmed something vital: independent film is still where some of the most exciting voices are born.
