The British Independent Film Awards ceremony for 2025 saw one film rise above the rest. Harry Lighton’s Pillion was named Best British Independent Film at the event held on Sunday, November 30, at London’s Roundhouse theatre. The movie, a debut feature for its writer-director, ended the night with a total of four awards, tying with the war drama Warfare for the most wins of the evening. This marks a major achievement for the intimate story, which first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier in the year.
The film stars Harry Melling as a shy office worker and Alexander Skarsgård as a charismatic biker, exploring the dynamics of their relationship. In addition to the top prize, Pillion collected awards for Best Debut Screenwriter for Lighton, as well as craft wins for Best Costume Design and Best Make-Up & Hair Design. The awards add to the growing recognition for the project, which has been noted for its unique and tender approach.
The Complete List of BIFA 2025 Winners
The ceremony honored a wide range of British and international talent across numerous categories. While Pillion won the biggest award of the night, the Iraq war film Warfare, directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, matched its four-win total through victories in technical and ensemble categories.
The highest individual acting honor, Best Lead Performance, went to Robert Aramayo for his role as a Tourette’s campaigner in I Swear. Jay Lycurgo won Best Supporting Performance for his work in the school drama Steve, a film that also stars Cillian Murphy.
Akinola Davies Jr. received the Best Director award for his Lagos-set family drama My Father’s Shadow. This film had entered the evening with the most nominations—12—but this was its sole win. The award for Best International Independent Film was given to Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value.
Writer-director Harry Lighton quipped during his acceptance speech: “I remember it kind of blew my mind that I sent both of you a script about butt plugs, and you both said yes,” thanking his stars Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling.
Other notable winners included Tom Basden and Tim Key, who won both Best Screenplay and Best Joint Lead Performance for their folk music comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island. The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director was given to Cal McMau for the prison drama Wasteman.
Key Recognitions for Documentary and Emerging Talent
The documentary field was dominated by one film. Myrid Carten’s A Want in Her, an exploration of mental health and addiction within her own family, won three awards. These were Best Feature Documentary, Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary, and The Raindance Maverick Award.
The awards also highlighted new voices in front of and behind the camera. The Breakthrough Performance award went to Posy Sterling for her role as a mother fighting for custody in Lollipop. Dhiraj Mahey was named Breakthrough Producer for the coming-of-age drama Ish.
A special Jury Prize was awarded to the production company Warp Films, recognized for its nearly 25-year history of supporting bold independent storytelling in the UK. The inaugural Cinema of the Year award was given to The Magic Lantern Cinema in Tywyn, Wales.
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A Celebration of Independent Storytelling
The ceremony also included lifetime achievement honors. The Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution to British film was presented to actress Emily Watson by her friend and co-star Paul Mescal. In her speech, Watson spoke to the importance of independent filmmaking.
Emily Watson told the audience: “You are actually going to save us when the stories that are being told to us, about us, or by us, are all driven by a rapacious, hungry algorithm. The awkward truth of the stories that you tell, they are our life support”.
Her words underscored a theme of the evening: celebrating films made outside the mainstream studio system. Major funding bodies like BBC Film and the BFI celebrated multiple wins, with BBC Film-backed titles earning nine awards across six different films. The success of Pillion, which was supported by the BFI National Lottery Filmmaking Fund, demonstrates the crucial role these organizations play in bringing distinctive British stories to the screen.
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Credits: The Hollywood Reporter, The Guardian, BFI.org
