The nominations for the 2025 British Independent Film Awards have been unveiled, with a Nigerian-set family drama emerging as the frontrunner.
The film, “My Father’s Shadow,” leads the field with an impressive 12 nominations. These include the top categories of Best British Independent Film and Best Director for its filmmaker, Akinola Davies Jr. The project, which marks Davies’s first feature, also earned a Best Screenplay nomination for his brother, Wale. The drama, starring Sope Dirisu, first premiered at the Cannes film festival and has already been released in Nigeria, though it is still awaiting a UK debut.
Hot on its heels is “Pillion,” a relationship story adapted from a novel, which secured 10 nominations. The film is also in contention for Best British Independent Film and earned a Best Director nod for its first-time feature director, Harry Lighton. Its star, Harry Melling, is nominated for a Best Lead Performance award. The film is scheduled for release in the UK later this month.
A biopic titled “I Swear,” which chronicles the life of a Tourette syndrome activist, follows closely with nine nominations. The film, which arrived in cinemas last month, is nominated for Best British Independent Film, while its director, Kirk Jones, and lead actor, Robert Aramayo, are recognized in their respective categories.
This year’s awards also introduce a new, publicly-voted category: Cinema of the Year. The shortlist for this honour includes five independent venues from across the UK.
The winners across all categories will be announced at a ceremony in London on November 30th.
