The 2024 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) have announced their nominees, led by Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap, Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding, and Nora Fingscheidt’s The Outrun. These films collectively secured the highest nominations in this year's competition, showcasing a diverse array of themes and talent.

Kneecap, a comedy following a Belfast hip-hop trio, leads with an impressive 14 nominations, including Best British Independent Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay for Peppiatt. The film’s stars Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh are also recognized for their joint lead performance, highlighting the film’s cast as well as its creative team, including producers Trevor Birney and Jack Tarling.

Close behind, Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding, a neo-noir starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian, has secured 12 nominations. Glass, a former BIFA winner, is recognized in categories including Best British Independent Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, with Stewart and O’Brian nominated for joint lead performance.

Nora Fingscheidt’s The Outrun, based on Amy Liptrot’s memoir, received nine nominations. Set on a remote Scottish island, the film explores themes of recovery and redemption, with Saoirse Ronan starring and also earning a nomination for lead performance. The film’s team, including Fingscheidt as director and Liptrot as co-screenwriter, adds strength to this year’s BIFA nominations.

Other notable films include Bird, On Becoming A Guinea Fowl, and Unicorns, each garnering seven nominations. Documentaries such as Grand Theft Hamlet, directed by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, and The Contestant, also received multiple nominations, reflecting the broad scope of the BIFAs. This year’s nominees bring a decidedly international focus, with several films set outside of England and featuring a diverse, global cast.

Full BIFA 2024 nomination list:

Best British independent film 

Kneecap - Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling 

Love Lies Bleeding - Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska, Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman 

On Becoming A Guinea Fowl - Rungano Nyoni, Tim Cole, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe 

The Outrun - Nora Fingscheidt, Amy Liptrot, Sarah Brocklehurst, Dominic Norris, Jack Lowden, Saoirse Ronan 

Santosh - Sandhya Suri, Mike Goodridge, James Bowsher, Balthazar de Ganay, Alan McAlex 

Best international independent film 

All We Imagine As Light - Payal Kapadia, Thomas Hakim, Julien Graff 

Anora - Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan 

La Chimera - Alice Rohrwacher, Carlo Cresto-Dina, Paolo Del Brocco 

No Other Land - Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Fabrien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning 

The Seed Of The Sacred Fig - Mohammad Rasoulof, Rozita Hendijanian, Amin Sadraei, Jean-Christophe Simon, Mani Tilgner 

Best director 

Andrea Arnold - Bird 

Nora Fingscheidt - The Outrun 

Rose Glass - Love Lies Bleeding 

Rungano Nyoni - On Becoming A Guinea Fowl 

Rich Peppiatt – Kneecap 

Best Screenplay 

Nora Fingscheidt, Amy Liptrot - The Outrun 

Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska - Love Lies Bleeding 

Rungano Nyoni - On Becoming A Guinea Fowl 

Rich Peppiatt - Kneecap 

Sandhya Suri – Santosh 

Best Lead Performance 

Radhika Apte - Sister Midnight 

Susan Chardy - On Becoming A Guinea Fowl 

Marianne Jean-Baptiste - Hard Truths 

Elliot Page - Close To You 

Saoirse Ronan - The Outrun 

Alicia Vikander - The Assessment 

Best Costume Design 

Zjena Glamocanin - 

 Meghan Kasperlik - Civil War 

Olga Mill - Love Lies Bleeding 

Nirage Mirage - Unicorns 

Michael O’Connor – Firebrand 

Best Editing 

Stephen Bechinger - 

 Joe Bini - Bird 

Margarida Cartaxo, Stuart Davidson - Made In England: The Films Of Powell And Pressburger 

Jake Roberts - Civil War 

Julian Ulrichs, Chris Gill – Kneecap 

Best Effects 

James Allen - Love Lies Bleeding 

Glen Mcguigan, Ingo Putze - Lee 

David Simpson - Civil War 

Best Music Supervision 

Iain Cooke, Giles Martin - Back To Black 

Kle Savidge - Sister Midnight 

Gary Welch, Jeanette Rehnstrom – Kneecap 

Best Make-up & Hair Design 

Megan Daum, Frieda Valenzuela - Love Lies Bleeding 

Peta Dunstall - Back To Black 

Kat Morgan - The Outrun 

Lisa Mustafa - Unicorns 

Jenny Shircore – Firebrand 

Best Original Music 

Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante - Kneecap 

Burial - Bird 

Stuart Earl - Unicorns 

John Gurtler, Jan Miserre - The Outrun 

Clint Mansell - Love Lies Bleeding 

Best Production Design 

Bobbie Cousins - Hoard 

Jan Houllevigue - The Assessment 

Katie Hickman - Love Lies Bleeding 

Caty Maxey - Civil War 

Nicola Moroney – Kneecap 

Best Sound 

Louise Burton, Brendan Rehill, Aza Hand, Simon Kerr - Kneecap 

Paul Davies, Andrew Stirk, Linda Forsén, Rose Bladh, Tim Burns - Love Lies Bleeding 

Glen Freemantle - Civil War 

Dominik Leube, Oscar Stiebitz, Jonathan Schorr, Gregor Bonse - The Outrun 

Mike Prestwood Smith, Csaba Major, Jimmy Boyle - Lee 

Best Supporting Performance 

Michele Austin - Hard Truths 

Elizabeth Chisela - On Becoming A Guinea Fowl 

Barry Keoghan - Bird 

Jack O’Connell - Back To Black 

Franz Rogowski - Bird 

Hayley Squires – Hoard 

Best Joint Lead Performance 

Joseph Quinn, Saura Lightfoot Leon - Hoard 

Katy O’Brian, Kristen Stewart - Love Lies Bleeding 

Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh - Kneecap 

Jason Patel, Ben Hardy – Unicorns 

Best Debut Director 

Christopher Andrews - Bring Them Down 

Luna Carmoon - Hoard 

James Krishna Floyd - Unicorns [Also directed by Sally El Hosaini] 

Karan Kandhari - Sister Midnight 

Rich Peppiatt – Kneecap 

Breakthrough Producer 

Hollie Bryan, Lucy Meer - The Ceremony 

Balthazar De Ganay, James Bowsher - Santosh [also produced by Mike Goodridge, Alan McAlex] 

Jacob Swan Hyam - Bring Them Down [also produced by also produced by Julianne Ford, Ivana MacKinnon, Jean-Yves Roubin, Ruth Treacey, Cassandre Warnauts] 

Ben Toye - Treading Water 

Rebecca Wolff - Grand Theft Hamlet [also produced by Julia Ton] 

Breakthrough Performance 

Nykiya Adams - Bird 

Susan Chardy - On Becoming A Guinea Fowl 

Saura Lightfoot-Leon - Hoard 

Ruaridh Mollica - Sebastian 

Jason Patel – Unicorns 

Best Debut Screenwriter 

James Krishna Floyd - Unicorns 

Karan Kandhari - Sister Midnight 

Rich Peppiatt - Kneecap 

Sandhya Suri - Santosh 

Mrs & Mr Thomas - The Assessment [also written by John Donnelly] 

Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary 

Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane - Grand Theft Hamlet 

Manon Ouimet, Jacob Perlmutter - Two Strangers Trying Not To Kill Each Other 

Rachel Ramsay - Copa 71 [also directed by James Erskine] 

Clair Titley - The Contestant 

Raindance Maverick Award 

The Ceremony - Jack King, Hollie Bryan, Lucy Meer 

Grand Theft Hamlet - Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane, Julia Ton, Rebecca Wolff 

Restless - Jed Hart, Benedict Turnbull 

Satu: The Year Of The Rabbit - Joshua Trigg 

Witches - Elizabeth Sankey, Jeremy Warmsley, Chiara Ventura, Manon Ardisson 

Best Feature Documentary 

The Contestant - Clair Titley, Megumi Inman, Andee Ryder, Amit Dey, Ian Bonhôte 

Grand Theft Hamlet - Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane, Julia Ton, Rebecca Wolff 

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story - Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui, Lizzie Gillett, Robert Ford 

Two Strangers Trying Not To Kill Each Other - Jacob Perlmutter, Manon Ouimet, Signe Byrge Sorensen 

Witches - Elizabeth Sankey, Jeremy Warmsley, Chiara Ventura, Manon Ardisson 

Best British Short Film 

Delivery - Ben Lankester, Bophanie Lun, Joe Binks 

Housewarming - Liam White, Guy Lindley 

Meat Puppet - Eros V, Masha Thorpe, Leah Draws 

A Move - Elahe Esmaili, Hossein Behboudi Rad 

Wander To Wonder - Nina Gantz, Stienette Bosklopper, Simon Cartwright, Daan Bakker, Maarten Swart 

Best Casting 

Heather Basten - Hoard 

Isabella Odoffin - On Becoming A Guinea Fowl 

Lucy Pardee - Bird 

Carla Stronge - Kneecap 

Mary Vernieu, Lindsay Graham Ahanonu - Love Lies Bleeding 

Best Cinematography 

Pawel Edelman - Lee 

Ben Fordesman - Love Lies Bleeding 

Rob Hardy - Civil War 

Yunus Roy Imer - The Outrun 

Ryan Kernaghan – Kneecap

The nominations were revealed by previous BIFA winners Mia McKenna-Bruce and Vivian Oparah at One Hundred Shoreditch, marking an exciting lead-up to the ceremony. Winners will be unveiled at the Roundhouse on Sunday, December 8.