VARIETY: ‘For Those in Peril’ takes prize at British Independent Film Awards

Steven Knight drives away with scripter’s honor for ‘Locke’

LONDON — Philippines-set heist thriller “Metro Manila” stole three trophies at the Moet British Independent Film Awards, where it picked up kudos for film, director and achievement in production.
Sean Ellis’ pic, which is shot in the Tagalog language, is the U.K.’s submission for the foreign-language film award at the Oscars, and won the audience award for world cinema at Sundance. Fox International Prods. has acquired remake rights for the pic, which follows a poor farmer as he moves to the megacity of Manila and gets a job driving armored transports.

The BIFA awards ceremony, which was held at London’s Old Billingsgate Sunday, saw other prizes spread evenly among the other contenders.

Steven Knight took the scripter’s honor for “Locke,” which he also directed. The one-hander, which was described in its Variety review as “an ingeniously executed study in cinematic minimalism,” toplines Tom Hardy as man driving at night, making a series of calls on his cell as he goes, as he tries to defuse a personal crisis and a professional dilemma. Knight’s previous scripting credits include “Dirty Pretty Things” and “Eastern Promises.”

Lede acting kudos went to Lindsay Duncan for Roger Michell’s “Le Week-end,” and James McAvoy for Jon S. Baird’s “Filth,” while supporting thesp winners were Imogen Poots in Michael Winterbottom’s “The Look of Love,” and Ben Mendelsohn in David Mackenzie’s “Starred Up,” which had led the nominations race with eight noms.

Paul Wright took the Douglas Hickox Award, which recognizes the best debut helmer, for “For Those in Peril,” a poetic reverie about a troubled youth who is the sole survivor of a fishing boat accident. Variety’s reviewer said: “Wright’s strongest achievement here is an evocative depiction of place, where young teens flee from adult supervision and danger lies in wait.”

The most promising newcomer award went to actress Chloe Pirrie for “Shell.” Pirrie has also been selected for BAFTA’s Breakthrough Brits program, which celebrates up-and-coming local talent.

As previously announced, the Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution by an actor to British film went to Julie Walters, and the Variety Award was picked up by helmer Paul Greengrass for bringing international attention to U.K. cinema.

The ceremony was streamed live exclusively online at http://www.film3sixty.com/moetbifa.

BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
Metro Manila

DIRECTOR
Sean Ellis — Metro Manila

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD (DEBUT DIRECTOR)
Paul Wright — For Those in Peril

SCREENPLAY
Steven Knight — Locke

ACTRESS
Lindsay Duncan — Le Week-end

ACTOR
James McAvoy — Filth

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Imogen Poots — The Look of Love

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ben Mendelsohn — Starred Up

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Chloe Pirrie — Shell

ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
Metro Manila

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Amy Hubbard — Casting — The Selfish Giant

DOCUMENTARY
Pussy Riot — A Punk Prayer

BRITISH SHORT
Z1

INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
Blue Is the Warmest Color

THE RAINDANCE AWARD
The Machine

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)
Julie Walters

THE VARIETY AWARD
Paul Greengrass

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Sixteen Films & Friends (AKA Team Loach)

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