Metro Manila Wins Big At The 2013 Moët British Independent Film Awards

 British talent turned out this evening for the 16th Moët British Independent Film Awards. The winners were announced at the star-studded ceremony, held at Old Billingsgate which was hosted by BIFA Winning actor James Nesbitt.

For the first time, the lucky winners took home the brand new iconic award designed by Fredrikson Stallard and created by Swarovski.

Best British Independent Film was won by METRO MANILA with the film’s director Sean Ellis picking up Best Director. Lindsay Duncan won Best Actress for LE WEEK-END and James McAvoy won Best Actor for FILTH. Imogen Poots collected her BIFA for Best Supporting Actress for THE LOOK OF LOVE and Ben Mendelsohn took home Best Supporting Actor for STARRED UP.

METRO MANILA won the most awards on the night, picking up three trophies for Best Achievement in Production and as previously mentioned Best Director award and Best British Independent Film.

Joint Directors, The Moët British Independent Film Awards Johanna von Fischer & Tessa Collinson said: "This year our independent jury had an extremely tough job, they were asked to choose from an impressive pool of talent and creativity in a year where the diversity of storytelling is more extreme than ever. Thanks to an independent film industry which encompasses so many different cultures, personalities, visions and voices, Britain is producing a new generation of fearless artists both behind and in front of the camera who represent that richness of our diverse British society. With so many of the films exploring themes about being less judgmental and more forgiving, this perhaps reflects a movement within British independent filmmaking that brings much hope for the future.”

As previously announced, Julie Walters was awarded the coveted Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution by an actor to British film, and Paul Greengrass the Variety Award, which recognises an actor, director, writer or producer who has helped to shine the international spotlight on the UK. The Special Jury Prize went to Sixteen Films &Friends (AKA Team Loach), in recognition of their contribution, bringing the work of Ken Loach to life.

Ben Roberts, Director of the BFI Film Fund said: 'this has been a standout year for British film and the BIFAs has once again kicked off the awards season in style, putting the wild creativity and bold storytelling of the UK's independent sector centre stage. Congratulations to all the winners and to the BIFAs for doing such a great job of spotlighting so many brilliant filmmakers.'

Elsa Corbineau, Marketing Director Moët &Chandon commented: “As a long term supporter of British film, Moët & Chandon is delighted to share in the celebrations of tonight's very well deserved winners. To toast the successes of 2013, guests joined us in creating a seven - foot champagne fountain to salute a year of amazing achievements.'

The Raindance Award was won by THE MACHINE. Elliot Grove, Founder of BIFA and the Raindance Film Festival added: “The breadth, scope and quality of this year's nominated films shows that British independent films and talent are not only the talk of the town but the talk of audiences everywhere.”

The Moët British Independent Film Awards are proud to announce the following winners for 2013 (highlighted below in red):

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
Sponsored by Moët &Chandon

Metro Manila
Philomena
The Selfish Giant
Starred Up
Le Week-end

BEST DIRECTOR
Sponsored by All City & Intermission

Jon S Baird – Filth
Clio Barnard – The Selfish Giant
Sean Ellis – Metro Manila
Jonathan Glazer – Under the Skin
David Mackenzie – Starred Up

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios

Charlie Cattrall – Titus
Tina Gharavi – I Am Nasrine
Jeremy Lovering – In Fear
Omid Nooshin – Last Passenger
Paul Wright – For Those in Peril

BEST SCREENPLAY
Jonathan Asser – Starred Up
Clio Barnard – The Selfish Giant
Steven Knight – Locke
Hanif Kureishi – Le Week-end
Jeff Pope, Steve Coogan – Philomena

BEST ACTRESS
Sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics

Judi Dench – Philomena
Lindsay Duncan – Le Week-end
Scarlett Johansson – Under the Skin
Felicity Jones – The Invisible Woman
Saoirse Ronan – How I Live Now

BEST ACTOR
Sponsored by BBC Films

Jim Broadbent – Le Week-end
Steve Coogan – Philomena
Tom Hardy – Locke
Jack O'Connell – Starred Up
James McAvoy – Filth

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Siobhan Finneran – The Selfish Giant
Shirley Henderson – Filth
Imogen Poots – The Look Of Love
Kristin Scott Thomas – The Invisible Woman
Mia Wasikowska – The Double

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sponsored by Sanderson & St Martins Lane
John Arcilla – Metro Manila
Rupert Friend – Starred Up
Jeff Goldblum – Le Week-end
Eddie Marsan – Filth
Ben Mendelsohn – Starred Up


MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Sponsored by Studiocanal

Harley Bird – How I Live Now
Conner Chapman / Shaun Thomas – The Selfish Giant
Caity Lotz – The Machine
Jake Macapagal – Metro Manila
Chloe Pirrie – Shell

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
Sponsored by Company3

A Field in England
Filth
Metro Manila
The Selfish Giant
Starred Up

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Sponsored by LightBrigade Media

Shaheen Baig – Casting – Starred Up
Johnnie Burn – Sound Design – Under the Skin
Amy Hubbard – Casting – The Selfish Giant
Mica Levi – Music – Under the Skin
Justine Wright – Editing – Locke

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer
The Great Hip Hop Hoax
The Moo Man
The Spirit of '45
The Stone Roses: Made of Stone

BEST BRITISH SHORT
Supported by BFI NET.WORK

L'Assenza
Dr Easy
Dylan's Room
Jonah
Z1

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
Blue is the Warmest Colour
Blue Jasmine
Frances Ha
The Great Beauty
Wadjda

THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Sponsored by Wentworth Media and Arts

Everyone’s Going to Die
The Machine
The Patrol
Sleeping Dogs
Titus

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)

Sixteen Films & Friends (AKA Team Loach)

GFF 2013 - Welcome to the Punch Review

When he introduced his second feature film, writer/director Eran Creevey commented that Welcome to the Punch was an old fashioned kind of Friday night fun. Though Creevey’s film is indeed visually impressive and slick as Hell, it’s not the action-romp the review snips keep heralding.

                Starting off with a well-executed Dark Knight/Heat heist-turned-chase, the film promises a killer rollercoaster for the audience, a gang of suited criminals carry their payload out of an uber-modern office type space, jump on the back of some motorbikes and speed off into the night with James McAvoy’s hot-headed detective in pursuit. It’s a stellar opening, capturing the potential for London as a metropolis just as suited to cinema as San Fran or Chicago, but without forgetting that it’s not. Unfortunately the rest of the film seems to dwindle itself away on a murky plot, too focused on the politics behind the whole affair rather than truly letting the flow lose itself in spontaneity.

 Though you’ll feel short-changed on action sequences, Creevey is obviously comfortable with them.  There’s a great pace to his action, a streamlined but dangerous quality to the shootouts, which actually makes them believable. It’s incredible how often violence in films can seem so slight (The Dark Knight Rises?)  so it’s a pleasure to watch some well-choreographed ferocity. Saying that, there is one –albeit hilarious- iffy scene of style-over-substance; a shoot-out at one of the robbers granny’s place. You might not see anything as funny as Peter Mullan holding a gun to an old woman’s head this year, but Creevey should have drew the line at slow-mo.

Strong is on top form, every bit the professional criminal and Peter Mullan steals scenes with much needed humour. You can’t help but think this is Strong and Mullan’s show, but Mullan doesn’t get the screen time he deserves. Same could be said for David Morrissey who appears as police chief, a thin character for such a great actor, though he gets to prove his worth by the end. Not to say there’s any issues with McAvoy, but a bizarre move to glorify every step he takes and every word he says ends up making many of his scenes seem melodramatic. That’s not particularly attractive for an action movie.

What’s infuriating about the film is that it regains that action perfection, presented in the opening, for its grand finale, leaving us all thinking why there was so much grey space of political confusion, plotting, and McAvoy sucking gunk out of his manky knee.   Better balance would have left the overall feel of the film in healthier stead. Still, the cinematography is stunning throughout and technically well-conceived (if a little too…blue), and there’s plenty of merit to Creevey’s second feature.

 Although there’s plenty of issues in pace and plot, Welcome to the Punch has the right idea. Good action, great cast, but falls short on being that all-out Friday night fun you might be looking for.

Scott Clark

★★★☆☆

Rating:15
Release Date: 15th March 2013 (UK)
Directed By: Eran Creevy
Cast:James McAvoy, David Morrissey, Mark Strong, Andrea Riseborough

DVD Review: The Conspirator