'Rocks,' Director Remi Weeks, Wumni Mosaku Among Winners At British Independent Film Awards (BIFA)

Sarah Gavron's acclaimed coming-of-age drama Rocks won the top prize at the delayed 2020 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).

The film won Best British independent film at an online awards ceremony on Thursday, one of five awards the film won on the night, including Best Supporting Actress and Best Newcomer for Kosar Ali as well as Best Supporting Actress for D'angelou Osei Kissiedu.

Written by Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson, “Rocks” tells the story of Shola “Rocks” Omotoso (Bukky Bakray), a London teenager raising her younger brother (D’angelou Osei Kissiedu) by herself when their mother abandons them. Terrified that their situation will be found out and they’ll be forced to separate, Rocks depends on the help and support of her friends to keep her household going and stay one step ahead of the authorities.

Hosted by Harry Potter star Tom Felton and with Zendaya, Daniel Kaluuya, Emma Corrin and Riz Ahmed among the lineup of presenters, the BIFA ceremony also saw Oscar-tipped Anthony Hopkins named best actor (and from his first BIFA nomination) for Florian Zeller's The Father, which also won best screenplay and best editing. British horror His House was also a multiple winner, claiming best director for Remi Weekes, best actress for Wumni Mosaku and best effects. Aside from hosting, Riz Ahmed also won best debut screenwriter for Mogul Mowgli, while he was part of the team behind best British short film winner The Long Goodbye.

See the full list of winners below:

Best British Independent Film
Rocks (WINNER)
Calm With Horses
The Father 
His House 
Saint Maud 

Best Director
Remi Weekes, His House (WINNER)
Sarah Gavron, Rocks [associate director Anu Henriques]
Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Nick Rowland, Calm With Horses
Florian Zeller, The Father

Best Screenplay
Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton, The Father (WINNER)
Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson, Rocks
Bassam Tariq, Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli
Remi Weekes, His House

Best Actress
Wunmi Mosaku, His House (WINNER)
Bukky Bakray, Rocks
Morfydd Clark, Saint Maud
Clare Dunne, Herself
Andrea Riseborough, Luxor

Best Actor
Anthony Hopkins, The Father (WINNER)
Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli
Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, His House
Amir El-Masry, Limbo
Cosmo Jarvis, Calm With Horses

Best Supporting Actress
Kosar Ali, Rocks (WINNER)
Niamh Algar, Calm With Horses
Jennifer Ehle, Saint Maud
Ashley Madekwe, County Lines
Fiona Shaw, Kindred

Best Supporting Actor
D'angelou Osei Kissiedu, Rocks (WINNER)
Harris Dickinson, County Lines
Barry Keoghan, Calm With Horses
Alyy Khan, Mogul Mowgli
Merab Ninidze, The Courier

The Douglas Hickox Award (Debut Director) 
Rose Glass, Saint Maud (WINNER)
Henry Blake, County Lines
Eva Riley, Perfect 10
Nick Rowland, Calm With Horses
Remi Weekes, His House

Breakthrough Producer
Irune Gurtubai, Limbo [also produced by Angus Lamont] (WINNER)
Douglas Cox, Host [also produced By Emily Gotto, Samuel Zimmerman]
Daniel Emmerson, Calm With Horses
Oliver Kassman, Saint Maud [also produced by Andrea Cornwell]
Edward King, Martin Gentles, His House [also produced by Aidan Elliott, Roy Lee, Arnon Milchan]

Debut Screenwriter
Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli [also written by Bassam Tariq] (WINNER)
Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson, Rocks
Joe Murtagh, Calm With Horses
Remi Weekes, His House

Most Promising Newcomer
Kosar Ali, Rocks (WINNER)
Niamh Algar, Calm With Horses
Bukky Bakray, Rocks
Frankie Box, Perfect 10
Conrad Khan, County Lines

Best Documentary
The Reason I Jump (WINNER)
The Australian Dream 
Being A Human Person 
Rising Phoenix 
White Riot 

The Raindance Discovery Award
Perfect 10 (WINNER)
Justine 
Looted 
One Man And His Shoes
Rose: A Love Story 

Best British Short Film 
The Long Goodbye (WINNER)
Filipiñana 
The Forgotten C 
Mandem
Sudden Light 

Best International Independent Film 
Nomadland (WINNER)
Babyteeth 
Les Misérables 
Never Rarely Sometimes Always 
Notturno

Best Casting 
Lucy Pardee, Rocks (WINNER)
Shaheen Baig, Calm With Horses
Kharmel Cochrane, Saint Maud
Carmen Cuba, His House
Dan Jackson, Limbo

Best Cinematography 
Ben Fordesman, Saint Maud (WINNER)
Nick Cooke, Limbo
Hélène Louvart, Rocks
Annika Summerson, Mogul Mowgli
Jo Willems, His House

Best Costume Design
Charlotte Walter, Misbehaviour (WINNER)
Michele Clapton, The Secret Garden
Ruka Johnson, Rocks
Tina Kalivas, Saint Maud
Michael O’connor, Ammonite

Best Editing Sponsored
Yorgos Lamprinos, The Father (WINNER)
Julia Bloch, His House
Maya Maffioli, Rocks
Brenna Rangott, Host
Mark Towns, Saint Maud

Best Effects
Pedro Sabrosa, Stefano Pepin, His House (WINNER)
Agnes Asplund, Martin Malmqvist, Undergods
Scott Macintyre, Bariş Kareli, Kristyan Mallett, Saint Maud

Best Make Up & Hair Design
Jill Sweeney, Misbehaviour (WINNER)
Jacquetta Levon, Saint Maud
Sharon A Martin, His House
Ivana Primorac, Ammonite
Nora Robertson, Rocks

Best Music
Paul Corley, Mogul Mowgli (WINNER)
Roque Baños, His House
Nainita Desai, The Reason I Jump
Connie Farr, Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, Rocks
Adam Janota Bzowski, Saint Maud

Best Production Design
Jacqueline Abrahams, His House (WINNER)
Cristina Casali, Misbehaviour
Peter Francis, The Father
Marketa Korinkova, Elo Soode, Undergods
Paulina Rzeszowska, Saint Maud

Best Sound
Nick Ryan, Ben Baird, Sara De Oliveira Lima, The Reason I Jump (WINNER)
Adrian Bell, Glenn Freemantle, Frank Kruse, Brendan Nicholson, Richard Pryke, His House
Paul Davies, Simon Farmer, Andrew Skirk Saint, Maud
Paul Davies, Robert Farr, Nigel Albermaniche, Ian Morgan, Mogul Mowgli
Calum Sample, Host