British Independent Film Awards announced this year’s longlists in its influential new talent categories for new writers, directors, performers and producers. 31 films have been longlisted in the BIFA prestigious new talent categories. 13 first time directors, 20 first time writers, 16 breakthrough producers and 16 new performers have been recognised by BIFA voters for their outstanding achievements this year.
The 39 longlisted filmmakers will be invited to join BIFA’s Springboard scheme, a tailored programme of continuing professional development, peer-to-peer support, mentoring, networking and skills development aimed at nurturing emerging talent as they build on the success of their first features.
The final five nominations in each category will be announced on Wednesday 3 November. Winners will be revealed at the ceremony on Sunday 5 December.
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) British Independent Film Awards:
ALEEM KHAN After Love
MATT CHAMBERS The Bike Thief
PRANO BAILEY-BOND Censor
JONATHAN BUTTERELL Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
SONITA GALE Hostile
JACK CLOUGH People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan
REGGIE YATES Pirates
CELESTE BELL Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché [also directed by Paul Sng]
CORINNA FAITH The Power
CHARLOTTE COLBERT She Will
CAMILLE GRIFFIN Silent Night
MARLEY MORRISON Sweetheart
CATHY BRADY Wildfire
Caviar Connection 
Subjects of Desire Seraiah Nicole
Best Debut Screenwriter sponsored by Film4
ALEEM KHAN After Love
TOM PALMER, TOM STOURTON All My Friends Hate Me
MATT CHAMBERS The Bike Thief
COLUM EASTWOOD Black Medicine
PRANO BAILEY-BOND Censor [also written by Anthony Fletcher]
RICHARD BEAN, CLIVE COLEMAN The Duke
TOM MACRAE Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
STEVE STAMP, ALLAN MUSTAFA People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan
REGGIE YATES Pirates
CORINNA FAITH The Power
CHARLOTTE COLBERT, KITTY PERCY She Will
CAMILLE GRIFFIN Silent Night
JAMES WEBBER Sorority
MARLEY MORRISON Sweetheart
MATT REDD The Toll
CATHY BRADY Wildfire
Breakthrough Producer sponsored by Pinewood Studios Group
TOM PALMER All My Friends Hate Me
PK FELLOWES, SOPHIA GIBBER The Bike Thief [also produced by Lene Bausager]
ANNIKA RANIN, JASMIN MORRISON Boarders
HESTER RUOFF Boiling Point [also produced by Bart Ruspoli]
DOMINIC TIGHE Bull [also produced by Leonora Darby, Sarah Gabriel, Marc Goldberg, Mark Lane]
HELEN JONES Censor
KATIE HODGKIN Martyrs Lane [also produced by Christine Alderson]
TIM SEALEY People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan [also produced by Claire Jones]
ROB WATSON The Power [also produced by Matthew James Wilkinson]
MARTYN ROBERTSON, LOUISE STORRIE Ride the Wave
JESSICA MALIK She Will [also produced by Bob Last]
CLIVE PATTERSON Sing, Freetown
MICHELLE ANTONIADES Sweetheart
Breakthrough Performance
ARIANA BODOROVÁ Ali & Ava
TOM STOURTON All My Friends Hate Me
JUDE HILL Belfast
LAURYN AJUFO Boiling Point
MAX HARWOOD Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
TOM PRIOR Firebird
ELLORA TORCHIA In the Earth
HANNAH DOUGLAS Lapwing
KIERA THOMPSON Martyrs Lane
DANIEL LAMONT Nowhere Special
TALLULAH GREIVE Our Ladies
ELLIOT EDUSAH Pirates
JORDAN PETERS Pirates
REDA ELAZOUR Pirates
ROSE WILLIAMS The Power
NELL BARLOW Sweetheart
For details of how to watch the longlisted films, click here
