The winners of the 2023 British Independent Film Awards were announced live from Old Billingsgate, London on Sunday 3rd December 2023, with Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers earning the Best British Independent Film award on a successful night for the relationship drama.

In a ceremony hosted by Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Lolly Adefope, All of Us Strangers took home British Independent Film Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Music Supervision and Best Editing, with 2023 Oscar nominee Paul Mescal (Aftersun) being named the joint winner for Best Supporting Performance for his part in the film.

Justine Triet’s 2023 Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall was awarded the title of Best International Independent Film, earning the accolade over competing titles Fallen Leaves, Fremont, Monster and Past Lives.

Mia McKenna-Bruce won the award for Best Lead Performance for her part in How to Have Sex, with casting director Isabella Odoffin also earning an accolade for Best Casting.

The full list of 2023 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs):

Best British Independent Film – All of Us Strangers
Femme
How to Have Sex
Rye Lane
Scrapper

Best International Independent Film sponsored by Champagne Taittinger – Anatomy of a Fall
Fallen Leaves
Fremont
Monster
Past Lives

Best Director sponsored by Sky Cinema – Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers)
Raine Allen-Miller (Rye Lane)
Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping (Femme)
Molly Manning Walker (How to Have Sex)
Charlotte Regan (Scrapper)

Best Screenplay sponsored by Apple Original Films – Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers)
Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia (Rye Lane)
Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping (Femme)
Molly Manning Walker (How to Have Sex)
Charlotte Regan (Scrapper)

Best Lead Performance – Mia McKenna-Bruce (How to Have Sex)
Jodie Comer (The End We Start From)
Tia Nomore (Earth Mama)
Nabhaan Rizwan (In Camera)
Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers)
Tilda Swinton (The Eternal Daughter)

Best Supporting Performance – Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers)
Ritu Arya (Polite Society)
Jamie Bell (All of Us Strangers)
Samuel Bottomley (How to Have Sex)
Alexandra Burke (Pretty Red Dress)
Amir El-Masry (In Camera)
Clair Foy (All of Us Strangers)
Alia Shawkat (Drift)
Shaun Thomas (How to Have Sex)
Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From)

Best Joint Lead Performance – Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, George MacKay (Femme)
Lola Campbell, Harris Dickinson (Scrapper)
David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah (Rye Lane)

The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) sponsored by BBC Film – Savanah Leaf (Earth Mama)
Raine Allen-Miller (Rye Lane)
Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping (Femme)
Holly Manning Walker (How to Have Sex)
Charlotte Regan (Scrapper)

Breakthrough Producer sponsored by Pinewood and Shepperton Studios – Theo Barrowclough (Scrapper)
Georgia Goggin (Pretty Red Dress)
Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo (Rye Lane)
Gannesh Rajah (If the Streets Were on Fire)
Chi Thai (Raging Grace)

Breakthrough Performance sponsored by Netflix – Vivian Oparah (Rye Lane)
Le’Shantey Bonsu (Girl)
Lola Campbell (Scrapper)
Priya Kansara (Polite Society)
Mia McKenna-Bruce (How to Have Sex)

Best Debut Screenwriter sponsored by Film4 – Nida Manzoor (Polite Society)
Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia (Rye Lane)
Sam H Freeman, Ng Choon Ping (Femme)
Molly Manning Walker (How to Have Sex)
Charlotte Regan (Scrapper)

Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary – Chloe Abrahams (The Taste of Mango)
Sophie Compton, Reuben Hamlyn (Another Baby)
Ella Glendining (Is There Anybody Out There?)
Alice Russell (If the Streets Were on Fire)
Christopher Sharp (Bobi Wine: The People’s President)

The Raindance Maverick Award – If the Streets Were on Fire
Is There Anybody Out There?
Name Me Lawand
Raging Grace
Red Herring

Best Feature Documentary sponsored by Intermission Film – If the Streets Were on Fire
Another Body
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
Lyra
Occupied City

Best British Short Film – Festival of Slaps
Christopher At Sea
Lions
Muna
The Talent

Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society & Spotlight – Isabella Odoffin (How to Have Sex) 
Shaheen Baig (Scrapper)
Kharmel Cochrane (Rye Lane)
Kahleen Crawford (All of Us Strangers)
Salome Oggenfuss, Geraldine Barón, Abby Harri (Earth Mama)

Best Cinematography sponsored by Harbor & Kodak – Jamie D. Ramsay (All of Us Strangers)
Olan Collardy (Rye Lane)
Suzie Lavelle (The End We Start From)
Molly Manning Walker (Scrapper)
James Rhodes (Femme)

Best Costume Design – Buki Ebiesuwa (Femme)
George Buxton (How to Have Sex)
Oliver Cronk (Scrapper)
Cynthia Lawrence-John (Rye Lane)
PC Williams (The End We Start From)

Best Editing – Jonathan Alberts (All of Us Strangers) 
Victoria Boydell (Rye Lane)
Paul Carlin (Bobi Wine: The People’s President)
Avdhesh Mohla (High & Low – John Galliano)
Arttu Salmi (The End We Start From)

Best Effects – Jonathan Gales, Richard Baker (The Kitchen)
Paddy Eason (Polite Society)
Theodor Flo-Groeneboom (The End We Start From)

Best Music Supervision – Connie Farr (All of Us Strangers)
Ciara Elwis (Femme)
David Fish (Rye Lane)

Best Make-Up & Hair Design sponsored by The Wall Group – Marie Deehan (Femme)
Zoe Clare Brown (All of Us Strangers)
Claire Carter (Polite Society)
Natasha Lawes (How to Have Sex)
Bianca Simone Scott (Rye Lane)

Best Original Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group – Kwes (Rye Lane)
Adam Janota Bzowski (Femme)
Patrick Jonsson (Scrapper)
Anna Meredith (The End We Start From)
Ré Olunuga (Girl)

Best Production Design sponsored by ATC & Broadsword – Nathan Parker (The Kitchen)
Laura Ellis Cricks (The End We Start From)
Sarah Finlay (All of Us Strangers)
Elena Muntoni (Scrapper)
Anna Rhodes (Rye Lane)

Best Sound supported by Halo – Mark Jenkin (Enys Men)
Scrapper
How to Have Sex
All of Us Strangers
The End We Start From

Per BIFA.

Polite Society (2023) 
Director: Nida Manzoor
Screenwriter: Nida Manzoor
Starring: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha, Akshaye Khanna, Ella Bruccoleri, Seraphina Beh, Shona Babayemi

Presenting the premieres of Pearl, I Like Movies and two new documentaries from Mark Cousins, the 2023 Glasgow Film Festival was a huge a hit. Its closing film, Polite Society, ensured it went out with a bang.

Polite Society follows Ria (Priya Kansara), a British high schooler from a Pakistani family who dreams of becoming a stunt woman and for her sister Lena (Ritu Arya) to graduate art school and become a famous artist. However, when both of their futures come under threat due to an arranged marriage, Ria must save her sister from (almost) certain doom.

Nida Manzoor, both the writer and the director, formally introduces us to the fantastically stylish (and equally over the top) world that she has created via a good old fashioned schoolyard brawl between Ria and her dreaded arch nemesis, school bully Kovacks (Shona Babayemi). The fight is presented like a series of comic book panels mixed in with Wire-Fu and ‘Street Fighter’, creating a sensational action scene that is as exhilarating as it is funny and perfectly sets us up for the ride we are about to be taken on.

Of course, Manzoor’s work isn’t only fight scenes, but it cannot be overstated how perfect the placement of each action sequence is throughout Polite Society. The writer-director clearly has a deep understanding of her story and her world, and the way in which she builds upon each action sequence (constantly allowing the stakes to grow higher and higher) is simply excellent.

That is not to say that the moments between these fight scenes are any less captivating. Far from it. The screenplay is filled to the brim with wonderfully colourful characters who not only add to our enjoyment of the film but further the story and the emotion of the movie too. By far the best examples of this are Ria’s two best friends, Alba (Ella Bruccoleri) and Clara (Seraphina Beh), whose banter and antics together (or as a trio with Ria) are reminiscent of post-2000s teen coming-of-age favourites such as Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. However, none are greater than Nimra Bucha as Raheela, the over-protective mother of Lena’s soon to be husband, who plays her role to the standard of a classic Bond villain; perfectly over the top and campy yet intimidating all at the same time. 

The story itself may be somewhat standard so far as coming-of-age movies go, but it is the unique way in which it is presented that makes Polite Society as terrific as it is. Can you tell how the film will wrap up? Probably. But Manzoor creates stakes that feel genuine, and moulds fresh characters whom you care about to the extent that they overtake your better judgement. 

Furthermore, the performances of Polite Society truly capture your heart. Priya Kansara steals the show in her lead performance, crafting a character that feels real in a picture that is presented as anything but. Not only does she look natural in every single thing that she does, but she brings so much heart to the role. Truly, a star has been born in Priya Kansara. Ritu Arya’s performance must also be applauded, bringing the true emotional weight of the story to her role, capturing the genuine anxieties of a woman in her 20s. Her chemistry with Kansara is a joy to watch, both performers capturing the type of relationship that could only exist between two siblings who have known each other their whole lives.

With Polite Society, Nida Manzoor proves herself as a director to keep an eye on with her feature directorial debut, creating a story that is wonderful to be a part of and a world that is a joy to watch. Filled to the brim with amazing performances, beautiful costumes and some of the most fun action sequences to come out of Britain in some time, you won’t want to miss it.

A few days ago at a local cinema a young man was strolling up and down the halls, looking at every poster and pointing out what little original cinema is out there these days. Well, if it’s something new you’re looking for, Polite Society is the film for you: a unique yet familiar picture that has all the makings of a smash hit.

Score: 21/24