London, December 1, 2025 — The Europe Today: Biker romance Pillion emerged as the top winner at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), securing the night’s biggest prize alongside multiple major honours.
The film’s writer and director, Harry Lighton, celebrated an outstanding debut as he was named Best Debut Screenwriter. Shot with emotional depth and visual style, Pillion stars Harry Melling as gentle, soft-spoken Colin and Alexander Skarsgård as the rugged biker Ray. The film clinched four awards in total, including technical wins for Best Costume Design and Best Make-Up & Hair.
In other headline categories, Tom Basden and Tim Key won Best Joint Lead Performance and Best Screenplay for their comedic debut feature The Ballad of Wallis Island, which also stars Carey Mulligan. The film follows a washed-up folk musician and his estranged partner brought back together by an eccentric superfan.
Acting Awards Spotlight
- Robert Aramayo received the Best Lead Performance award for portraying Tourette’s campaigner John Davison in I Swear.
- Jay Lycurgo earned Best Supporting Performance for his role in the tense school drama Steve, featuring Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy.
- Newcomer Posy Sterling won Breakthrough Performance for her powerful role as a mother fighting for custody of her children in Lollipop.
- The cast of Warfare — including Will Poulter, Kit Connor, Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton — won Best Ensemble Performance.
Celebrating Global and Independent Cinema
The inaugural Cinema of the Year Award went to The Magic Lantern Cinema in Tywyn, Wales, celebrating its cultural importance to local audiences.
The BIFA for Best International Independent Film was awarded to Sentimental Value, Joachim Trier’s heartfelt exploration of memory, family, and reconciliation through art.
Akinola Davies Jr took home Best Director for his debut My Father’s Shadow, a deeply personal story of two brothers rediscovering their father during a transformative moment in Nigerian history.
The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director went to Cal McMau for his gritty prison drama Wasteman.
Documentary Wins
Myrid Carten’s introspective family-focused documentary A Want In Her, which examines the impacts of mental health and addiction, swept the documentary categories with three awards:
- Best Feature Documentary
- The Raindance Maverick Award
- Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary
Honourary Awards
Veteran actress Emily Watson, known for roles in Gosford Park, War Horse, and Chernobyl, received the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to British Film Award.
Warp Films, the acclaimed production company behind titles such as Dead Man’s Shoes, This Is England, and the recent series Adolescence, received the BIFA Special Jury Prize for its bold, uncompromising storytelling and commitment to socially resonant cinema.
The 2025 BIFAs highlighted the diversity, creativity, and emotional power of independent filmmaking, celebrating both emerging voices and established talent shaping the future of British cinema.
