News

The winners of the 2025 London Critics’ Circle Film Awards have been announced!

Zoe Saldana, Ralph Fiennes, and Mikey Madison were among the top winners at the awards show that took place on Sunday night (February 2) held at the Mayfair Hotel in London, England.

Along with winning Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez, Zoe was also honored with the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation while Daniel Craig was honored with the Dilys Powell Award for excellence in film.

Other stars in attendance at the event included Colman Domingo, Jesse Eisenberg, Lesley Manville, America Ferrera, Anora director Sean Baker, Back to Black actress Marisa Abela and fiancé Jamie Bogyo, The Brutalist actress Raffey Cassidy, and Abigail actress Alisha Weir.

Head inside to check out the full list of winners…

Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…

Film Of The Year

“The Brutalist” – Winner

“All We Imagine As Light...

We present our red carpet interviews from the 2025 Critics Circle Awards in London at the May Fair Hotel. Attending were Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Jesse Eisenberg, Sean Baker, Mikey Madison, Alisha Weir, Dan Hough, Elliot Heffernan, Raffey Cassidy, Michelle Austin, Nick Park + Merlin Crossingham, Nykika Adams, Amy Liptrot, and Gints Zilbalodis.

Colin Hart and Ethan Hart were on the red carpet, here are their interviews.

2025 Critics Circle Awards Red Carpet Interviews

2025 Critics Circle Awards Winners

Film Of The Year

“The Brutalist” – Winner

“All We Imagine As Light”

“Anora”

“La Chimera”

“Conclave”

“Emilia Pérez”

“Kneecap”

“Nickel Boys”

“Nosferatu”

“The Substance”

Foreign-language Film Of The Year

“All We Imagine As Light” – Winner

“La Chimera”

“Emilia Pérez”

“I’m Still Here”

“Kneecap”

Documentary Of The Year

“No Other Land” – Winner

“Dahomey”

“Grand Theft Hamlet”

“Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger”

“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”

Animated Feature Of The Year

“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl...

Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist won film of the year at the 2025 London Film Critics’ Circle awards – its only award of the night – with 15 films honoured accross 18 categories.

Scroll down for full list of winners

Conclave, Nickel Boys and A Real Pain collected two prizes each at the ceremony, held at London’s May Fair Hotel on February 2 and hosted by Mark Kermode.

Conclave won British/Irish film of the year and actor of the year for Ralph Fiennes.Nickel Boys’RaMell Ross collected director of the year whilst the technical achievement award went to its cinematographer Jomo Fray.Jessie...

Brady Corbet’s immigrant epic has nabbed the top prize from the U.K.’s leading film writers and broadcasters at the annual London Critics’ Circle film awards ceremony, held at The May Fair Hotel and hosted by member Mark Kermode.

Multiple honors were bestowed upon Nickel Boys, Conclave and A Real Pain, with Emilia Pérez actress Zoe Saldaña being awarded twice.

The Brutalist emerged victorious in a tight contest that saw Edward Berger’s Vatican thriller Conclave take two awards for British/Irish Film of the Year and Actor of the Year for star Ralph Fiennes. Meanwhile, RaMell Ross’ adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel of the same name was recognized with Director of the Year and the Technical Achievement Award for Jomo Fray’s cinematography. A Real Pain, starring, written and helmed by Jesse Eisenberg, garnered Screenwriter of the Year and Supporting Actor of the Year for co-star Kieran Culkin.

Brady Corbet’s epic American immigrant saga “The Brutalist” has been given the top prize by the U.K.’s leading film writers and broadcasters.

At the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards on Sunday night, the feature was named film of the year in a ceremony that saw the honors widely shared across a number of titles, although notably both “The Substance” and “A Complete Unknown” came away empty-handed.

Edward Berger’s Vatican thriller “Conclave” took two awards, including British/Irish film of the year and actor of the year for Ralph Fiennes, while RaMell Ross’s radical Colson Whitehead adaptation “Nickel Boys” was recognised with director of the year and the technical achievement award for Jomo Fray’s first-person cinematography.

Elsewhere on the night, Jesse Eisenberg’s dark comedy “A Real Pain” was another multiple prizewinner, awarded screenwriter of the year for the actor-filmmaker, and supporting actor of the year for co-star Kieran Culkin.

Andrea Arnold stands out as one of the most remarkable female directors to emerge from England, with an indie legacy that is unmatched. Hailing from the tranquil town of Dartford in South-East England, her most intimate works often mirror the distress of her early life experiences. Born to teenage parents who later separated, she grew up in a council estate, immersing herself in the local chalk pits, fields, woods, and motorways. Her upbringing in a working-class family, raised by a single mother with four children, cultivated a profound empathy for life’s modesties and the inherent smallness of existence, which in turn heightened her appreciation for the expanse of literature and art— becoming a recurring theme in her filmography.

Her ability to capture the artistic essence of the working class is evidenced by her three-time win of the Cannes Film Festival‘s Jury Prize, an honor she shares with only...

‘At Home With The Furys’ Producer Hires Talent-Led Programming Boss

At Home with the Furys producer Optomen has created a Head Of Talent-led Programming role to lead on new docs and reality shows for the UK and U.S. Becky Cadman joins from fellow All3Media stablemate Lime Pictures, which she recently left after the indie closed its London base. Cadman will focus on creating new, premium, talent-driven documentaries and reality shows for the UK and U.S. markets. At Lime she worked across the likes of Vinnie Jones in the Country for Discovery+and her Channel 4 credits included Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death. Optomen has had a number of big hits lately including Netflix’s At Home with the Furys and the BBC’s Sort Your Life Out. Bosses Tina Flintoff and Nick Hornby said: “Talent-led programming has become increasingly important to our business so we are...

Un thriller papal, un (no) biopic de Los Planetas o un slasher desde el Pov del asesino, entre el top del 2024.

© mundoCine | Universal Pictures | De A Planeta | Elástica Films | BTeamPictures

Adiós, 2024… ¡hola, 2025! Se va un año que, cinematográficamente hablando (como no podía ser de otra manera por nuestra parte), ha estado repleto de propuestas variadísimas y de lo más interesantes que han dejado huella en nuestras retinas. Claro, algunas otras no tanto, pero ese no es el foco de este artículo.

Marta Medina, Mario Hernández y Álvaro Campoy, miembros del equipo de mundoCine, escogen las que, a su juicio, han sido las mejores películas del 2024, compartiendo con vosotros sus porqués y, de paso, os cuentan dónde podéis verlas en este mismo momento (información muy útil si no habéis visto algunas de las que mencionamos).

Eso sí, antes de entrar en materia, hay un detalle importante: este ranking tiene en cuenta...

"What d'you mean you don't care about my dream?" Here's another extra trailer for the sweet little indie film called Bird, the latest feature written and directed by the award-winning filmmaker Andrea Arnold. Mubi already released this in the fall last year (here's the first trailer) and this second trailer is a reminder that it's also streaming on the Mubi app to watch anytime. It first premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Bailey lives with her brother Hunter and her father Bug, who raises them alone in a squat in northern Kent. Bug doesn't have much time to devote to them. So Bailey looks for attention and adventure elsewhere, meeting a strange man named "Bird" with whom she builds a connection with. A tender, striking, distinctly surprising coming-of-age fable from acclaimed auteur Andrea Arnold, starring Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski, + newcomer Nykiya Adams as Bailey. You want to see something original?...

Bird Photo: Atsushi Nishijima, House Bird Limited, Ad Vitam Production, British Broadcasting Corporation, The British Film Institute, Pinky Promise Film Fund II Holdings LLC, FirstGen Content LLC and Bird Film LLC With our last Stay-at-Home Seven of the year, we'd like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a Happy New Year, packed with good viewing.

Bird , Mubi, streaming now

Andrea Arnold has always been known for her gritty portrayal of lives at the margins and she does so again with this coming-of-age drama - only this time she adds a brush of magic realism. Bailey, lives with her young single dad Bug (Barry Keoghan) and brother Hunter (Jason Edward Buda) in a squat. Rebelling against her dad’s upcoming marriage to a girl he met three months ago (Frankie Box), Bailey encounters and befriends the eccentric Bird (Frank Rogowski). As she tries to help him find his parents he,...

Just like American Honey and Fish Tank, Bird left me feeling a mixed bag of emotions, and that’s precisely what makes Andrea Arnold one of the most consistent directors of our time. I’ve always admired Arnold’s style—documentary-esque visuals, hand-held shots, the use of popular music, and beautiful close-ups—and Bird does not disappoint. Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski deliver brilliant performances, and Nykiya Adams as the protagonist, Bailey, was a pleasant surprise. The subjects of Arnold’s films are usually individuals, particularly women, from the economically deprived class. While that involves the risk of seeming repetitive, she has managed to keep it unique each time. In her films, even if the plots are the driving force, feelings take center stage. It is silly as well as impossible to come up with a logical explanation for all that unfolds in the Bird, but what we can discuss...

Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2024, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.

Each year offers some important movie-going lessons, and 2024 was no exception. Buy tickets early when taking kids to see Wicked. Never count out Mike Leigh, George Miller, or Clint Eastwood. Bow to Francis Ford Coppola, whether you enjoy Megalopolis or not. Start reappreciating Demi Moore and Nicole Kidman. Stop watching Alien: Romulus before the ending.

And, of course, choose your Uber driver carefully; on my way to my first screening at September’s Toronto International Film Festival, mine raced through a stop sign, got pulled over, and made me miss the one press screening of The Brutalist. (I’m still stewing over that.)

Now, to my list of 2024 favorites; read on to see if I eventually caught up with Brady Corbet’s film.

Honorable mentions: A Different Man,...

The UK’s leading film critics announced their nominations for the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards. Sean Baker’s Anora and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist lead with seven nominations each. This year’s winners in all categories will be announced at London’s May Fair Hotel on 2nd February 2025, hosted by venerable critic Mark Kermode. Last year’s ceremony saw Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest and Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers lead the 44th annual London Critics’ Circle Awards with three wins apiece. The inaugural Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation was presented to Colman Domingo, while Jeffrey Wright received the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film.

Zoe Saldaña will be honoured with the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation at this year’s ceremony. The Emilia Pérez actress will become the second recipient of the annual award, named in memory of the legendary critic Derek Malcolm,...

Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist and Sean Baker’s Anora lead the nominations for the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards 2025, announced today, December 19.

Both films are nominated in seven categories, followed by Edward Berger’s Conclave and The Substance on six nominations each and Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez with five.

All of the above films are nominated in film of the year alongside Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera, Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap, RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys, and Robert Eggers’Nosferatu.

Conclave and Kneecap are also nominated in British/Irish film of...

Sean Baker’s “Anora” and Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” have topped the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards nominations with seven nods each.

Edward Berger’s “Conclave” and Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” followed with six nominations each, while Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” secured five nods. Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths” and Rich Peppiatt’s “Kneecap” each received four nominations.

The Film of the Year race features 10 contenders: Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light,” “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” Alice Rohrwacher’s “La Chimera,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez,” “Kneecap,” RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys,” Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” and “The Substance.”

In the performance categories, Actress of the Year nominations went to Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”), Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”), Demi Moore (“The Substance”), and Saoirse Ronan (“The Outrun”). The Actor of the Year category features Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”), Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”), Daniel Craig (“Queer”), Colman Domingo...

Sean Baker’s Anora and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist have topped the nominations for the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, making it into seven categories each.

Further frontrunners in the nominations, announced today, include Edward Berger’s Conclave and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance with six nominations each.

They are followed by Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez with five nominations, and Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths and Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap, with four nominations each.

All of these films are in the running for Film of the Year alongside Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera, RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys and Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu.

The Actress of the Year category celebrates performances from Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths), Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance) and Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun), while Actor of the Year recognises Adrien Brody (The Brutalist...

Sean Baker’s Anora and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist are top of the pack with seven nominations each ahead of the U.K.’s 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards.

On Thursday, Britain’s leading film critics confirmed their nominees before the Feb. 2 ceremony at London’s May Fair Hotel.

Edward Berger’s Conclave and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance followed Baker and Corbet with six nominations each, while Emilia Pérez, directed by Jacques Audiard, earned five nods. Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths and Kneecap by Rich Peppiatt both gained four nominations.

All of these films are in the running for film of the year alongside Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera, RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys and Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu.

The actress of the year category celebrates performances from Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths), Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The...

The Roundhouse in London played host this evening to the 2024 BIFAs – The British Independent Film Awards. Kneecap went into the awards ceremony leading the 2024 nominations with 14, Love Lies Bleeding had 12, The Outrun received 9 nominations, 7 nominations each for Bird, on becoming a guinea fowl and unicorns, 6 for Hoard and Civil War. The winners of tonight’s awards are below.

Celebrating remarkable films and outstanding talent from the British film industry and beyond, this year’s list highlights the UK’s brightest new talent alongside BIFA heroes such as Andrea Arnold, Rose Glass, Rungano Nyoni, Saoirse Ronan, Jack O’Connell, Barry Keoghan and Hayley Squires.

Colin Hart and Ethan Hart were on the red carpet, here are their interviews.

The 2024 BIFA Winners Best British Independent Film

“Kneecap” — Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling — Winner

“Love Lies Bleeding” — Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska, Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman

“On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” — Rungano Nyoni, Tim Cole,...

As 2024 nears its end, that can only mean one thing — awards season is upon us! And while various Critics' Circle and Guild bashes have already gotten underway, tonight was the first major event of the season on this side of the pond: the British Independent Film Awards. Hosted by Peter Serafinowicz at London's Roundhouse, the ceremony saw Rich Peppiatt's barnstorming Irish rap trio biopic Kneecap — already one of Empire's Best Movies of 2024 — emerge as the night's biggest winner. In all, the film (which is streaming now on Prime Video UK) picked up seven gongs on the night, including Best British Independent Film, Best Joint Lead Performance for Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, and Best Debut Screenwriter for Peppiatt.

In the other key acting categories, Marianne Jean-Baptiste won Best Lead Performance for her emotional, incendiary turn as embattled matriarch Pansy in Mike Leigh's Hard Truths,...

“Kneecap,” the hit Irish comedy biopic about the Belfast rap group of the same name, has landed the top honor at the British Independent Film Awards and a total of seven BIFA awards overall.

Writer/director Rich Peppiatt’s debut feature — which went into Sunday’s ceremony already having won four BIFA craft awards — was named best British independent film, with Peppiatt winning best debut screenwriter and Kneecap bandmates Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh (who all play themselves) winning best joint lead.

Elsewhere on the night, which was hosted by Peter Serafinowicz, Rungano Nyoni won best director for her sophomore feature “On Becoming A Guinea Fowl,” exploring buried secrets in a middle class Zambian family. The film’s lead star Susan Chardy won breakthrough performance.

Meanwhile, Sandhya Suri, writer/director of Hindi-language crime thriller “Santosh,” won best screenplay. “Santosh,” which is the U.K.

The British Independent Film Awards (Bifas)winners are being unveiled from a ceremony at London’s Roundhouse.

Scroll down for winners

Screen isupdating this page live from the ceremony as the winners are announced - refresh this page for the latest winners. Scroll down for the full nominations and craft winners.

Sophie Okonedo is receiving theRichard Harris award. The actor is best known for her Oscar-nominated performance in 2004’sHotel Rwanda while her other film credits includeThe Secret Lie Of Bees,Christopher Robin,Wild Rose,Death On The Nile andCatherine Called Birdy.

Bifa winners 2024

Winners in bold, latest award top

Best...

The British Independent Film Awards (Bifas)winners will be unveiled today (December 8)from a ceremony at London’s Roundhouse, commencing at 20:00 GMT.

Scroll down for winners

Screen will be updating this page live from the ceremony as the winners are announced - refresh this page for the latest winners. Scroll down for the full nominations and craft winners.

Rich Peppiatt’s Irish-language comedyKneecap leads the nominations with six, including director, screenplay and best British independent film for Peppiatt - the latter alongside producers Trevor Birney and Jack Tarling - and joint lead performance for its stars Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh,...

The British Independent Film Awards (Bifas)winners will be unveiled today (December 8)from a ceremony at London’s Roundhouse, commencing at 20:00 GMT.

Scroll down for winners

Screenwillbeupdatingthispagelivefromtheceremonyasthewinnersareannounced, so refresh thispageforthelatestwinners. Scrolldown for the fullnominationsandcraftwinners.

Rich Peppiatt’s Irish-language comedyKneecapleads the nominations with six, including director, screenplay and best British independent film for Peppiatt - the latter alongside producers Trevor Birney and Jack Tarling - and joint lead performance for its stars Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh.

Rose Glass’Love Lies Bleeding andNora Fingscheidt’sThe Outrunare on four nominations each. Glass’ second feature stars...

Since bursting on the scene in 1998 as a scruffier and scrappier distant cousin to the BAFTAs, the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) have been an early bellwether for future talent in front of and behind the camera. Giving a very early shout out to some of the biggest stars working today is the BIFAs breakthrough performance award (formerly the most promising newcomer award).

Jamie Bell and Ben Whishaw were recipients more than 20 years ago, while other winners have included Dev Patel, Naomi Ackie and Jessie Buckley. As for Emily Blunt, John Boyega, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mia Goth, Andrea Riseborough, Will Poulter, George MacKay, Jodie Whittaker and Cosmo Jarvis, they’re among a formidable lineup of names who only managed a nomination.

So it’s only natural that this year’s crop of nominees are perhaps a little excited about what lies ahead. Speaking to Variety ahead of the awards ceremony on Dec.

Nykiya Adams makes her feature film debut in Bird, the new film from acclaimed director Andrea Arnold. Adams stars as Bailey, a twelve-year-old girl living in Kent, England, with her father, Bug. Feeling ignored and with a dearth of positive role models, Bailey finds unlikely companionship in a mysterious newcomer to town, the eponymous Bird, played by Franz Rogowski. Shot in an engaging low-fi style, Bird is grounded in the reality of its characters and the grimy beauty of its urban setting, but with a surreal, romanticized touch that intensifies as the film takes some truly unexpected turns.

Newcomer Nykiya Adams had never performed in a movie before she was discovered for Bird, out this week, and the movie can only work because of her deft talents. As the main point-of-view character for the entire film, she is the center of nearly every scene, with the action rotating around her...

Andrea Arnold’s Bird (2024), a Mubi release, is now playing in theaters.Bird.I have good news for those seeking a posthuman perspective on the class system. Andrea Arnold’s Bird (2024) combines a story of economic hardship with one of delicate animal life and sublime metamorphosis. If that sounds silly or trite, it isn’t remotely. The film centers on Bailey (Nykiya Adams), an adolescent living in a poor part of Kent, on the south coast of England, and one of millions of British children forced to endure the worst repercussions of conservative austerity since 2010. Like the characters of Arnold’s other films, such as Mia (Katie Jarvis) in Fish Tank (2009) and Star (Sasha Lane) in American Honey (2016), Bailey is poor, lacking in parental guidance, and as such, both bold and self-destructive. On the face of it, Bailey’s life is one of little hope, but an encounter with the...

In Andrea Arnold’s Bird, Irish actor Barry Keoghan plays a father of two teenagers. In the film, he had both children when he, too, was a teenager. He’s brash with tattoos everywhere, completely focused on an upcoming wedding with his three-month girlfriend. It’s a stellar performance from him, imbued with his own recent experiences of fatherhood.

Keoghan’s character Bug spends his days on his scooter, moving around Kent. He’s never still, singing to a toad he hopes will pay his bills, dancing in hopes of impressing his soon-to-be wife, going up and down the stairs of the building he and his family squat in, unaware of his children’s daily activities. He’s contradictory, selfish yet loving, hated yet looked up to by his kids. The film, and Bug’s arc, culminates in this wedding, in which Keoghan wears a blue suit and sings to his new wife.

After 20 years of collaborating, cinematographer Robbie Ryan generally only has one question for writer/director Andrea Arnold before a new project: “Andrea, is it gonna happen?”

That’s the kind of comfort with one another’s aesthetics that comes after two decades. As Ryan told IndieWire, “Generally, that’s our main conversation, to make sure we’re all gonna be able to make it when we say we are. We have the shorthand, and we’ve done this a few times now. It’s a lovely place to go to where I feel comfortable knowing what Andrea needs and wants and that I can achieve that for her.”

Their latest, the coming-of-age film “Bird,” added a few new wrinkles to their collaboration. For the most part, the film is equally lyrical and chaotic as it follows 13-year-old Bailey (newcomer Nykiya Adams) seeking a connection while her family members (including Barry Keoghan...

Shot and set in Gravesend, a town in Kent, England, Andrea Arnold’s new film Bird, starring newcomer Nykiya Adams alongside Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski, is a portrait of a young girl coming of age under chaotic circumstances. Twelve-year-old Bailey, played brilliantly by Adams, is bound by poverty and a dearth of options to her unstable father, Bug (Keoghan); she seeks solace in whatever independence she can find. When a mysterious stranger (Rogowski) appears on her doorstep, an uncanny bond is formed between them, altering the course of her life. Bird is currently in theaters from Mubi. Filmmaker: Your narrative […]

The post “Don’t Call It ‘Magic Realism'”: Andrea Arnold on Returning to Narrative Cinema with Bird first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Shot and set in Gravesend, a town in Kent, England, Andrea Arnold’s new film Bird, starring newcomer Nykiya Adams alongside Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski, is a portrait of a young girl coming of age under chaotic circumstances. Twelve-year-old Bailey, played brilliantly by Adams, is bound by poverty and a dearth of options to her unstable father, Bug (Keoghan); she seeks solace in whatever independence she can find. When a mysterious stranger (Rogowski) appears on her doorstep, an uncanny bond is formed between them, altering the course of her life. Bird is currently in theaters from Mubi. Filmmaker: Your narrative […]

The post “Don’t Call It ‘Magic Realism'”: Andrea Arnold on Returning to Narrative Cinema with Bird first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Arnold’s feral, fantastical drama set in the rundown Kent of her childhood stars remarkable newcomer Nykiya Adams as a marginalised child who makes a strange new friend

Andrea Arnold’s films have a thrilling, entirely distinctive energy. Take her US-set American Honey (2016), with its itchy, restless outlaw spirit and music used front and centre, or the earthy fervour of her 2011 version of Wuthering Heights. The British director’s films are feral, unpredictable and untameable, informed by empathy, curiosity and a way of working that embraces chaos and discovery. With its marginalised milieu and themes of the wildness within, Bird, which earned an impressive haul of British independent film award nominations last week, could only be an Andrea Arnold creation.

In some ways, though, it’s also a notable departure for this continually evolving film-maker, who returns to the UK – specifically north Kent, where she grew up and later set...

This review was originally published on May 28, 2024, as a part of our Cannes Film Festival coverage.

British filmmaker Andrea Arnold returned to the Cannes Film Festival to present her latest feature, Bird. A harrowing narrative that contemplates the transition from girlhood to womanhood, Arnold uses magical realism to capture preteen angst with a strong desire for existential freedom. With three Cannes Jury prizes already to her name, the director aimed to dig deep into the chaos of life when violence and uncertainty are at the forefront. Unfortunately, the attempt to dissect real-world concerns from a preteen perspective is clouded by poor directional choices.

Bird

Director Andrea ArnoldRelease Date November 8, 2024Studio(s) Access Entertainment, Pinky Promise, House Productions, FirstGen Content, BFI, BBC FilmWriters Andrea ArnoldCast Carlos O'Connell, Frankie Box, Joanne Matthews, Rhys Yates, Jason Williamson, James Nelson-Joyce, Jasmine Jobson, Franz Rogowski, Barry KeoghanCharacter(s) Skate, Debs, Kayleigh, Peyton, Bug, BirdRuntime 119 MinutesGenres DramaYouTube Trailer https://www.

Box office darling Anora, Sean Baker’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner from Neon, goes wide Friday after a slow platform, expanding to 1,104 screens as indies continue to bust onto screens. Searchlight Pictures’ A Real Pain adds eight locations, with Focus Features’ Conclave and A24’s Heretic continuing, and launching, respectively, in wide release.

A Real Pain starring Kieren Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg, who also wrote and directed, adds theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Toronto after a strong opening last weekend, when it took the third-highest per-theater average of the year. It goes to 900+ theaters across all major markets next week.

Opening in moderate release: Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate’s launch of Artist Equity’s Small Things Like These starring Cillian Murphy at 795 theaters.

Directed by Tim Mielants and written by Enda Walsh, the film is based on the bestselling book of same name by Claire Keegan. It...

‘Love Lies Bleeding’ es la segunda película más nominada. © Elástica Films | Filmin | DeAPlaneta

Ya se conocen los nominados a los Premios BIFA (British Independent Film Awards). Estos premios son unos galardones cinematográficos que se otorgan en el Reino Unido para destacar y honrar las películas independientes británicas. Los ganadores de los premios BIFA 2024 se darán a conocer el 8 de diciembre. Aquí os dejamos con la lista de los nominados de esta edición:

Mejor PELÍCULA Independiente BRITÁNICA

Kneecap

Love Lies Bleeding

On Becoming Guinea Fowl

The Outrun

Santosh

Mejor PELÍCULA Independiente Internacional

All We Imagine as Light

Anora

La Chimera

No Other Land

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Mejor DIRECCIÓN

Andrea Arnold, Bird

Nora Fingscheidt, The Outrun

Rose Glass, Love Lies Bleeding

Rungano Nyoni, On Becoming A Guinea Fowl

Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap

Mejor Guion

Nora Fingscheidt & Amy Liptrot, The Outrun

Rose Glass & Weronika Tofilska, Love Lies Bleeding

Rungano Nyoni, On Becoming A Guinea Fowl...

In a pub somewhere in Kent, England, a heavily tattooed man serenades his new wife with a cover of Blur’s “The Universal.” As he croons along to the lyrics “it really, really, really could happen,” his young daughter embraces a human-bird hybrid in a quiet corner of the room.

Andrea Arnold’s Bird starts off with what might feel like a wee bit of a feint: A 12-year-old named Bailey (Nykiya Adams) is filming a flock of seabirds on her phone. They’re gliding high above the beaches in the British county of Kent, near the bunker-like apartment building where Bailey lives with Hunter (Jason Buda), her gangster-wannabe stepbrother, and Bug (Barry Keough), her tattooed manchild of a dad. And given the way this young, amateur cinematographer has framed her avian subjects between the openings of a fence, it...

The Marrakech Film Festival unveiled its 2024 lineup on Thursday and set that Luca Guadagnino would replace Thomas Vinterberg as its jury president. The other jury members will be Andrew Garfield, Jacob Elordi, Virginie Efira, and Ali Abbasi. Vinterberg “had to excuse himself for family reasons,” festival organizers said.

The Marrakech fest on Thursday also unveiled the lineup for its competition, 11th Continent, and Moroccan Panorama sections, as well as gala and special screenings. In the competition, 14 films will compete for the Étoile d’Or, or Golden Star.

The 21st edition of the fest in Morocco will also honor Sean Penn, David Cronenberg and, posthumously, pay homage to Moroccan star Naïma Elmcherqui. The Marrakech fest takes place Nov. 29-Dec. 7.

Check out the full lineup for the 2024 edition below.

Competition

Across The Sea (LA Mer Au Loin)

by Saïd Hamich Benlarbi / France, Morocco, Belgium

with Ayoub Gretaa, Anna Mouglalis, Grégoire Colin, Omar Boulakirba,...

In 2016, Andrea Arnold made a bold pivot away from her uniquely British sensibility with American Honey, a Midwestern road movie about a group of nomadic youths who drive around selling magazine subscriptions. Despite the stark regional shift in perspective, the film is emphatically in line with Arnold’s distinct brand...

Fish Tank director Andrea Arnold adds a touch of magical realism to her latest film, starring Barry Keoghan and Nykiya Adams. Here’s our Bird review:

Andrea Arnold is one of the most vibrant voices of British cinema. She first burst onto the scene in the early 2000s with her Oscar-winning short Wasp and second feature Fish Tank before moving to Hollywood with American Honey and HBO’s Big Little Lies. The director’s latest feature, Bird, somewhat brings her back to her roots.

Nykiya Adams plays Bailey, a lively 12 year-old whose sense of adventure is only matched by her kindness. Bailey’s father Bug (Barry Keoghan) surprises her with an announcement that he’s set to marry his girlfriend in a matter of days. Bug and his bride insist that Bailey wear a dress and acts as a bridesmaid – something she’s less than thrilled about.

Feeling angry and lost,...

Whilst the eyes of the world may be locked firmly on the other side of the Atlantic this morning, back here in Blighty there is at least some positivity still to be shared yet. Having shone last year when the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes brought Hollywood to a standstill, the independent British cinema scene has continued to shine throughout 2024, with revered greats, rising stars, returning masters, and bold new narratives all emerging to ensure the flame for indies from these shores has never burned brighter. As such, it comes as no great surprise that the announcement of this year's British Independent Film Awards nominees is a veritable treasure trove of great art and great artists that stand to represent the very best British filmmaking has to offer.

Leading the pack with an impressive 14 nominations — including nods for Best British Independent Film, Director, Screenplay, and Debut Director — is British-Irish filmmaker Rich Peppiatt...

British filmmaker Andrea Arnold is known for her films like American Honey and Fish Tank — social realist dramas with a discovery of a lead and a high-profile supporting actor. Her latest, Bird, follows the same formula, featuring one of the best child performances of the year and an impactful turn from rising star Barry Keoghan. It’s imperfect, but Arnold has delivered another compelling portrait of modern youth.

Bird Review

Bird follows a young girl who grows up with her brother and single father as she becomes disillusioned with the fractured and unstable nature of her family life. On its surface, Bird is a more conventional coming-of-age story than usual for Arnold, but it has the human touch that elevates and sets the filmmaker’s work apart.

The youth of the protagonist may cause some to levy accusations of poverty porn against Bird, but Arnold’s approach to these characters does not feel condescending whatsoever.

Barry Keoghan's feature film follow-up to Saltburn arrives in the form of Andrea Arnold's latest directorial effort, Bird. Arnold is known for her previous works Fish Tank (2009), American Honey (2016), and Big Little Lies (2019). Bird premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2024. Ahead of its wide release in the U.S. and U.K. on November 8, 2024, Bird earned positive reviews and a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 76%, continuing an impressive streak for Keoghan of critically acclaimed films that includes Dunkirk (2017), The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), and The Banshees of Insiherin (2022).

Bird follows a budding teenager named Bailey who lives with her reckless and unconcerned father, Bug. She and her brother Hunter live with Bug illegally as squatters in northern Kent, England. As evidenced by the Bird trailer, Bug doesn't have a lot of time to devote to his kids, more interested in making it...

Director Andrea Arnold (Big Little Lies, American Honey) reimagined her upcoming feature film Bird for Fontaines D.C.’s “Bug” video. The film — and now music video — stars Barry Keoghan.

Arnold’s Bird, out this Friday, is a coming-of-age film where Keoghan plays a character named Bug who is a troubled single dad to a 12-year-old daughter, played by newcomer Nykiya Adams. Arnold adapted scenes from the film for the video. This is Keoghan’s second music video appearance this year, having previously starred in girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” video.

¿No sabes qué ver? Aquí tienes nuestras recomendaciones.

mundoCine asistirá al 21 Festival de Cine Europeo de Sevilla y dará cobertura de muchas de las películas que se proyectan en el festival. ¡No os perdáis nuestras críticas de lo mejor del cine europeo! Puedes consultar toda la programación del festival y horarios AQUÍ.

A continuación, os presentamos nuestra selección de 10 películas que se proyectarán en el Seff y que prometen muchísimo:

Emilia Pérez (Jacques Audiard)

¿Cómo no íbamos a empezar esta lista con la gran sensación de Cannes, Emilia Pérez? Una audaz narcocomedia musical que se postula como la candidata francesa a los Oscar y que está en todas las quinielas de los premios. La historia gira en torno a Rita, una abogada de un prestigioso bufete, que un día recibe una oferta inesperada: ayudar al temido jefe de un cártel a retirarse de su negocio y desaparecer para siempre convirtiéndose...

Following the likes of her previous films Fish Tank and American Honey, writer and director Andrea Arnold delivers another working-class-drama-meets-magical-realism coming-of-ager with Bird. Acting newcomer Nykiya Adams is Bailey, a girl living in a squatted home with her eccentric father Bug (Barry Keoghan) – a layabout hustler who spends his time singing to a toad to get it to produce some hallucinogenic slime that he can sell on – and older brother Hunter (Jason Buda). Bug is getting married to a girl called Kayleigh, who is the opposite to Bailey in every way, and Bailey isn’t happy about it. Her mother, Peyton (Jasmine Jobson), lives across town with her three young siblings and an abusive new partner, Skate (James Nelson-Joyce).

Bailey spends much of her time roaming around the streets and fields of North Kent with no supervision, taking videos on her phone as a creative outlet. One day, she comes across a mystical,...

The British Independent Film Awards this year honor two Sundance breakout films, with both “Kneecap” and “Love Lies Bleeding” atop the 2024 nominations list.

Rich Peppiatt’s “Kneecap” (repping Ireland for the 2024 Best International Feature Oscar) leads this year’s nominees with 14 nods, including Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best British Independent Film. “Kneecap” is based on the eponymous rap group, which star here alongside Michael Fassbender in a fictionalized band origin story.

Following “Kneecap” with 12 nominations is Rose Glass’s “Love Lies Bleeding.” Co-leads Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian are nominated for Best Joint Lead Performance, and the film has also been recognized in the Best British Independent Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay categories.

Additional features that received multiple nominations include “The Outrun,” “Bird,” and “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.”

In 2023, “All of Us Strangers” swept the top categories with awards, in addition to “Rye Lane” and future...

“Kneecap” and “Love Lies Bleeding” led Tuesday’s nominations for the British Independent Film Awards.

Written and directed by Rich Peppiatt, “Kneecap,” Ireland’s Oscar entry, scored 14 bids, including Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Joint Lead Performance for Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh. It was shortlisted in a whopping eight crafts categories.

Rose Glass‘ “Love Lies Bleeding” was next in like with 12 nominations, including the same above-the-line categories as “Kneecap.” Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian are nominated for joint lead performance. It also earned eight crafts nominations.

Nora Fingsheidt‘s “The Outrun” received nine bids, including Best Lead Performance for Saoirse Ronan, who previously won the BIFA for Best Actress for 2015’s “Brooklyn.” The film is up for the top prize, while Fingsheidt is nominated for her direction and her script with Amy Liptrot.

Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Rungano Nyoni...

“Kneecap” and “Love Lies Bleeding” lead the nominees for this year’s British Independent Film Awards.

“How to Have Sex” breakout Mia McKenna-Bruce and “Rye Lane” star Vivian Oparah announced the nominations in London on Tuesday morning. “Kneecap” received the most nods with 14, including best screenplay, director for Rich Peppiatt and joint lead performance for Kneecap members Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh.

Rose Glass’ “Love Lies Bleeding” follows with 12, including best British independent film, director, screenplay and joint lead performance for Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian. “The Outrun,” starring Saoirse Ronan, received nine nods for best British independent film, director for Nora Fingsheidt, screenplay for Fingsheidt and Amy Liptrot and lead performance for Ronan.

Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Rungano Nyoni’s “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” and James Krishna Floyd’s “Unicorns” each garnered seven nominations.

The winners will be revealed, in addition to...

Andrea Arnold's 2024 drama marks Barry Keoghan's return after Saltburn, and there are options for where to watch Bird and see his latest work. The pairing of Andrea Arnold and Barry Keoghan made Bird an incredibly exciting project upon the announcement, especially considering the actor exited Gladiator II to take on the dramatic indie instead. Arnold is an Oscar winner who consistently delivers critically acclaimed work, and Bird's reviews early on continued that trend with its positive reception after debuting at the Cannes Film Festival.

Bird's debut at Cannes led to Mubi acquiring the film's distribution rights and plotting a plan for general audiences to see the movie. The biggest decision was whether to put the film directly on streaming and hope Keoghan's breakout from Saltburn would carry over or push the film into theaters so Arnold's drama could possibly gain some Oscars recognition down the road. Either option...

If you've been itching for a whismical drama that sees the enigmatic Barry Keoghan tatted up and leading a group of drug dealers to a Coldplay singalong in order to charm a literal, live-action toad, then step right up famed British filmmaker Andrea Arnold has just the feature for you. Bird should certainly be the word this awards season, but something tells us the frenzied, utterly indie spirit behind her latest project will simply be too darn alternative for the Academy to take note. What a shame, especially since powerhouse performer Franz Rogowski (remarkable in Passages) delivers yet another scene-stealing and awards-caliber turn as the film's beloved and eponymous character.

And yes, the wondrous Irish actor Barry Keoghan also captivates in his supporting performance as a young dad of multiple kids from multiple mamas. One offspring, Bailey, is the central focus of Bird, and rising star Nykiya Adams delivers a raw,...