Slumdog Millionaire sweeps BIFAs
Updated on 01 December 2008
Director Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, about a poor Indian boy who gets a shot at winning millions in a television game show, picked up three prizes at the British Independent Film Awards.
Hunger, artist Steve McQueen's widely acclaimed directorial debut, also picked up three awards, followed by Mike Leigh's uncharacteristically upbeat Happy-Go-Lucky, which took both the best supporting actor and actress prizes.
Slumdog Millionaire won the best British independent film, best director and most promising newcomer categories, the latter going to young actor Dev Patel who played the lead role of Jamal.
The movie has already won rave reviews at film festivals and generated early Oscars buzz.
Hunger, is a hard-hitting film about the final days of IRA prisoner and hunger striker Bobby Sands in 1981.
Sands was played by Michael Fassbender, who won the best actor category, while McQueen was awarded the Douglas Hickox prize for best debut director and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt was honoured for best technical achievement.
Best actress went to Vera Farmiga for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and the best screenplay award was won by Martin McDonagh for In Bruges.
Actor David Thewlis was honoured with the Richard Harris award for outstanding contribution to British film, and Michael Sheen won the Variety award.
© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
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