BIFA Awards 2025 Celebrate the Creative Power of NFTS Alumni!

The nominations are in for the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) and the National Film and Television School (NFTS) is proud to see 14 of our alumni recognised across an incredible range of categories, including Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Breakthrough Producer, Best Debut Screenwriter and the BIFA 2025 Raindance Maverick Award! This year’s nominations celebrate outstanding filmmaking and extraordinary talent from the British film industry and beyond.
 

NFTS graduates are also celebrated for their exceptional craftsmanship in Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best British Short Film and Best Effects, reflecting the School’s world-leading training across all areas of filmmaking.

My Father’s Shadow continues its global success, leading the BIFA nominations with 12 nods and featuring six NFTS alumni, including Cinematographer Jermaine Edwards and Co-Producer Funmbi Ogunbanwo. Learn more about their contributions with the film selected as the UK’s entry for Best International Feature at the Oscars in 2026.

Other films recognised by BIFA include Urchin, Sentimental Value, Wasteman, The Ballad of Wallis Island and Lynne Ramsay's Die My Love starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson,
 

See the full list of NFTS Alumni Nominations and additional credits below:

Best British Independent Film

The Ballard of Wallis Island
Alexandra Toomey - production designer
Francis Quigley - third assistant director

I Swear
James Blann - cinematographer
Oliver Laurenson Gore - location manager

My Father's Shadow | Producer Funmbi Ogunbanwo
Additional NFTS credits include:
Adele Fletcher - co-supervising sound editor
Diana Duah - producer's assistant
Jermaine Edwards - cinematographer
Oli Bauer - assistant editor
Shaheen Schleifer - post production supervisor

Pillion
Chris Wilson - re-recording mixer, supervising sound editor
Gunnar Oskarsson - re-recording mixer, sound designer, supervising sound editor
Itzel Gonzalez Estrada - re-recording mix technician
Lou Macnamara - b camera operator: dailies
Oli Bauer - first assistant editor
Phoebe Sutherland - production and development executive: BFI
Sacha Billingham - casting associate
Shaheen Schleifer - post production supervisor

Urchin | Producer Archie Pearch
Additional NFTS credits include:
Connor Williams - casting assistant
Dearbhaile Collins - a camera trainee
Elizabeth Rufai - associate producer
Rory Smith - boom operator
Sam Jenkins - second assistant sound

Best Director
Die My Love | Lynne Ramsay 

Best Debut Screenwriter sponsored by Film4
Wasteman | Eoin Doran

Breakthrough Producer sponsored by Pinewood AND Shepperton Studios
Urchin | Archie Pearch

Best Feature Documentary

Antidote
DoP Jean-Louis Schuller

Motherboard
Oli Bauer - editor 
Emiliano Battista - edit consultant 

A Want in Her
Donna Wade - cinematographer 
Morgan Muse - sound designer 

BIFA 2025 Raindance Maverick Award

Holloway | Writer/Editor Stella Heath Keir

Motherboard
Oli Bauer - editor 
Emiliano Battista - edit consultant 

A Want in Her
Donna Wade - cinematographer 
Morgan Muse - sound designer 

Best International Independent Film

Sentimental Value | Director/Co-Writer Joachim Trier
Additional NFTS credits include:
Olivier Bugge Coutté - editor

Best British Short Film

Stomach Bug | Matty Crawford, Karima Sammout Kanellopoulou

Best Cinematography

 H is for Hawk | Charlotte Bruus Christensen

Best Sound

Die My Love | Paul Davies

Ish | Jens Peterson

My Father’s Shadow | Adele Fletcher

Warfare | Sound Team
Dayo James - sound effects editor
Ian Morgan - dialogue editor
Robert Malone - sound effects editor

Best Effects

Die my Love | Victor Tomi
 

Huge congratulations all the nominees and to the many fellow alumni working behind the scenes to bring these outstanding films to life! 

The winners will be revealed at the BIFA Ceremony, held at the Roundhouse in London on Sunday 30th November 2025. 
 

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Find out about NFTS courses open for January 2026 at nfts.co.uk/places-available.