'Pillion' Takes Top Spot on 2025 British Independent Film Awards Winners List

The 2025 British Independent Film Awards concluded with the unexpected triumph of the tender queer BDSM biker romance Pillion, which led the evening with four wins. The Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgrd-led feature took home Best British Independent Film, Best Debut Screenwriter for writer-director Harry Lighton, Best Costume Design awarded to Grace Snell, and Best Make-Up & Hair Design for Diandra Ferreira.

Although not nominated in any Best Film categories, A24s Warfare also performed strongly, securing four awards: Best Ensemble Performance, Best Editing, Best Effects, and Best Sound. Actors Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, and Charles Melton were on hand to accept their accolades at the ceremony, held on November 30 at Londons Roundhouse.

Other films recognized with multiple awards included Focus Features musical comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island, TIFF debut I Swear, Jennifer Lawrence-starrer Die My Love, and the documentary A Want in Her.

The nights nominations leader, My Fathers Shadow, recently submitted as the United Kingdoms entry for the Best International Feature Oscar, won a single award for Best Director, claimed by Akinola Davies Jr. Norways Sentimental Value took home the Best International Independent Film award, marking the third consecutive year a Neon release has won in this category, following 2023s Anatomy of a Fall and last years Anora, which later won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Selected Winners at the 2025 British Independent Film Awards

• Tim Key, Tom Basden The Ballad of Wallis Island
• DPharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton Warfare
• Dhiraj Mahey Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director (Ish)
• Simon Stanley-Clamp, Ryan Conder Best Debut Director Feature Documentary (Warfare)
• Glenn Freemantle, Mitch Low, Howard Bargroff, Ben Barker, Richard Spooner Warfare
• Magid/ Zafar Lus Hindman, Sufiyaan Salam, Aidan Robert Brooks
• A Want in Her Myrid Carten, Tadhg OSullivan, Roisn Geraghty, Kat Mansoor

Author: Sophia Brooks