Harris Dickinson’s Urchin, Laura Carreira’s On Falling and Harry Lighton’s Pillion are among the films longlisted in the modern talent categories
Harris Dickinson’s Urchin, Laura Carreira’s On Falling and Harry Lighton’s Pillion are among the films longlisted in the modern talent categories for the 2025 British Independent Film Awards.
The modern talent categories are the Douglas Hickox award for best debut director; the breakthrough producer award; the debut screenwriter award; and the best debut director – feature documentary award.
Scroll down for the full lists
Urchin is listed in best debut director for Dickinson, and breakthrough producer for Archie Pearch, who produced the film with Scott O’Donnell. Dickinson’s story of a juvenile addict on the streets of London debuted in Un Certain Regard at Cannes this year, with Frank Dillane winning the best actor award.
Carreira is longlisted for both debut director and screenwriter for On Falling. Produced by Jack Thomas-O’Brien for Sixteen Films, the Toronto 2024 premiere follows a Portuguese worker in a Scottish warehouse, navigating loneliness and alienation in an algorithm-driven gig economy. On Falling previously won the Sutherland award for best film at BFI London Film Festival last year, with Carreira taking the best director prize at San Sebastian.
Lighton is also longlisted in the debut director and screenwriter categories for Pillion, the story of a directionless man swept off his feet by a handsome biker who takes him on as his submissive. It also launched in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in May.
Other films to make the lists include The Ballad Of Wallis Island, for Tom Basden and Tim Key as debut screenwriters; and My Father’s Shadow, listed in debut director for Akinola Davies Jr. and debut screenwriter for Wale Davies.
Further talents listed in both the director and screenwriter categories include Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor for Dreamers, Daisy-May Hudson for Lollipop, Imran Perretta for Ish, Ronan Corrigan for LifeHack and Stroma Cairns for The Son And The Sea.
The documentary director category includes Max Keegan for The Shepherd And The Bear, Grace Hughes-Hallett for The Secret Of Me and Myrid Carten for A Want In Her.
It is the second longlist to be unveiled this week, after the list for breakthrough performance, announced by Screen yesterday.
The five nominees in each category will be announced on Monday, November 3; with winners revealed at the 28th Bifa awards ceremony on Sunday, November 3 at the Camden Roundhouse in London.
Bifa 2025 modern talent filmmaker longlists
Douglas Hickox award for best debut director
- Stroma Cairns — The Son And The Sea
- Laura Carreira — On Falling
- Ronan Corrigan — LifeHack
- Akinola Davies Jr — My Father’s Shadow
- Harris Dickinson — Urchin
- Patrick Dickinson — Cottontail
- Nadia Fall — Brides
- Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor — Dreamers
- Daisy-May Hudson — Lollipop
- Harry Lighton — Pillion
- Cal McMau — Wasteman
- Imran Perretta — Ish
Breakthrough producer
- Wyn Baptiste — Shoot the People
- Helena Berndl — In Symbiosis
- William Bridges, Brett Goldstein — All of You (also produced by Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett)
- Polly Creed — Holloway (also produced by Alice Hughes, Sophie Compton)
- Marie-Elena Dyche — Dragonfly (also produced by Dominic Tighe)
- Ian Henry — Hallow Road (also produced by Lucan Toh)
- Eloise King, Bona Orakwue — The Shadow Scholars (also produced by Anna Smith Tenser, Tabs Breese)
- Charlotte Knowles — Palestine Comedy Club
- Joann Kushner — LifeHack (also produced by Timur Bekmambetov, Aleksandr Kletzov) Dhiraj Mahey — Ish (also produced by Bennett McGhee)
- Archie Pearch — Urchin (also produced by Scott O’Donnell)
- Laura Shacham — Mother Vera
- Nick Skaugen — Row
- Flora Stewart — The Secret of Me (also produced by James Rogan)
Best debut screenwriter
- Hunter Andrews, Eoin Doran — Wasteman
- Tom Basden, Tim Key — The Ballad Of Wallis Island
- Ronan Corrigan, Hope Elliott Kemp — LifeHack
- Laura Carreira — On Falling
- Wale Davies — My Father’s Shadow
- Suhayla El-Bushra — Brides
- Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor — Dreamers
- Daisy-May Hudson — Lollipop
- Harry Lighton — Pillion
- Imran Perretta — Ish (also written by Enda Walsh)
- Max Porter — Steve
- Imogen West, Stroma Cairns — The Son And The Sea
Best debut director – feature documentary
- Myrid Carten — A Want In Her
- Deadhorses (Ivo Beckett & James Topley) — Hakeem
- Cecile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson — Mother Vera
- Jessi Gutch — Blue Has No Borders
- Grace Hughes-Hallett — The Secret Of Me
- Max Keegan — The Shepherd And The Bear
- Eloise King — The Shadow Scholars
- Victoria Mapplebeck — Motherboard
- Jane Mingay — Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story
- Eleanor Mortimer — How Deep Is Your Love
- Toby Robson — Poised
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