- 18 hours ago
The UK’s film industry was celebrated at the 28th British Independent Film Awards, also known as the BIFAs.
‘Pillion’ actor Alexander Skarsgård gave a NSFW interview about his new film and he was quickly followed by ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Wasteman’ star Tom Blyth. Also walking the red carpet was Harris Dickinson, David Jonnson and Paul Mescal who was attending the 2025 BIFAs to present Emily Watson with the Richard Harris Award. British icon Emily shared how it felt to receive the award and who’s been impressing her in the industry of late.
The director and actor of British drama ‘I Swear’, Kirk Jones and Robert Aramayo, respectively, also spoke about the impact their film has made. Robert was awarded the British Independent Film Award for Best Lead Performance.
Joining them was James Griffiths, the director of ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’ and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, who won the Best Cinematography award for his work on LynneRamsey’s 'Die My Love'. Report by Burtonj. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
‘Pillion’ actor Alexander Skarsgård gave a NSFW interview about his new film and he was quickly followed by ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Wasteman’ star Tom Blyth. Also walking the red carpet was Harris Dickinson, David Jonnson and Paul Mescal who was attending the 2025 BIFAs to present Emily Watson with the Richard Harris Award. British icon Emily shared how it felt to receive the award and who’s been impressing her in the industry of late.
The director and actor of British drama ‘I Swear’, Kirk Jones and Robert Aramayo, respectively, also spoke about the impact their film has made. Robert was awarded the British Independent Film Award for Best Lead Performance.
Joining them was James Griffiths, the director of ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’ and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, who won the Best Cinematography award for his work on LynneRamsey’s 'Die My Love'. Report by Burtonj. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Oh no, we're missing dinner.
00:02It's alright. I'd rather talk to you anyway.
00:04Seeing that through your little camera eye.
00:07He texted me at one o'clock this morning.
00:09That's quite annoying really, isn't it?
00:11It was a fun night.
00:30Hello sir. Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate you.
00:39Thank you very much.
00:40I was very excited to see what you might be wearing tonight
00:42because the last time I think you were on a red carpet in London
00:44it was at the London Film Festival
00:46and your Hylian leather top made headlines.
00:51So once again you are very smartly dressed.
00:53Did you appreciate the reaction you got from your London Film Festival look now?
00:56Feel a little text about it.
00:59Yeah, I mean it was a fun night and it was a night of leather
01:09and I thought I'd go in a different direction tonight.
01:13It's a little softer, a little silky tonight.
01:16That's the mood I was in.
01:18I'm looking forward to everyone seeing it here.
01:21I love the way that it's been described and marketed.
01:24It's kind of like teasing information.
01:25The best description being a dumb pop.
01:28And that's a wonderful phrase.
01:29What does that mean to those who might not be aware of what Hylian means as a dumb?
01:34Well, it's a sub-dom DDSM story but packaged in a romantic comedy format.
01:46So it's quite specific to the subculture but with some universal components to it and that people might recognize from rom-com.
02:01So that's how it became a dom-com.
02:03The subject matter of the film is so unique in that mainstream cinema, mainstream films don't really have this as a topic.
02:10Was it an education for you coming in?
02:12Were you excited to meet these people who are involved in the world and break down some boundaries in a way?
02:18Yeah, very much so.
02:19And we were incredibly lucky to have GBMCC, the Gay Biker Motorcycle Club, not all their members but a few of them in the movie.
02:31And a couple of guys from the London King scene.
02:35So that was very instrumental in shaping the world and giving it authenticity and they were an integral part of it from the genesis of it.
02:46When Harry first started writing the screenplay, he met up with them and made sure to get their input.
02:52And then obviously throughout shooting it, it was tremendously helpful for us in kind of giving it some authenticity.
03:02It's such a unique subject matter and different potentially risque things you're showing on screen obviously as well.
03:09Were there any big swings or brave decisions you made with your co-star on set as well that you're glad that you did and you're happy with the results of those big decisions?
03:21I didn't feel brave at all to be honest with you yet because it was such a fantastic script and I believed in Harry,
03:32well both Harry's but Harry Lighton who wrote and directed it so much even though it's his first feature.
03:38I had just instilled so much confidence in me and it didn't feel scary or risky at all.
03:45I was just like incredibly exhilarated to be part of it and to get to tell this story.
03:51So I honestly like had no moments on set where I was like, what are we doing? What's going on here?
03:56It could be even if you know a big orgy scene or whatever it was. It's just like they all every moment,
04:02every scene of that movie of the screenplay was so exciting to me and such a key component to telling the story.
04:09So I loved every second of it.
04:12Congratulations on the film and on your nominations tonight as well. Thank you so much for your time.
04:15Oh, thank you very much. Appreciate it. Thank you. Have fun.
04:18Hey, Hannah.
04:19Hey.
04:20How's it going? Is it good?
04:21Do you want to go?
04:22It's good.
04:23Yeah, thank you.
04:24You've been on holiday. You've got a very nice ton of value.
04:29I have been on holiday. I've got a bit of sunshine.
04:32Hey, I feel myself as very lucky as being one of the few people in this room perhaps who's seen Wasteman.
04:38That is so flummin' good. Congratulations to both you and your colleague next to you as well.
04:43Thank you, man.
04:44When you are in the prison filming these scenes, you don't know what's going to happen.
04:48How have you found the reaction since, you know, drip feeding the nation this fall?
04:53Yeah, it's funny because we haven't really fully released yet. You know, we went to the London Film Festival and the response there was really lovely.
05:01But the response from people who have seen it like yourself has been amazing. And yeah, I feel lucky to have made friends for life while making it.
05:08But also I feel lucky to have told a story that is lifting the lid on a system that probably needs a bit more attention.
05:14And yeah, supporting British film, which I was raised on British independent film, so it's magical to be back.
05:21I love hearing that you and David are such tight friends as well because obviously within the film you are massive adversaries at times as well.
05:28Is there any kind of strange dichotomy within your own head of like, alright, I love you but I also hate you at the same time?
05:34How do you kind of manage that between yourselves as actors?
05:37Yeah, I mean David and I were lucky enough to kind of be friends before we started this and then once we started became even closer and now, you know, now hopefully friends for life.
05:46But it is weird, it's this thing of like, you go to work every day and you're supposed to kind of be adversaries with this person that you love dearly.
05:53But in a way I think it also, you trust each other so you really get to go out on a limb and I think the film allowed us to both really push our limits and push our boundaries and stretch ourselves in ways that we hadn't done before because we had a partner in crime who let us go there.
06:08Where did this fall for you in terms of your like scheduling? Like there was a massive Hunger Games film and then there was Wasteman at some point.
06:16Obviously very different roles, very different things required of you. Where did that fall in terms of a calendar year for you? How did you switch from one to the other?
06:24Yeah, I think I did Hunger Games and then went off and did a TV show, Billy the Kid, that I've done for a while.
06:29And then then I did Plain Clothes and then this back to back in quick succession and both very small films that I did about six or eight months after I finished Hunger Games and so after it came out.
06:42So it's very different experience. But to be honest, it's like it's where I kind of come from, where I've always wanted to work and doing the Hunger Games allowed me to then go and go back to the films that I always wanted to make.
06:53So yeah, I feel very lucky.
06:55Congratulations to you because you are showing range in the moment. I'm speaking to you right now. You're perfectly lovely. Your character in Wasteman is not lovely in any way really.
07:03I'm quite different to Dean, yeah.
07:04Is this like sort of a checkbox for you of like, alright, I've played a bad man. I'll stop myself for swearing then. You've played a bad man. What else is like on the Rolodex of things that you want to play? What's on the bingo card?
07:14Oh man, I mean, I feel like I'm just following in the footsteps of the greats who I kind of admire. I'm like, Gary Oldman is always like the kind of North Star for me. So I think, oh no, we're missing dinner.
07:26Sorry, yeah. It's all right. I'd rather talk to you anyway. Yeah, no, you know, you have those people who you're kind of North Star and you look to and you look at their performances and the performances you were raised on is like an aspiring actor.
07:38And you just try and kind of somewhat fill their shoes a little bit. And if you do, you're very fortunate. And so yeah, that's kind of a look at those performances and if in doubt, I go back to those films that I love.
07:51And finally for me, this is the British Independent Film Awards, a room full of talent. Who's impressed you in 2025? What film or project or artist has impressed you?
08:00Oh, in 2025 specifically, I just saw Die My Love the other night and they're both amazing. But to be honest, Lynne Ramsey, I'm such a fan of Lynne Ramsey and everything she's done that I've seen.
08:12And as a director, she's just someone who I think always keeps you surprised, always test the limits of what she can do. And yeah, I think she's amazing.
08:20She's here tonight. You can fanboy to her face and everything. I'm a bit nervous actually.
08:24Thank you so much for your time and joining tonight as well.
08:26Thank you so much.
08:36How are you feeling about what I'm going to call your big night at the Fantastic Award? Congratulations.
08:42I'm a little bit nervous actually, which is weird when I spend my life doing, but it's much easier pretending to be somebody else.
08:53Well, actually I want to pick up on that then. In terms of like, you know, your career and your roles, when's the last time you really did feel nervous for a role or anything that you've done on screen?
09:03I do, I do always feel nervous. I think it's like flying. If you don't feel nervous, you should stop.
09:11Over the last year, I know that kind of you have been promoting Steve and now we're looking forward to Hamnet as well.
09:17A lot of buzz around Hamnet and I know that you were at LFF the other week as well supporting that. How are you hoping that that film will do come January, February?
09:27Is it going to have the impact you want it to?
09:29Well, I think, I think, I mean, I think it's a profound film and I hope that it reaches people. And if people go and see it, that's really great. Yeah.
09:39I know that in your career, you've been such a fantastic champion for British independent film. Does it, and it breaks a lot of frees as well, as in it, you know, boosts people up.
09:49When at the formation of the start of your career, is there a film, is there a British independent film that you can point to as really helping you on your way to success?
09:58Well, I started with Lance Von Trier, so I, I've always felt a little bit like an outsider looking in.
10:05But yeah, no, I've done many films within, within the industry here over the years. I feel very protective of it.
10:15And it's always having to reform itself because everything always, you know, there's always a, something happens with the money and it all falls apart.
10:24But I think independent producers are very resourceful people and, you know, it's like, it's like a petri dish. It will always grow. Yeah.
10:34There's obviously a lot of talented people here tonight. Who has caught your eye in 2025, a film or an artist?
10:40Well, this young man directed a movie, Bradmore. I mean, quite annoying really, isn't it?
10:49It can't be at all. Thank you so much for your time. Enjoyed tonight as well. Congratulations.
10:53Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
10:54She's in the film. He's a legend. You all right?
10:57Bit of fan there, yeah. Yeah, that's, I guess, I've spoken about it, yeah.
11:02I mean, I think I can't say exactly where it's come from. We've had some amazing filmmakers come before us that have kind of paved the way for social realism.
11:13And then I think with that has also come a rejection of those ideas as well.
11:19So it's meant a bit of a collision in terms of storytelling, perhaps, is what you're referring to.
11:24But yeah, I don't know where it's come from, man. I can't, I can't say. There's a lot of interesting minds here. I don't know. Yeah.
11:32Nice to see you. How are you doing? All right, mate. How are you? All right.
11:35So first of all, congratulations on the fantastic reaction and all the nominations for I swear, which is like, I know it's not why we do it.
11:41Yeah. Feels pretty good though, don't it?
11:43It is nice. It is nice, especially when it's such a low budget film. People work so hard, you know, people work for free.
11:49People work for a fraction of their rates. People deferred their fees until whatever time, you know, the film makes a profit, if it ever makes a profit.
11:58And as we do most of the time, they don't. So to see it getting so much attention, to see it being received so well and to be nominated for nine awards tonight is amazing, yeah.
12:10I've spoken to Rob earlier and a couple of the cast and the people involved with the, with I swear already.
12:15I know that at this point through production, through the awards campaign, you're, you're a family at this point.
12:20Yeah. Are you hearing a lot from John on the daily? Are you hearing about every time like some sort of good reaction or a nomination comes in?
12:27What was his reaction? What's he texting to you?
12:29He texted me at one o'clock this morning and basically said, any news yet? And I said, the awards are tomorrow night.
12:36So he'd got mudded up. He thought they were last night, but I'll tell him. And yes, we're all staying in touch.
12:41And Rob visits them. We're going to be supposed to be going up at the end of December.
12:46We speak a lot on the phone and yeah, I mean, we'll always be in touch. That's it now.
12:51That's wonderful. And finally for me though, I know, I think it was like a nine year period between your last film that you directed and I swear as well.
12:58Yeah. For various many reasons, but please promise us that it's not going to be another nine years until your next film, right?
13:04No, there won't, there won't be another nine years.
13:07You know, we had COVID, just kind of shut. That was the kind of three years.
13:10But tragically, a friend of mine was killed on the film set, a guy called Mark Milsom.
13:14And I was asked to help set up a foundation in his name. And that took me out for about another four years.
13:21But if anyone gets a chance to check it out online, the Mark Milsom Foundation is doing some really, really good stuff.
13:27And trying to make sure that no one else ever dies or gets injured on a film set again.
13:31For me personally, it's an amazing feeling. And I would, I would, I would be lying if I didn't say what an incredible feeling.
13:39But the biggest sort of, I think what's been so amazing about the film is that it's, is that it's led to people talking more.
13:46And that feels like a better sort of, you know, a greater honor for the film.
13:52But it's led to sort of different conversations and deeper conversations that I personally have had, as well as I think lots of people have had,
13:59about neurodiversity, around Tourette's and people's understanding of Tourette's, tics we don't see, you know.
14:05You know, and I just like, I think that that's an amazing thing and I could have never have expected that.
14:11So I'd say like that dialogue is like the biggest crowning achievement.
14:16And I know that you and Kirk and the rest of the guys are kind of like on somewhat of this award season rotation,
14:23like you're out here pushing the film, promoting it and getting some great reactions too.
14:26Is this kind of like experience forming a tighter bond amongst you guys as well?
14:30Oh, certainly. Yeah. But I will also say that you can't really make a film like ours without getting incredibly close.
14:36You know, all of the cast and crew, we were so close. We were a real family by the end of it.
14:41So it just feels like seeing your family again, which is great.
14:44You've got some wonderful co-stars as well. Any particular scenes where like you really relied on some of the perhaps more experienced actors on the set, like Maxine or those guys?
14:54Definitely always, always, always in all of those scenes.
14:59But I will also say that when I did the scene with an amazing actor called Andrea, who was in the car and then she's in the alleyway together afterwards.
15:07And I just blown away by how incredibly talented she was.
15:11And she's like, I think one of the favorite actors I've ever worked with because she was just so natural with how she was speaking.
15:17And I really enjoyed the creative process. We sort of improvised a lot of that scene.
15:21And we just seemed to find each other in this way that I just it was so memorable to me, you know.
15:26But then the other actors, obviously, it's a different kind of experience.
15:28I mean, when you're working with Maxine or Peter or Shelley Henderson, they just sort of up your game.
15:32You know what I mean? And you've got to be you've got to not be so intimidated by them.
15:35You know, they're just such wonderful actors.
15:38And obviously, we're at the Biffers tonight, but hopefully we want, I swear, success to run and run for yourself or for the team or even for like the cause that you guys are pushing.
15:48What would more awards recognition mean to you? Like, you know, say factors in a few weeks, for example.
15:53I mean, I mean, look, I mean, I just think it's important to not put your head in that place.
15:57We're here tonight and I think it's a great honor for us to be here tonight.
16:00I feel so personally honored to be here.
16:04Congratulations on the success of Ballad of the Wallace Island so far.
16:08But here we are. When was it released? Like earlier this year.
16:10But, you know, a true measure of the film is when you are at the awards season at the end of the year.
16:14Did you foresee this when you released it, when you were making it at all?
16:17No, no idea. No, we were just making a film with my friends basically in Wales in the middle of nowhere with very little money, very little time.
16:25I remember someone mentioning that someone from streaming might be interested in showing the film.
16:30We all got very excited. So to have this journey with the film has been remarkable. It really has.
16:35And, you know, it's an honor to be here and celebrating with other people who've worked as hard to get their films made.
16:41And I think that's the thing, isn't it? It's like everyone here is worthy of the praise and worthy of some plaudits.
16:49They got a film made. It's so hard. It's so hard to make a film. So, yeah, it's great to be here.
16:55I overheard you saying just before as well that essentially Tim and Tom's script and idea started as just a kind of a sketch or skit, like a comedy idea.
17:03At what point do you pull the emotional resonance out of it? At what point does it become more than just a comedy bit and this wonderful film that we see?
17:11Yeah, I think it's life experience really for all of us. I think we've all just grown up a bit and had some of the things that happened in the film happen to us personally.
17:20So that's bound to sort of imbue itself in the material. But Tom and Tim, they're remarkable actors and comedians in my eyes.
17:27I've had the privilege of working with them for, not solidly for 18 years, but I've had a relationship with them, a creative relationship with them for a very long time.
17:35And I love what they do. There's always a lot of depth in what they do, even in their comedy and their sketch.
17:40This is why they're so good, I think, is like all good comedy actors, they sort of play everything as truth.
17:46And whether it's dramatic or funny or whatever the situation is, they just commit to it.
17:50And that's been a joy, getting that up on the screen for a wider audience, because I believe in them and what they do.
17:57And Carrie's here tonight as well as presenter and supporting the film.
18:01Did it really take the creation, the production of this film up to another level when you get a name like Carrie Mulligan involved with the film as well?
18:08Yeah, well, we were lucky enough, I think, that Covid happened and she became a big, big fan of Tim Key's poetry with Marcus.
18:16And so they were aware of each other and there was a dialogue between them.
18:20So it wasn't a, it wasn't a stranger thing.
18:23When Tom said he knew, when Tim said he knew her, we were all like, oh, come on, she's never going to do our film.
18:29And then she read it and loved it and loved the show and loved, she obviously a big fan of Tim already.
18:34So she was just in and it was never any doubt that she was just part of the crew.
18:39She was just exactly what we needed. You know, Tom and Tim have very specific instrument that they play with.
18:44And we sort of needed another instrument but playing the same song and she bought all of that.
18:49You know, she really bought a lot of grace and intelligence and acting chops and just a lot of warmth to the set and everything she did.
18:57It was an absolute honour to work with her. I'm very lucky to have got her involved.
19:02Hey, Seamus, not just a nominee tonight, but already a winner. When did you get the call? How did you react when you get the happy news about tonight?
19:09I got the call two weeks ago and I was over the moon. I was not exactly doing backflips because I'm not that athletic, but I sort of emotional backflips.
19:23I was so excited to know that this award has been selected by filmmakers on and Biffa champion bravery and artistry and independent cinema.
19:35And that's why this award means so much to me because the filmmakers that are all here tonight love cinema and cinema is a young art form with a long way to go.
19:48And I think that Biffa really applauds sort of ingenuity and bravery and personal kind of insight in telling stories with a camera.
20:00And that's why I think that to have that celebrated, it only encourages younger filmmakers to take their cameras and tell stories in their very personal ways.
20:13That's wonderful. So Time I Love, obviously it's a collaboration between all these people and it's a great reaction so far.
20:19What do you think it is about your own input, Lynn's, Jennifer's, Robert's, that has caused such a stir and such a fantastic reaction for your film?
20:28I think the situation of making the film was so singular and unique.
20:34And Lynn has this incredible ability to create a kind of cauldron of creativity.
20:40We were shooting in one house pretty much in one place. So it was quite intense, the atmosphere.
20:48But when you can use your camera like a divining rod to be sensitive to things that happen because there was a wonderful script.
20:56But there's also that amazing sensitivity that Lynn has to things that happen by accident or in happenstance or when an actor gives a performance that's kind of alive and unexpected.
21:10And if you're there and sensitive enough to be there with your camera to record it at that moment or film it as we did on celluloid, there's no greater excitement than seeing that through your little camera eye for the first time before millions see it on the big screen.
21:29Was there a moment from the film which you're watching live through your lens which you just thought, can't wait for the rest of the world to see this too? Any proud moment for yourself?
21:38Yes. And again, seeing something in that private cinema of yours when the clapperboard goes on and everything is silent in the chaos of a film set which is normally higgledy-piggledy hurly-burly.
21:51It's really lovely to witness this sort of sanctity of a performance coming alive right in front of you.
22:00And there were numerous moments in Die My Love where that occurred.
22:04But there were moments like on the beach where the sea started sparkling and it was actually something messed up with the filters.
22:12They were all bouncing light off each other but it created this kind of phantasmagorical, ghostly effect in the screen.
22:19The best kind of happy accidents.
22:21And people were like, oh gosh, should we change the filter?
22:24And Lynn was just like, no, this is wonderful. Let's embrace the happenstance.
22:29Perfect. Thank you so much for your time. Congratulations again.
22:31Thanks a million.
Be the first to comment