After proving a hit in Toronto and at the London Film Festival, Tom Hooper’s upcoming feature about the eccentric speech therapist who helped King George VI overcome his stammer, The King’s Speech, has scooped the most prizes at the 13th British Independent Film Awards.
It won the Best British Independent Film Award, as well as prizes for Best Actor (Colin Firth), Best Supporting Actress (Geoffrey Rush), Best Supporting Actress (Helena Bonham Carter) and Best Screenplay (for David Seidler).
Gareth Edwards picked up three awards for his debut feature Monsters — Best Director, Best Achievement in Production and Best Technical Achievement.
Although he took the Best Director award, Edwards was beaten to the Best Debut Director prize by Clio Barnard, whose The Arbor earned her the same acolade at the London Film Festival.
Carey Mulligan followed up last year’s win for An Education by taking the Best Actress prize again, this time for the LFF’s opening film, Never Let Me Go.
The Most Promising Newcomer award went to Joanne Froggatt, for her role as a British soldier, returning from a tour of duty in Iraq, in the debut feature from Brian Welsh, In Our Name.
In one of those uncomfortable reminders of awards calendar’s falling out of synch, the Best Foreign Film prize went to A Prophet, which scooped prizes and nominations everywhere else in the world throughout 2009.
Liam Neeson was honoured with The Variety Award.