Sands film in line for seven awards

(Getty)

Hunger, the debut film by artist Steve McQueen about IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, has been nominated for seven British Independent Film Awards.

Turner Prize-winner McQueen's film has more nominations than The Duchess, starring Keira Knightley, and Happy-Go-Lucky, the latest movie from Mike Leigh.

Hunger is up for Best British Independent Film, Director, Debut Director, Screenplay, Actor, Supporting Actor and Technical Achievement.

The awards also see Thomas Turgoose, the teenager who made his name in This Is England, up for Best Actor against established names like Colin Farrell.

Grimsby-born Turgoose, who was plucked from obscurity while hanging out at a youth club just a few years ago, is nominated for his role as a runaway in Somers Town.

The Duchess, based on the biography of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, has four nominations including Best Actress for Knightley.

Sienna Miller is up for Best Supporting Actress for her role opposite Knightley in The Edge of Love, the film based on the two women in poet Dylan Thomas's life.

Happy-Go-Lucky has three nominations, including one for Best Actress for Sally Hawkins, who played the lead role of a school teacher in the film.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, adapted from John Boyne's best-selling novel set in the Holocaust, is also up for three awards.

Asa Butterfield, an 11-year-old from Islington, north London, who plays German character Bruno in the film, is nominated for Most Promising Newcomer.

David Thewlis, who stars in the movie, will receive the Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Film.

Ralph Fiennes has two nods for Best Supporting Actor, for his roles in The Duchess and In Bruges.

In Bruges, the story of two hitmen hiding out following a botched job, has seven nominations including Best Actor for its star Farrell.

Emma Thompson is up for Best Supporting Actress for Brideshead Revisited and Samantha Morton is in line for Best Actress for The Daisy Chain.

Michael Sheen, the star of Frost/Nixon, will receive the Variety Award for bringing the international spotlight to the British film industry.

The nominations were selected by a committee of 70 members of the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).

BIFA directors Johanna von Fischer and Tessa Collinson said: "We are delighted to be able to highlight such an eclectic range of new British film talent this year.

"We are also proud to honour two outstanding British acting talents and careers with The Richard Harris and The Variety Awards."

The 11th awards, hosted by John Nesbitt, will take place on November 30 in London.

:: The Nominations

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM

Hunger

In Bruges

Man on Wire

Slumdog Millionaire

Somers Town

BEST DIRECTOR

Mark Herman - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Steve McQueen - Hunger

Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

Shane Meadows - Somers Town

Garth Jennings - Son of Rambow

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD (BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR)

James Watkins - Eden Lake

Rupert Wyatt - The Escapist

Steve McQueen - Hunger

Martin McDonagh - In Bruges

Eran Creevy - Shifty

BEST SCREENPLAY

Enda Walsh, Steve McQueen - Hunger

Martin McDonagh - In Bruges

Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire

Paul Fraser - Somers Town

Garth Jennings - Son of Rambow

BEST ACTRESS

Vera Farmiga - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Samantha Morton - The Daisy Chain

Keira Knightley - The Duchess

Kelly Reilly - Eden Lake

Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST ACTOR

Michael Fassbender - Hunger

Colin Farrell - In Bruges

Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges

Riz Ahmed - Shifty

Thomas Turgoose - Somers Town

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Emma Thompson - Brideshead Revisited

Hayley Atwell - The Duchess

Kristin Scott Thomas - Easy Virtue

Sienna Miller - The Edge of Love

Alexis Zegerman - Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Ralph Fiennes - The Duchess

Eddie Marsan - Happy-Go-Lucky

Liam Cunningham - Hunger

Ralph Fiennes - In Bruges

Daniel Mays - Shifty

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER

Asa Butterfield - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire

Ayush Mahesh Khedekar - Slumdog Millionaire

Bill Milner - Son of Rambow

Will Poulter - Son of Rambow

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION

The Daisy Chain

The Escapist

Hush

Shifty

Telstar

RAINDANCE AWARD

Clubbed

Flick

One Day Removals

Zebra Crossings

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Wardrobe, The Duchess

Cinematography, Hunger

Editing, In Bruges

Music, Shifty

Cinematography, Slumdog Millionaire

BEST DOCUMENTARY

A Complete History of My Sexual Failures

Derek

Man on Wire

Of Time and The City

Three Miles North of Molkom

BEST BRITISH SHORT

Alex And Her Arse Truck

Gone Fishing

Love Does Grow On Trees

Red Sands

Soft

BEST FOREIGN FILM

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly

Gomorrah

I've Loved You So Long

Persepolis

Waltz With Bashir

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution to British Film)

David Thewlis

THE VARIETY AWARD

Michael Sheen