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Five years ago, it was announced that Ben Wheatley would be writing, directing, and executive producing Generation Z, a “hilarious, frightening, and political” series that would consist of six hour-long episodes that would “mix flesh-eating zombies into a story that satirizes how Brexit has divided the UK.” That project didn’t make it into production when it was originally supposed to because of the pandemic shutdown… but after making Meg 2: The Trench (you can read our review at This Link and check out our interview with the filmmaker Here), Wheatley circled back around to Generation Z. The show is now ready to start airing on Channel 4 in October, and in anticipation of the premiere, Empire has unveiled two new images. One can be seen above, and the other can be found at the bottom of this article.

The show is described as “a coming-of-age parable for our very...

Four years ago, it was announced that Ben Wheatley would be writing, directing, and executive producing Generation Z, a “hilarious, frightening, and political” series that would consist of six hour-long episodes that would “mix flesh-eating zombies into a story that satirizes how Brexit has divided the UK.” That project didn’t make it into production when it was originally supposed to because of the pandemic shutdown… but after making his latest film Meg 2: The Trench (you can read our review at This Link and check out our interview with the filmmaker Here), Wheatley has circled back around to Generation Z and is now knee-deep into filming it! To celebrate the fact that Generation Z is finally being made, Channel 4 has unveiled a batch of first look images, and you can check those out at the bottom of this article.

The show is described as “a coming-of-age parable for...

While the British coming-of-age story “Rocks” hasn’t been a part of the Oscar season conversation, the BAFTAs are a different story. The movie is nominated for eight awards at this Sunday’s ceremony, and has been available on Netflix since earlier this year. Although directed by Sarah Gavron (“Suffragette”), the key figures behind this acclaimed project is British-Nigerian playwright and screenwriter Theresa Ikoko.

Ikoko co-wrote the script, her first, with seasoned scribe Claire Wilson, and the pair are each nominated for BAFTAs in Outstanding Debut and Original Screenplay.

Praised at home and abroad for its honest treatment of sisterhood among teenage girls of color, the film follows a British-Nigerian adolescent nicknamed Rocks (Bukky Bakray) forced to take on adult preoccupations when her mother suddenly abandons her and her younger brother. Amid such precarious circumstances, she finds encouragement and affection in her group of loyal girlfriends. Earlier this year, “Rocks...

Teen drama wins big as His House takes awards for actress and director while Anthony Hopkins is honoured for The Father

The much-praised London-set teen drama Rocks has emerged as the lead winner of the British independent film awards (Bifas), which were announced on Thursday in a virtual ceremony hosted by actor Tom Felton.

Rocks, directed by Sarah Gavron and produced by Faye Ward and Ameenah Ayub Allen, stars Bukky Bakray as a girl left to look after her brother when her mother abandons them; it won five awards including best British independent film, best supporting actress for Kosar Ali, best supporting actor for D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu and best casting. Ali also won the award for most promising newcomer.

In an online ceremony hosted by Tom Felton, the winners of the 2020 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) were announced yesterday with Sarah Gavron’s ‘Rocks’ taking home five awards.

Best British Independent Film was awarded to coming-of-age drama Rocks by Zendaya with actress Kosar Ali also taking home the awards for both Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer with her young co-star D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu winning Best Supporting Actor. The four awards on the night took the film’s BIFA tally to five with Lucy Pardee winning the award for Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society of America and Spotlight when the craft award winners were announced in January.

British horror His House was awarded two BIFAs on the night with Remi Weekes winning Best Director and Wunmi Mosaku winning Best Actress. Anthony Hopkins’ poignant portrayal of an ageing man in The Father won him Best Actor amongst three wins.

The film won three acting prizes including two for Kosar Ali.

Rocks was the big winner at the 2020 British Independent Film Awards tonight, taking home five prizes including best British independent film.

The film also won three acting prizes: best supporting actress and most promising newcomer for Kosar Ali, and best supporting actor for D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu.

Scroll down for the full list of winners

“We’re not just any ordinary girls from the estate. We’re more than that. Our postcodes do not determine our limits,” said cast member Tawheda Begum when accepting the best British independent film prize.

His House: Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù as Bol Majur, Wunmi Mosaku as Rial Majur. Cr. Aidan Monaghan/Netflix © 2020

In an online ceremony hosted by Tom Felton, the winners of the 2020 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) were announced. Live from Wales, where he is filming Save the Cinema for Sky Cinema, Tom welcomed a glittering array of stars to announce the winners.

Best British Independent Film was awarded to coming-of-age drama Rocks by Zendaya with actress Kosar Ali also taking home the awards for both Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer with her young co-star D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu winning Best Supporting Actor. The four awards on the night took the film’s BIFA tally to five with Lucy Pardee winning the award for Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society of America and Spotlight when the craft award winners were announced in January.

British horror His House was awarded two BIFAs on the...

“Rocks,” “His House” and “The Father” were the leaders at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), which were announced Thursday.

Coming-of-age drama “Rocks” won best British independent film, with Kosar Ali winning the awards for both best supporting actress and most promising newcomer with her young co-star D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu winning best supporting actor. Lucy Pardee’s best casting award, which was among the craft award winners announced in January, takes the “Rocks” tally to five.

Remi Weekes won best director and Wunmi Mosaku won best actress for horror film “His House.” The film also won the best production design and effects awards.

Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of an ageing man in “The Father” won best actor, and the film also won best screenplay for writer-director Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, and best editing for Yorgos Lamprinos.

In a year when awards were spread evenly, “Saint Maud,” “Mogul Mowgli,” “Misbehaviour” and...

Sarah Gavron’s Rocks and Remi Weekes’ His House scooped five and four awards respectively, while Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for The Father, at tonight’s British Independent Film Awards, held virtually this year. Scroll down for the full list of winners.

Rocks was crowned Best British Independent Film, beating strong competition from the likes of Saint Maud and The Father. The film, a social drama about a group of schoolgirls and shot largely with non-actors, also took Best Supporting Actress (Kosar Ali) and Best Supporting Actor (D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu), as well as Most Promising Newcomer (Kosar Ali again) and Best Casting (Lucy Pardee).

It was also a great night for the claustrophobic horror His House, with Remi Weekes picking up Best Director, Wunmi Mosaku winning Best Actress, and the film picking up two below-the-line prizes: Best Effects (Pedro Sabrosa and Stefano Pepin) and Best Production Design (Jacqueline Abrahams...

Watch the ceremony live here.

The British Independent Film Awards for 2020 are taking place online tonight (February 18), hosted by Tom Felton.

Screen will be posting all the winners below on this page and on Twitter as they are announced; you can watch the live-streamed ceremony via YouTube below.

Scroll down for the winners.

The ceremony starts at 20.00 UK time and finishes at approximately 20.50.

Winners in the nine craft categories were revealed last month, with His House and Misbehaviour receiving two prizes each.

Saint Maud set a record total of 17 when nominations were announced in December, followed by His House with...

Watch the ceremony live here.

The British Independent Film Awards for 2020 are taking place online tonight (February 18), hosted by Tom Felton.

Screen will be posting all the winners below on this page and on Twitter as they are announced; you can watch the live-streamed ceremony via YouTube below.

Scroll down for the winners.

The ceremony starts at 20.00 UK time and finishes at approximately 20.50.

Winners in the nine craft categories were revealed last month, with His House and Misbehaviour receiving two prizes each.

Saint Maud set a record total of 17 when nominations were announced in December, followed by His House with...

This fun, vibrant drama about a young girl thrust into adulthood – led by a supercharged non-professional cast – bursts from the screen with creativity and passion

Follow our countdown of the 50 best films of 2020

The social-realist tag is so often the signal for something worthy and burdened with its own loyalty to grimness. Nothing could be further from the truth for this vibrant youth drama devised by Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson in collaboration with the mostly non-professional cast and directed by Sarah Gavron. It is bursting with vitality, creativity, passion and fun, and the young stars supercharge it with energy.

Newcomer Bukky Bakray plays an 11-year-old British-Nigerian girl in east London nicknamed Rocks, who has a smart kid brother, Emmanuel. Their mum is well meaning but has, as her outreach worker delicately puts it, issues managing her medication. One day she vanishes, leaving a note to Rocks telling her it...

The precursor season is underway folks, with today bringing the nominees for the British Independent Film Awards. The BIFAs, as they’re known, went hard for Saint Maud, which led the field, scoring 17 nominations for Rose Glass’ movie. Not fair behind, Remi Weekes’ His House received 16 citations, meaning that horror had a field day with this precursor. Also doing very well was Rocks from Sarah Gavron and Anu Henrique (15 nominations), Nick Rowland’s Calm With Horses (10 nods), and Florian Zeller’s The Father (six nominations). Within the International Film field, American movies like Never Rarely Sometimes Always and Nomadland were cited. It’s an overall interesting slate, so be sure to check out the list below… Here now are the British Independent Film Award nominations: Best British Independent Film Calm With Horses The Father His House Rocks Saint Maud Best Director Sarah Gavron, Rocks [Associate Director Anu Henriques] Rose Glass, Saint Maud Nick Rowland,...

Rose Glass’ psychological horror “Saint Maud” leads the charge at the 2020 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) with 17 nominations.

“Saint Maud” is up for best British independent film, screenplay and director, and also features in the debut categories — producer, director and screenwriter. Morfydd Clark is nominated for best actress and Jennifer Ehle for supporting actress. The film also features heavily in the technical categories.

Close behind is Remi Weekes’ “His House,” which contrasts asylum seekers’ real life horrors with those of the supernatural kind. It has 16 nominations across the director, screenplay, debut and technical categories, and acting nominations for Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù.

Elsewhere, “Rocks,” Sarah Gavron and Anu Henrique’s take on life as a marginalized British teen, has 15 nominations, including for stars Bukky Bakray, Kosar Ali and D’angleou Osei Kissiedu.

Nick Rowland’s “Calm With Horses” has 10 nominations while Riz Ahmed has four BIFA nominations this year,...

The 2020 British Independent Film Awards nominations were revealed Wednesday morning by British actors Holliday Grainger (“The Borgias”) and Micheal Ward (“Lovers Rock”). Leading the list of nominees this year is Rose Glass’ horror movie “Saint Maud” with an impressive 17 nominations. A24 has U.S. distribution rights, but canceled a spring 2020 release due to the pandemic. While the film managed to open in the UK, it has yet to grace stateside screens outside of film festivals.

Another horror movie, Remi Weekes’ refugee nightmare story “His House,” trails close behind with 16 nominations. That film is available to stream on Netflix. With 15 nominations is Sarah Gavron’s teen tale “Rocks.” “Calm with Horses,” titled in the U.S. as “The Shadow of Violence,” has 10 nominations, while “Mogul Mowgli” starring Riz Ahmed has seven. Florian Zeller’s Oscar hopeful “The Father,” with Anthony Hopkins, also is ahead of the pack with six nominations.

The Richard Harris Award,...

‘His House’, ‘Rocks’,‘Calm With Horses’, ‘The Father’ also achieve high totals.

Rose Glass’ horror Saint Maud has set a new record for most nominations for one film at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), with 17 nods.

The nominations were announced online this morning (Wednesday December 9) by actors Holliday Grainger and Micheal Ward.

Scroll down for the full list of nominations

Saint Maud received nominations in best British independent film, as well as for Glass in best director, screenplay, debut director and debut screenwriter.

Further nominations include breakthrough producer for Oliver Kassman, best actress for Morfydd Clark and best supporting actress for Jennifer Ehle.

An east London schoolgirl abandoned by her mother struggles to survive in this gritty yet irrepressible ensemble movie

What a wonderful, heart-breaking, life-affirming gem of a movie this is. Having proved a crowd-pleasing hit at the London film festival in October 2019 (how long ago that now seems!), this vibrant, insightful and deeply empathetic drama about teenage girls forging their identities in a potentially hostile world is grittily realistic, yet also fiercely optimistic. Boasting a terrific ensemble cast that showcases a host of talented newcomers, it’s exactly the film we need right now, pointing the way to a more positive future while looking the perils of the present day squarely in the eye.

Bukky Bakray is Shola, Aka Rocks – a force-of-nature 15-year-old east Londoner with a talent for makeup artistry, who returns home from school one day to discover that her depression-prone mother has abandoned her and her young brother...

Coming off the slick production values of Suffragette, Sarah Gavron’s latest film might seem like a step down. However, shot documentary verité with a cast of unknown actors, Rocks reveals itself to be one of the most genuine and earnest films of the year. With an authenticity that could only come from its commitment to realism.

Set in the council estates of inner-city London, the film follows teenager Olushola, or Rocks (Bukky Bakray) as she’s known amongst friends, trying to navigate the complexities of state school, building a future and caring for her younger brother Emmanuel (D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu) in the wake of her mother’s disappearance. Leaving Rocks with a little money and a hastily scribbled note it’s made explicitly clear that this is just the latest episode in the ongoing drama of Rocks’ life. It proves to be a tipping point though as she is...

Bukky Bakray as Rocks (blue denim) with her crew in the film. Sarah Gavron: 'I had a whole support structure in terms of harnessing that energy but I definitely lost my voice more than I've ever lost my voice on a shoot before' Photo: Courtesy of London Film Festival In the second part of our chat with director Sarah Gavron and writer Theresa Ikoko in San Sebastian about Rocks - which charts a teenage girl's attempts to hide the fact her mum has left her and her brother home alone and had its domestic premiere at London Film Festival. They talk about capturing the energy of their young cast on camera, which happened after a long-term series of workshops that saw them collaborate with their young cast, including stars Bukky Bakray, who plays Rocks, and D'angelou Osei Kissiedu, who stars as her younger brother Emmanuel. They also discuss how...

Bukky Bakray, centre, as Rocks. Theresa Ikoko: 'It was really a story about sisterhood and appreciation and the transformative power of that' Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival

Sarah Gavron's Rocks charts a week in the life of her resourceful teenage protagonist Shola, aka Rocks, (Bukky Bakray), who tries to hide the situation from the authorities after her mum abandons Rocks and her younger brother Emmanuel (D'angelou Osei Kissiedu) due to depression. The film is co-written by playwright-turned-screenwriter Theresa Ikoko, partially in tribute to her own sister, alongside TV writer Claire Wilson (The Little Drummer Girl). The result - which is screening at London Film Festival this week - is a feisty immersion into the lives of modern-day London teenage girls as Rocks turns to them for support, even as her attempts to protect Emmanuel begin to crumble.

There's a dedication at the end of the film to the young cast,...