Indies at BIFA, Thanksgiving Turkey With All the Fixings
by Zoe Strimpel
Mon, 19 Nov 2007 at 7:51 PM
updated Mon, 19 Nov 2007 at 7:53 PM
The British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) come after repeated successes for British cinema. They take place on November 28 in Camden, north London, hot on the heels of the highly praised London Film Festival and the largely sold-out Korean and Jewish Film Festivals.
The function of the BIFAs is not to burrow deep into the undiscovered world of low-budget, PR-less indie movies. According to the definition of the awards' co-director, Johanna Von Fischer (who is, ironically, American), "British independent" is a broader term than one might think. It can mean some, a lot of, or no big-studio involvement. And the movie just has to have something British about it — a producer or the setting, for example — to tick the "British" box.
Whereas the film festival did what festivals do, namely, show truly obscure gems alongside bigger movies, the BIFA advisory board seems to have nominated relatively big-name films. There are "Notes on a Scandal" and "Eastern Promises" for Best Film and Anne Hathaway for Best Actress in "Becoming Jane" — mainstream films, all of which came up trumps in the box office. But the film with the most nominations across all categories is Anton Corbijn's "Control," a black-and-white biopic about the lead singer of Joy Division, the late Ian Curtis. "Hallam Foe" is another smaller-scale effort with something of a cult following, about a teenage Scottish boy trying to get over his mother's death, which his desired, beautiful step-mother may have had a role in bringing about.
Neither Ms. Fischer nor the head of Material Entertainment, a London-based production company, Robert Jones, say they can pinpoint a thematic or qualitative shift in the films up for awards this year. New tax rebates for filming and the opening of London, Mr. Jones said, have not led to more London-based films. For example, he said, "Eastern Promises," David Cronenberg's thriller set in London, would have had to be filmed here regardless of other factors because that's what the screenplay dictates. That it was easier to carry out than it would have been in recent years is a bonus.
One change that Mr. Jones notes is that independent filmmakers are becoming "more aware of their audience." This, he explains, means becoming more commercial and more aware of whom they are speaking to. Hard-core indie followers may find this a travesty, but Mr. Jones, who produced Stephen Frears's "Dirty Pretty Things," says it may not be a bad thing. Certainly, this year's BIFA nominees have audience-pulling power.
***
Thanksgiving in London this year was a quirky and highly amusing treat. Of course, there is no time off here for the holiday (indeed, it is only occasionally mentioned, usually with a chuckle), so any celebrations had to happen this past weekend. The one I was invited to was a gorgeous and very well-researched yearly banquet, an homage to the host's years living and working in San Francisco.
There were three Americans, a Romanian, and six Brits (seven, including the toddler). And the spirit was unabashedly American, a rare moment in liberal north London townhouses. Little American flags decked the tables and sailed in salt pots, and there were several papier-mâché turkey sets on bookshelves. The squash soup, enormous kosher turkey, and all the fixings were present in American-style quantities and were all delicious. Where our dinner may have segued from the American version was in the quantity of alcohol consumed. The Americans avoided slugging it back, but by the second course, all the Brits were howling for more. The table — which had been covered in wine bottles since our arrival and pre-lunch snacks — boasted several bottles of red, white, and bubbly. Spirits rose, and in true British style, rapier wits emerged, culminating in a game of raucous Trivial Pursuit. I'm not sure I ever remember laughing so hard at a Thanksgiving dinner. I also can't remember drinking quite so much at one. Thanks be to the British.
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