Hunger and In Bruges vying for awards

'In Bruges' and 'Hunger' have been nominated for seven British Independent Film Awards each, while 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' has been shortlisted for three.

'Hunger', a film about the IRA hunger strikers by the Turner Prize-winning artist Steve McQueen, has been nominated for Best British Independent Film, Director, Debut Director, Screenplay (McQueen and Enda Walsh), Actor (Michael Fassbender), Supporting Actor (Liam Cunningham) and Technical Achievement (Cinematography).

'In Bruges' has been nominated for Best British Independent Film, The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director, Best Screenplay (both Martin McDonagh), Best Actor (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson), Best Supporting Actor (Ralph Fiennes) and Best Technical Achievement (Editing).

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

Grimsby-born Turgoose 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' 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, 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 nominations for Best Supporting Actor, for 'In Bruges' and his role in 'The Duchess'.

Emma Thompson is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for 'Brideshead Revisited' and Samantha Morton is shortlisted 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 James Nesbitt, will take place on 30 November in London.

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