"British film isn't about tea, biscuits and the royal family"

The 8th annual British Independent Film Awards has unveiled its 2005 nominees, celebrating every conceivable kind of independent movie made in Britain. Three films in particular got BIFA’s juices flowing: first-time director Laurence Dunmore’s grungy Restoration drama The Libertine and Stephen Frears’ period romp Mrs Henderson Presents, which both received eight nominations, and Fernando Meireilles’ ace John Le Carre adaptation The Constant Gardener, which garnered seven nominations.

“When British films succeed, I think they are among the best in the world,” Elliot Grove, organiser and founder of the BIFAs and the Raindance Film Festival, tells totalfilm.com. “British film isn’t always tea, biscuits and the royal family. Because Britain is so multicultural, you get so many films made here that aren’t made in English.”

So with all this great talent on home shores, why does Grove think Brit films (at least those not made by Working Title or Aardman) fail to ignite the box office? Elliot blames UK audiences, who often won’t go to Brit flicks unless they get the Yank seal of approval. “New British films are greeted with applause in Europe and America but we tend to only go and see a British film if it makes it big in the States. Which saddens me because British filmmaking is known elsewhere as some of the most exciting in the world.”

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That’s why Grove’s long-running mission is to make the BIFAs one of the biggest and best film awards ceremonies in the UK. “This is it, the aim of the awards is to turn some of our wonderful British actors into stars,” he says. “This year we’re acknowledging Tilda Swinton with the Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution to the craft. She’s been in so many films but this is her turn to be recognised.”

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