11 Film and TV projects involving Scottish filmmaking talent and a community cinema are among the nominees at this year’s British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs). (Full list below)
Edinburgh-based director Louis Paxton’s The Incomer (pictured above) is nominated in four categories including The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director), Best Debut Screenwriter, Best Costume Design and Best Effects.
California Schemin’ James McAvoy’s directorial debut was nominated for Best Joint Lead Performance through its stars Seamus McLean Ross and Samuel Bottomley. Meanwhile McAvoy’s co-star in upcoming drama Faith, Erin Doherty was nominated in the Best Lead Performance category, for her role in the film. Both California Schemin’ and Faith were produced by Glasgow-based producer Danny Page (Homefront Productions and Blazing Griffin).
Sunny Dancer directed by George Jaques and produced by Edinburgh-based Ken Petrie (27Ten Productions) was nominated in two categories for Best Music Supervision and Best Ensemble Performance, for the film’s cast which includes Scottish actor Daniel Quinn-Toye alongside The Celebrity Traitors stars Bella Ramsey and James Blunt.
Black Church Bay producer Alex Polunin is nominated in the Breakthrough Producer category, with the film also received a Best Debut Screenwriter nomination for Rhys Marc Jones.
Birds of War, produced by Edinburgh-based Sonja Henrici (Sonja Henrici Creates) is nominated in Best Debut Feature-Feature Documentary category, alongside Super Nature, produced by Glasgow-based Beth Allan.
Elsewhere in documentary Glasgow-based director Felipe Bustos Sierra’s Everybody to Kenmure Street , produced by Glasgow-based Ciara Barry (barry crerar) it is nominated alongside All Rivers Spill Their Stories to the Sea produced by Edinburgh-based producer Nadja Lepcevic (Varda Pictures).
Extra Geography, co-produced by Edinburgh-based Wendy Griffin is nominated for Best Lead Performance, Breakthrough Performance, Best Casting and The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) for Molly Manners.
Produced by Edinburgh-based Nadira Murray (Sylph Productions), The Education of Jane Cumming is nominated for Best Joint Lead Performance for Flora Nicholson, Clare Dunne and Mia Tharia.
Alongside the film awards, Bo’ness-based Hippodrome Cinema is nominated in the Cinema of the Year category.
Craft winners will be announced on BIFA’s social channels on Tuesday 24 November. All other winners will be revealed at the Roundhouse on Sunday 6 December 2026.
Best Lead Performance
Erin Doherty (Faith)
Best Ensemble Performance
Sunny Dancer
Best Joint Lead Performance
California Schemin’ (Seamus McLean Ross/Samuel Bottomley
The Education of Jane Cumming (Flora Nicholson/Clare Dunne/Mia Tharia)
Extra Geography (Marni Duggan/Galaxie Clear)
Breakthrough Performance
Galaxie Clear (Extra Geography)
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)
Molly Manner (Extra Geography)
Louis Paxton (The Incomer)
Best Debut Screenwriter
Rhys Marc Jones (Black Church Bay)
Louis Paxton (The Incomer)
Best Debut Director- Feature Documentary
Birds of War
Super Nature
Breakthrough Producer
Alex Polunin (Black Church Bay)
Best Feature Documentary
All Rivers Spill Their Stories to the Sea
Everybody to Kenmure Street
Best Casting
Lucy Pardee (Extra Geography)
Best Costume Design
Sarah Blenkinsop (The Incomer)
Best Effects
Daniel Morris (The Incomer)
Best Music Supervision
Phil Canning (Sunny Dancer)
Cinema of the Year
The Hippodrome Cinema
More information
Image credits
Still from The Incomer credit Anthony Dickenson, images courtesy of Universal Pictures.
Still from Sunny Dancer credit Colin J Smith, courtesy of SUNNY DANCER Distribution Limited.
Still from All Rivers Spill Their Stories to the Sea credit Andy Martin.
Still from Faith courtesy of Homefront Productions.
Still from Super Nature courtesy of Forest of Black.