Aftersun director Charlotte Wells hugs leading actor Paul Mescal after the film won THREE bangs and sparked an Oscar buzz at the 25th British Independent Film Awards
Writer-director Charlotte Wells was the prom queen when her film Aftersun won three top gongs at the 25th British Independent Film Awards in London on Sunday.
The 35-year-old later hugged leading actor Paul Mescal, 26, as they partied together backstage as the film continued to generate Oscar buzz.
The drama, which is Charlotte’s feature film debut, took home the awards for Best Independent Film, Best Directorial Debut and Best Screenplay at the star-studded ceremony.
Winner: Writer-director Charlotte Wells was the prom queen when her film Aftersun won three top gongs at the 25th British Independent Film Awards in London on Sunday
Scottish filmmaker Charlotte looked chic in a maroon suit, which she slipped over a marble-print shirt.
She wore her dark locks in a quirky bowl cut and proudly posed with her three awards.
The feature has caused quite a stir in the run-up to next year’s Academy Awards, with Yahoo and Variety describing it as “The Little Movie That Could.”
Beaming: The 35-year-old later hugged leading actor Paul Mescal, 26, as they partied together backstage, while the film is now creating Oscar buzz
Awards: The drama, Charlotte’s feature film debut, won Best Independent Film, Best Director’s Debut and Best Screenplay awards
Reunion: An award was presented by Daisy Edgar-Jones (LR), Dais Edgar-Jones, Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio and Paul’s Normal People co-star Charlotte Wells
WINNER OF BIFA 2022
Best British Independent Film – AFTERSUN (Charlotte Wells, Barry Jenkins, Mark Ceryak, Adele Romanski, Amy Jackson)
Best Director sponsored by Sky Cinema – CHARLOTTE WELLS (Aftersun)
Best Actress – ROSY McEWEN (Blue Jeans)
Best Supporting Actress – KERRIE HAYES (Blue Jeans)
Best Joint Lead – TAMARA LAWRANCE, LETITIA WRIGHT (The Silent Twins)
Best Ensemble Performance – OUR RIVER… OUR SKY (Ensemble with Zainab Joda, Darina Al Joundi, Amed Hashimi, Mahmoud Abo Al Abbas, Basim Hajar, Labwa Arab, Meriam Abbas, Siham Mustafa)
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) sponsored by BBC Film – CHARLOTTE WELLS (Aftersun)
Best International Independent Film Funded by Champagne Taittinger – THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD (Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar, Thomas Robsahm)
Breakthrough Performance sponsored by Netflix – SAFIA OAKLEY-GREEN (The Origin)
Best Screenplay – Aftersun (Charlotte Wells)
Best Debut Director – Documentary – KATHRYN FERGUSON (Nothing Compares)
The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Film by an Actor – SAMANTHA MORTON
The film has already received awards at the Cannes Film Festival and festivals in Melbourne, Zurich, Munich and Sarajevo.
Charlotte was joined on the red carpet by young actress Frankie Corio, who also stars in the film, and awards panel member Hayley Atwell.
The drama follows 12-year-old Sophie (Frankie) as she goes on a melancholic vacation with her father, Calum (Paul).
Beaming: She was overburdened with the marble prices
Smart: Scottish filmmaker Charlotte looked dapper in a maroon suit, which she layered over a marble-printed shirt
Whimsical: She wore her dark locks in a quirky bowl cut and proudly posed with her three awards
Famous friends: Charlotte (left) was joined by Hayley Atwell (right), the award judge
The official synopsis reads, “Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a vacation she took with her father twenty years earlier.”
“Recollections, true and imagined, fill in the blanks as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t know.”
Charlotte’s is a writer, director and producer whose short films have screened at festivals around the world.
Speech! Charlotte gave a speech as she walked to the podium to accept her award
Chic: Hayley (left), who made a chic character, presented her with the Best Director award
Happy like Larry: young actress Frankie Corio, who also plays in the film, looked over happily
Her second film, titled Laps, won the Special Jury Prize for Editing for Short Films at the Sundance Film Festival and Special Jury Recognition for Narrative Shorts at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival.
Charlotte told the Financial Times of the film, “I used the term ’emotionally autobiographical’ early on and it’s haunted me ever since.”
“There is no question that my relationship with my father was the starting point for capturing the warmth and love of that relationship in the context of the grief I experienced and perhaps didn’t fully process when I was a teenager. The film came about as an attempt to understand something for yourself and to articulate a feeling.”
Stars: The drama follows 12-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) as she embarks on a melancholic vacation with her father, Calum (Paul Mescal).