London Film Festival Awards: Certain Women wins best film at star-studded ceremony

After ten days of showcasing diverse and thought-provoking films, the 60^th edition of the BFI London Film Festival culminates with the much-anticipated award ceremony. The jury had a tough task as the 12 films running for Best Film Award all have something special to offer. The prize, however, was finally awarded to Certain Women, an understated but powerful account of life in rural Montana.

The Best First Feature Award was given to director Julia Ducournau for her film Raw, a coming-of-age tale that “shocked and surprised” the jury and ultimately won them over with its originality. As for the Best Documentary Award, it went to Mehrdad Oskouei’s Starless Dreams, an intriguing and humorous insight into a juvenile detention centre in Iran.

The top prize of the night, the BFI fellowship, was awarded to Steve McQueen, the youngest director to be honoured with this prestigious accolade. The award was presented to him by Michael Fassbender whose infamous collaborations with McQueen have always proven to be successful.

As anticipation built up on the red carpet, we caught up with host Michael Sheen, who shared his views on this year’s films and what he likes to see in movies. He also told us he’s about to shoot an exciting new picture with Ben Stiller in Montreal.

Finally, 9 Days – From My Window in Aleppo, directed by Issa Touma, Thomas Vroege and Floor van de Muelen, won the Best Short Film award.

Mersa Auda
Video: Filippo L’Astorina
Photos: Getty Images