The nominations for this year's British Independent Film Awards have been announced.  Leading the pack with eight nominations is Tom Hooper's critically acclaimed The King's Speech.  The film has already won the top prize at the Toronto Film Festival and the Hamptons Film Festival.  The King's Speech was nominated for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Colin Firth), Best Supporting Actor (Geoffrey Rush), and Best Supporting Actress (Helena Bonham Carter).  With the kind of buzz this film is picking up, don't be surprised to see these nominations mirrored at the Oscars.  For those who don't know, the film centers on King George VI's (Firth) struggles to overcome a speech impediment after his unexpected ascension to the throne in 1936.

The horror film Monsters, Mark Romanek's touching drama Never Let Me Go, the sharp terrorist satire Four Lions, and Matthew Vaughn's dark superhero comedy Kick-Ass were also nominated for Best British Independent Film.  While it wasn't nominated for the top prize, the The Arbor, which is a biopic of playwright Andrea Dunbar, racked up six nominations.  Hit the jump for a list of the nominees.  Winners will be announced on December 5th.

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM

  • Four Lions
  • Kick-Ass
  • The King's Speech
  • Monsters
  • Never Let Me Go

BEST DIRECTOR

  • Mike Leigh – Another Year
  • Matthew Vaughn – Kick-Ass
  • Tom Hooper – The King's Speech
  • Gareth Edwards – Monsters
  • Mark Romanek – Never Let Me Go

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]

  • Debs Gardner Paterson – Africa United
  • Clio Barnard – The Arbor
  • Rowan Joffe – Brighton Rock
  • Chris Morris – Four Lions
  • Gareth Edwards – Monsters

BEST SCREENPLAY

  • Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Simon Blackwell, Christopher Morris – Four Lions
  • Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn – Kick-Ass
  • David Seidler – The King's Speech
  • William Ivory – Made In Dagenham
  • Alex Garland – Never Let Me Go

BEST ACTRESS

  • Manjinder Virk – The Arbor
  • Ruth Sheen – Another Year
  • Andrea Riseborough – Brighton Rock
  • Sally Hawkins – Made In Dagenham
  • Carey Mulligan – Never Let Me Go

BEST ACTOR

  • Jim Broadbent – Another Year
  • Riz Ahmed – Four Lions
  • Colin Firth – The King's Speech
  • Scoot McNairy – Monsters
  • Aidan Gillen – Treacle Junior

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  • Lesley Manville – Another Year
  • Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech
  • Rosamund Pike – Made In Dagenham
  • Keira Knightley – Never Let Me Go
  • Tamsin Greig – Tamara Drewe

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

  • Kayvan Novak – Four Lions
  • Guy Pearce – The King’s Speech
  • Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech
  • Bob Hoskins – Made In Dagenham
  • Andrew Garfield – Never Let Me Go

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER

  • Manjinder Virk – The Arbor
  • Andrea Riseborough – Brighton Rock
  • Tom Hughes – Cemetery Junction
  • Joanne Froggatt – In Our Name
  • Conor McCarron – Neds

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION

  • The Arbor
  • In Our Name
  • Monsters
  • Skeletons
  • Streetdance 3D

RAINDANCE AWARD

  • Brilliant Love
  • Jackboots On Whitehall
  • Legacy
  • Son Of Babylon
  • Treacle Junior

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

  • The Arbor – Sound – Tim Barker
  • Brighton Rock – Cinematography – John Mathieson
  • The Illusionist – Animation – Sylvain Chomet
  • The King’s Speech – Production Design – Eve Stewart
  • Monsters – Visual Effects – Gareth Edwards

BEST DOCUMENTARY

  • The Arbor
  • Enemies of the People
  • Exit Through the Gift Shop
  • Fire In Babylon
  • Waste Land

BEST BRITISH SHORT

  • Baby
  • Photograph Of Jesus
  • Sign Language
  • Sis
  • The Road Home

BEST FOREIGN FILM

  • Dogtooth
  • I Am Love
  • A Prophet
  • The Secret In Their Eyes
  • Winter’s Bone