1 JENNIFER KENT
Writer/director, The Babadook
The Babadook “will scare the hell out of you”, said Exorcist director William Friedkin of the startling debut feature from Australian actor-turned-writer/director Jennifer Kent. Expanding on the template of her short film Monster, The Babadook is steeped in the traditions of the Brothers Grimm, brilliantly teasing out themes of guilt and grief while delivering genuinely spine-tingling chills.
2 AMMA ASANTE
Director, Belle
Having made waves with 2004’s awards-winning A Way of Life, British film-maker Amma Asante conquered America this year with her second directorial feature, Belle, a Manx-made movie that wrapped a discussion of slavery and sexual inequality in the palatable costume of an Austen-esque period drama. The results were eye-opening, insightful, entertaining and uplifting, with Asante’s direction confident and assured, establishing her as a bold international cinematic voice. No wonder Oprah Winfrey is such a fan.
3 JACK O’CONNELL
Actor, Starred Up; ’71
Starring roles in the prison drama Starred Up and the tense Troubles thriller ’71 established the fiercely energetic Jack O’Connell as one of Britain’s hottest homegrown talents. Blessed with the physicality and intensity of a young Malcolm McDowell, O’Connell first caught the audience’s eye in This Is England and the TV series Skins. Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken, in which he stars, opens in the UK on Boxing Day.
4 STEPHEN BERESFORD
Screenwriter, Pride
Actor and playwright Stephen Beresford’s screenplay for Pride recounted the unlikely allegiance in 1984-5 between striking Welsh miners and out-and-proud gay Londoners. Enhancing this true-life tale with just the right amount of dramatic invention, Beresford created a sturdy structure for one of the year’s most riotously feelgood, flag-waving dramas – a celebration of unity in the face of a common enemy.
5 LUPITA NYONG’O
Actor, 12 Years a Slave
An astonishingly mature, forthright portrayal of the beleaguered Patsey in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave earned big-screen newcomer Lupita Nyong’o an Academy award for best supporting actress in March. Nyong’o subsequently bagged a key role in JJ Abrams’s forthcoming Star Wars reboot The Force Awakens, which looks set to be a surefire blockbusters for next year’s Christmas season.
6 MICA LEVI
Composer, Under the Skin
Musician and sonic explorer Mica Levi (aka Micachu) conjured her first film soundtrack for Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin. It’s an astonishing piece of work that lurks in the strange otherworld between score and sound effects – a brooding, scraping, pulsing aural undertow that perfectly accompanies the on-screen weirdness. A screening of the film with a live performance of Levi’s music at London’s Royal Festival Hall in June was one of the highlights of 2014.
7 DIEGO QUEMADA-DíEZ
Writer/director, The Golden Dream
Having served his apprenticeship on Ken Loach’s Land and Freedom, Spanish-born film-maker Diego Quemada-Díez co-wrote and directed The Golden Dream, a harrowing, heartbreaking account of young people making the perilous journey from Guatemala to the US. Inspired by the harsh, real-life recollections of hundreds of migrants, it’s a hugely impressive debut feature.
8 GUGU MBATHA-RAW
Actor, Belle
This rising star had worked extensively in TV and earned stage plaudits for playing Ophelia opposite Jude Law’s Hamlet before landing her breakout lead role in Amma Asante’s Belle. As Dido Elizabeth Belle, Mbatha-Raw is utterly mesmerising, bringing to life a character full of mysterious contradictions and historical intrigue. A subsequent starring role in Beyond the Lights has been hailed as “incandescent” by the Hollywood Reporter.
9 CHADWICK BOSEMAN
Actor, Get on Up
The Mick Jagger-produced James Brown biopic Get on Up boasted a screenplay by the Butterworth brothers, but it’s rising star Chadwick Boseman who really puts the funk into the film. Having previously made his mark playing baseball player Jackie Robinson in 42, Boseman comes into his own with a performance that exudes charisma and raw energy.
10 AGATA TRZEBUCHOWSKA
Actor, Ida
Topping many critics’ lists of 2014’s best films, Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida introduced film-goers to Agata Trzebuchowska, an extraordinary screen presence with no previous acting experience who describes her casting as entirely “accidental”. “I find it impossible to analyse its impact on my life,” Trzebuchowska has said of her work in the movie. Her impact on audiences, however, is evident and powerful.
