The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) made Sean Ellis’ Metro Manila, a Philippines-set and -shot Tagalog language film, the biggest winner at this year’s awards.
The film is the UK’s submission for the Foreign Language Oscar. The Philippines submitted Hannah Espia’s Transit.
Metro Manila picked up two of the event’s big gongs, Best Film and Best Director, as well as the more nebulous Best Achievement in Production gong. The awards are not the film’s first. It picked up an Audience Award from its Sundance premiere and a Best Film gong at the Hamburg IFF.