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image captionRocks was made by a mostly female crew and cast
A film that cast unknown east London schoolgirls in most of its main roles has been honoured with five prizes at the British Independent Film Awards.
Rocks won best British independent film, and one of its stars, Kosar Ali, 17, was named both best supporting actress and most promising newcomer.
Rocks got glowing reviews when it came out last year and is now on Netflix.
Its other winners included D Angelou Osei Kissiedu, who was just seven when he played little brother Emmanuel.
He was named best supporting actor, with a seven-decade age gap between him and the winner of the best actor award - Sir Anthony Hopkins, 83, who was recognised for playing a man struggling with dementia in The Father.
Rocks: Cast of unknowns wins big at British Independent Film Awards iwradio.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from iwradio.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
What follows is a raw and hopeful coming-of-age story, powered by a dynamic debut performance from Bakray.
Following her victory, Ali told the
PA news agency the film had made her “understand myself as a person as well as an actor”.
She added: “Before this whole experience I never thought I would be who I am today, winning awards and even pursuing this acting career.”
NME about the film, Bakrya said: “It’s often said that the Black mundane experience wouldn’t be interesting in this industry. In order for it to be a worthy Black experience it would have to be an insane struggle, something overdramatised for the audience to engage with. But the small stuff is what’s truly special.”
The 23rd British Independent Film Awards took place virtually on Thursday night and a host of celebrities appeared via video link to celebrate the occasion.
Zendaya, 24, and Priyanka Chopra, 38, were among some of the glam attendees who presented at the awards.
Actress Zendaya wore a graphic print top under a blazer, while Priyanka opted for a statement layered oversized white shirt.
Showbiz: Zendaya (pictured) and Priyanka Chopra appeared via video link to present at the 23rd British Independent Film Awards on Thursday
Bringing the glam: Priyanka Chopra Jonas presented Best Director to Remi Weekes
The Best British Independent Film was awarded to coming-of-age drama Rocks by Zendaya.
Rocks And His House Triumph At The British Independent Film Awards empireonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from empireonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.