Three of the films nominated for the annual British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) are made by filmmakers from the South West.

Leaving by Bristol's Omni Productions and Christmas With Dad, directed by Bristol- based Conor McCormack, are both nominated for Best British Short, while the critically acclaimed Mugabe and the White African, made by Stroud-based Arturi Films, is up for Best Documentary.

The strong showing by local filmmakers bodes well for iFeatures, the new digital feature film initiative launched by South West Screen at the Colston Hall last week.

Rachel Drummond-Hay, the producer of Leaving, said: "To be recognised at such a high level in the British film industry is a huge achievement for the whole team.

"We are working towards the production of our first feature film and we really hope that this acknowledgement by BIFA helps us on our journey to create more drama."

Leaving has already won first prize at the TCM classic shorts competition in 2008, the Silver Dragon at the Krakow Film Festival, Best Film from the South West at Encounters and the Fuji Award for Best Cinematography.

Christmas with Dad is the only documentary in the short film category this year. It follows 23-year-old AJ as he and his family prepare for the festive season and the arrival of an eighth child.

Mugabe and the White African is the story of how farmer Mike Campbell took Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe to court for racism and won the case, but who suffered violence and abuse as a result of his courage.

The film has garnered rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic and has been selected for an Oscar-qualifying screening at the International Documentary Association's 13th annual documentary showcase in Los Angeles and New York.

BIFA 2009 will take place at The Brewery in London on Sunday, December 6.