Saoirse Ronan won the best actress prize for her role in tearjerker “Brooklyn” at the Moet British Independent Film Awards (BIFAS).

    The 21-year-old Irish actress, who plays a young Irish immigrant in the film, is widely tipped to get an Oscar nomination next year.

    Picking up the award at Sunday night’s ceremony in London, Ronan revealed that she had met the film’s producers at the same awards two years ago.

    “‘Brooklyn’ began at the BIFAS for me,” she said.

    In the film she plays Eilis Lacey, a young woman from rural Ireland in the 1950s, who has to leave her home to find job opportunities and a future in the United States.

    For Ronan herself the film was particularly personal. Her parents were migrants to the United States in the 1980s and she was later born in New York.

    “I got an amazing role to play. I was given the opportunity to honor a journey and a story that’s very close to me,” she said during her acceptance speech.

    Ronan beat Carey Mulligan, Marion Cotillard, Charlotte Rampling and Alicia Vikander to win the best actress prize.

    Speaking backstage, she said the film had achieved a “universality” since its release. “A lot of people related to it because everyone’s left home and felt that way.” (SD-Agencies)