Following a four-hour voting session, the New York Film Critics Circle awarded its Best Film prize to Warner Bros.’ One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. This win adds to the film’s accolades after receiving top honors at the Gotham Awards the previous night.
Warner Bros. had a successful showing at the NYFCC, collecting four awards in total. Besides Best Film, Benicio Del Toro took home Best Supporting Actor for his role in One Battle After Another, while Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Weapons. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners also snagged the award for Cinematography.
The voting process, which began early in the day, is known for being thorough among the critics’ group of over 50 members. Historically, the NYFCC has been an influential predictor for Oscar nominations and winners, but it hasn’t matched the Academy’s choice for Best Picture since The Artist in 2011. This year might prove different as the awards season progresses.
Best Director honors went to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident. Panahi has faced significant challenges, as he was recently sentenced to a year in prison and banned from travel. Despite these setbacks, he received the Best Screenplay award at the Gotham Awards, dedicating it to filmmakers who cannot share their work. His story sheds light on the struggles many artists face under restrictive conditions.
Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, which previously won multiple awards at Cannes, was named Best International Film, with Wagner Moura taking home the Best Actor award.
The first NYFCC award of the day was presented to Carson Lund for Best First Film with Eephus, a touching story about adult men playing baseball on the last day before their cherished field is demolished.
Notably, Benicio Del Toro won his second NYFCC award after clinching Best Actor for Traffic in 2000, which also earned him an Oscar. This year, Del Toro’s win further solidifies his status as a leading talent in the industry.
While last year’s NYFCC Best Picture winner, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, also received recognition at the Oscars, the correlation between the NYFCC and the Academy Awards can vary.
Winners:
- Best Film: One Battle After Another
- Best Director: Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident
- Best Actor: Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
- Best Actress: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
- Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan, Weapons
- Best Screenplay: Marty Supreme by Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein
- Best Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters
- Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners
- Best Non-Fiction Film: My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow
- Best International Film: The Secret Agent
- Best First Film: Carson Lund, Eephus
- Student Prizes: London Xhudo (Undergraduate, NYU) and Tan Zhiyuan (Graduate, The New School)
- Special Prizes: Museum of Moving Image, Screen Slate
As we watch these films and performances garner recognition, it’s important to remember that they not only entertain but also reflect societal issues, struggles, and triumphs. This awards season promises to shine a light on fresh talent and significant narratives.
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New York Film Critics Circle,One Battle After Another
