Critics’ Circle Film Awards 2018: Three Billboards Proves Its Strength Again

Yesterday, the Critics’ Circle Film Awards were hosted in the May Fair Hotel in central London and the new Martin McDonagh film has proven again why it’s the front runner in the Oscar race. The film itself was named as Film Of The Year while Frances McDormand took the award home for Best Actress Of The Year. Director McDonagh was recognised as Best Screenwriter.

McDonagh didn’t win the award for Best Director but losing from Sean Baker (The Florida Project) is absolutely no shame. The Florida Project might not have made it onto the Oscar shortlist but it was deservedly recognized by the London critics.

While McDormand won the award for Best Actress, Timothée Chalamet took the price home for Best Actor for his great acting in Call Me By Your Name. The awards in the supporting roles went to Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) and Hugh Grant (Paddington).

There was also a lot of praise for new upcoming talent. First-time writer-director Francis Lee got the award for Breakthrough Filmmaker for his God’s Own Country while Harris Dickinson was awarded as the Young British/Irish Performer Of The Year for his gripping performance in Beach Rats. The Dilys Powell Award, the Critics’ Circle’s highest career-achievement honour, went to Kate Winslet.

This is the full list of winners:

• Film of the Year: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Director of the Year: Sean Baker (The Florida Project)
• Actress of the Year: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
• Supporting Actress of the Year: Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread)
• Actor of the Year: Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)
• Supporting Actor of the Year: Hugh Grant (Paddington 2)
• Screenwriter of the Year: Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
• British/Irish Film of the Year: Dunkirk
• British/Irish Actress of the Year: Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water ; Maudie ; Paddington 2)
• British/Irish Actor of the Year: Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
• Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker of the Year: Francis Lee (God’s Own Country)
• Young British/Irish Performer of the Year: Harris Dickinson (Beach Rats)
• British/Irish Short Film of the Year: We Love Moses (director: Dionne Edwards)
• Foreign Language Film of the Year: Elle
• Documentary of the Year: I Am Not Your Negro
• Technical Achievement of the Year: Dennis Gassner (production design for Blade Runner 2049)
• Dilys Powell Award: Kate Winslet