Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest dominates at London Critics’ Circle Film Awards

Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar-nominated drama The Zone of Interest reigned supreme at this year’s London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, securing the coveted Film of the Year title along with accolades for director and technical achievement. At the same event, Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers also triumphed, bagging three prizes, including the Attenborough Award for British/Irish Film of the Year. Andrew Scott’s performance in Haigh’s film earned him the Actor of the Year award, while Paul Mescal was recognised as British/Irish Performer for his work across several films in 2023.

Emma Stone clinched the Actress of the Year for her role in Poor Things, and supporting performance awards went to Da’Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers and Charles Melton for May December, both of whom expressed their gratitude through videotaped messages. Screenwriters Justine Triet and Arthur Harari were present to accept their award for Anatomy of a Fall, and Mstyslav Chernov received the Documentary of the Year honour for 20 Days in Mariupol. The Foreign-Language Film of the Year nod was given to Celine Song’s Past Lives, and Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron marked the inaugural winner of the new Animated Film award.

Jeffrey Wright was honoured with the prestigious Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film, with American Fiction director Cord Jefferson presenting the accolade. The Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation was introduced to Colman Domingo via a pre-recorded ceremony. Both Wright and Domingo have earned Oscar nominations this year for their performances in American Fiction and Rustin, respectively.

The ceremony also celebrated breakthrough talents, with Mia McKenna-Bruce taking home the Breakthrough Performance award for How to Have Sex, and the film’s writer-director Molly Manning Walker winning the Philip French Award for British/Irish Breakthrough Filmmaker. Additional British/Irish winners included young performer Lola Campbell for Scrapper, and Natalie Cubides-Brady, director of the short film The Veiled City.

The Critics’ Circle Film Awards, now in their 44th year, are determined by the votes of the 210-member Film Section of the Critics’ Circle, the UK’s oldest and most prestigious critics’ organisation. Films released in UK cinemas or on premiere streaming services between mid-February 2023 and mid-February 2024 were eligible for consideration.

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For more information, visit the Critic’s Circle Awards website.

Full list of winners:

FILM OF THE YEAR sponsored by Nyman Libson Paul
The Zone of Interest (A24)

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

Past Lives (StudioCanal)

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
20 Days in Mariupol (Dogwoof)

ANIMATED FILM OF THE YEAR
The Boy and the Heron (Elysian)

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR sponsored by Reddit
Jonathan Glazer – The Zone of Interest (A24)

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Justine Triet & Arthur Harari – Anatomy of a Fall (Picturehouse)

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Emma Stone – Poor Things (Searchlight)

ACTOR OF THE YEAR sponsored by Cinemadix
Andrew Scott – All of Us Strangers (Searchlight)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Don Julio 1942
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers (Universal)

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Charles Melton – May December (Sky)

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR sponsored by MetFilm
Mia McKenna-Bruce – How to Have Sex (Mubi)

THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD: BRITISH/IRISH FILM OF THE YEAR
All of Us Strangers (Searchlight)

THE PHILIP FRENCH AWARD: BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH/IRISH FILMMAKER
Molly Manning Walker – How to Have Sex (Mubi)

BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR (for body of work) sponsored by Seesaw Media
Paul Mescal – All of Us Strangers (Searchlight), God’s Creatures (BFI), Foe (Metfilm), Carmen (Miracle)

YOUNG BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
Lola Campbell – Scrapper (Picturehouse)

BRITISH/IRISH SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR
The Veiled City – Natalie Cubides-Brady, director

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Zone of Interest – music & sound, Mica Levi & Johnnie Burn (A24)

THE DILYS POWELL AWARD: EXCELLENCE IN FILM
Jeffrey Wright

THE DEREK MALCOLM AWARD FOR INNOVATION
Colman Domingo