Miami, FL - The Florida Film Critics Circle has released their 2018 award winners with The Favourite earning the top spot of Best Picture. Garnering a total of nine nominations, the dark comedy set in early 18th century England also won Best Ensemble and Best Art Direction/Production Design. Can You Ever Forgive Me, based on Lee Israel's memoir, won two awards including Melissa McCarthy for Best Actress and Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty for Best Adapted Screenplay. It also was a runner-up in the Best Supporting Actor Category for Richard E. Grant losing out to Steven Yeun in the South Korean mystery, Burning.
Best Actor went to Joaquin Pheonix for his portrayal of veteran Joe in the thriller, You Were Never Really Here while Best Supporting Actress was awarded to Sakura Ando in Shoplifters. While First Man was nominated in eight categories it only managed to win one award for Justin Hurwitz's score. Claire Foy was also recognized for the film as runner-up for Best Supporting Actress. The critically acclaimed Roma also only won one award for Director Alfonso Cuaron and was runner-up in two categories - Best Cinematography and Best Foreign Language Film.
The quirky comedy, Eighth Grade, about those awkward, hormone-fueled, middle school years saw accolades for both Director/Writer Bo Burnham and star Elsie Fisher winning Best First Film and Breakout award respectively. Burnham was recognized as runner-up in the Best Original Screenplay as well.
The Florida Film Critics Circle is dedicated to preservation and promotion of the Florida Film industry and each year bestows the Golden Orange to a film, actor or organization that they feel embodies the spirit of Florida in filmmaking. This Year they are pleased to award the Golden Orange on Alexa Lim Haas for Agua Viva. The short-which follows a Chinese manicurist in Miami attempts to describe feelings she doesn't have the words for-was written, directed, and animated by Lim Haas, and is currently being developed into a feature film.
The complete list of winners and runner-ups can be found below.
The Florida Film Critics Circle is an organization of 26 writers from Florida-based print and online publications. Founded in 1996, the FFCC strives to recognize outstanding work in film, further the cause of good movies, and maintain the highest level of professionalism among film critics in Florida. Hans Morgenstern of IndieEthos.com and Miami New Times has served as chair of the organization since May of 2018.
FFCC Award Winners
BEST PICTURE
The Favourite
Runners-up: No clear runner-up
BEST ACTOR
Joaquin Phoenix - You Were Never Really Here
Runners-up: No clear runner-up
BEST ACTRESS
Melissa McCarthy - Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Runner-up: Toni Collette - Hereditary
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Steven Yeun - Burning
Runner-up: Richard E. Grant - Can You Ever Forgive Me?
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Sakura Ando - Shoplifters
Runner-up: Claire Foy - First Man
BEST ENSEMBLE
The Favourite
Runner-up: Support the Girls
BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuarón - Roma
Runner-up: Lynne Ramsay - You Were Never Really Here
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Boots Riley - Sorry to Bother You
Runner-up: Bo Burnham - Eighth Grade
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty - Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Runner-up: Barry Jenkins - If Beale Street Could Talk
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Łukasz Żal - Cold War
Runner-up: Alfonso Cuarón - Roma
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Annihilation
Runner-up: Avengers: Infinity War
BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Favourite
Runner-up: Paddington 2
BEST SCORE
Justin Hurwitz - First Man
Runner-up: Nicholas Britell - If Beale Street Could Talk
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Shirkers
Runners-up: No clear runner-up
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Shoplifters
Runner-up: Roma
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Mirai
Runner-up: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse
BEST FIRST FILM
Eighth Grade - Bo Burnham
Runners-up: No clear runner-up
BREAKOUT AWARD
Elsie Fisher - Eighth Grade
Runner-up: Thomasin McKenzie - Leave No Trace
GOLDEN ORANGE
Alexa Lim Haas - Agua Viva.
