Kathryn Bigelows Zero Dark Thirty has won Best Film at the 13th Annual Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards, held at the Railway Club in Vancouver on Jan. 7. Bigelows controversial account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden also earned Best Director, Best Actress (Jessica Chastain) and Best Screenplay (Mark Boal).
The remainder of the acting awards in the international category went to the cast of Paul Thomas Andersons The Master. The story of a lost soul falling in with a charismatic manipulator scored Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix), Best Supporting Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams). Leos Caraxs Holy Motors was named Best Foreign Language Film, while Malik Bendjellouls Searching For Sugar Man was selected as Best Documentary.
The locally-shot Beyond The Black Rainbow won three awards in the Canadian section, a feat equalled by Quebecs Rebelle (released internationally as War Witch). Black Rainbow, a mind-bending journey into a distorted reality, earned accolades for Best British Columbia Film, Best Director of a Canadian Film (Vancouver-based Panos Cosmatos) and Best Actor in a Canadian Film (Michael Rogers).
Meanwhile, Kim Nguyens soulful drama concerning a teenager turned unwilling guerrilla soldier won Best Canadian Film, Best Actress in a Canadian Film (Rachel Mwanza) and Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film (Serge Kanyinda). Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian film went to Sarah Gadon for Cosmopolis, while Nisha Pahujas The World Before Her won Best Canadian Documentary.
The evening also featured numerous tributes to the late Ian Caddell, the VFCCs cofounder who passed away in November after a lengthy battle with cancer. The recently rechristened Ian Caddell Award for Achievement was presented to Alan Franey, the longtime Festival Director of the Vancouver International Film Festival for his ongoing contributions to the British Columbia film industry.
The Vancouver Film Critics Circle is composed of Vancouver-based film writers and critics from print, radio, online and television.
A complete list of winners follows.
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
BEST FILM
Zero Dark Thirty
BEST ACTOR
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, The Master
BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
BEST SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Holy Motors
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Searching for Sugar Man
CANADIAN AWARDS
BEST CANADIAN FILM
Rebelle (a.k.a. War Witch)
BEST ACTOR IN A CANADIAN FILM
Michael Rogers, Beyond the Black Rainbow
BEST ACTRESS IN A CANADIAN FILM
Rachel Mwanza, Rebelle
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A CANADIAN FILM
Serge Kanyinda, Rebelle
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A CANADIAN FILM
Sarah Gadon, Cosmopolis
BEST DIRECTOR OF A CANADIAN FILM
Panos Cosmatos, Beyond the Black Rainbow
BEST CANADIAN DOCUMENTARY
The World Before Her
BEST BRITISH COLUMBIA FILM
Beyond the Black Rainbow
IAN CADDELL AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT
Alan Franey, Vancouver International Film Festival
