London Film Critics' Circle

The London Film Critics' Circle is the name by which the Film Section of the The Critics' Circle is known internationally.

The word London was added because it was thought the term Critics' Circle Film Awards lacked meaning — for people in LA for example — and the Film Section wished its annual Awards to be recognised on film advertising, especially in the United States, and in production notes.

The Critics' Circle, founded in 1913, is an association for working British critics. Film critics first became eligible for membership of the Circle in 1926. The Film section now has more than 120 members drawn from publications and the broadcasting media throughout the United Kingdom.

Film section members of the Critics' Circle will have worked as a critic or have written or broadcast informed analytical features or programmes about film for British publications and media for at least a year, their income mostly derived from reviewing and writing about film.

Critics' Circle Film Awards

The Critics' Circle Film Awards, instituted in 1980 and known for several years as the ALFS, are awarded annually by the Film section of the Critics' Circle.

Voted for by all members of the Film section, the Awards have become a major event in London, presented at a dinner dance held in a large West End hotel. Since 1995 they have been a charity event in aid of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

Past winners include Meryl Streep, Peter Sellers, James Mason, Susan Sarandon, John Travolta, Sean Connery, Steven Spielberg, Billy Bob Thornton, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Sean Penn, Julianne Moore, Julie Walters, Michael Caine, Emma Thompson, Kevin Spacey, Woody Allen and Paul Scofield.

Award categories

Over time the Award categories have gradually changed, some added, some dropped. For some categories this means that winners were not necessarily declared or listed in each of the Awards year.

In 2007, following widespread objection from the Irish public, Filmmakers and Actors at being nominated for 'Best British' awards it was decided in the interest of political correctness and Ireland's National integrity that Irish filmmakers, actors and all involved in the Irish Film Industry would be eligible for awards which do not have the word 'British' in the title. To that end the titles of several of the awards were amended to exclude the word 'British'.

The Attenbrough Award now goes to the best 'British' and/or 'Irish' film of the year, while the two British Supporting Actor awards lost the word 'British' from their title so that 'British' and 'Irish' actors in supporting roles are eligible.

From 2007 the Newcomer Award was divided into two Breakthrough Awards, one for Acting, the other for Filmmaking. Previously filmmakers and actors had competed against each other for the Newcomer award.

Awards

Linked to Film section listings of winners, the past and present Award categories include:

Film of the Year ^[1]
Foreign Language Film of the Year ^[2]
Director of the Year ^[3]
Screenwriter of the Year ^[4]
Actor of the Year ^[5]
Actress of the Year ^[6]
International Newcomer of the Year ^[7]
Special Awards ^[8]
The Attenborough Award for the Best British or Irish Film of the Year ^[9]
British Director of the Year ^[10]
British Screenwriter of the Year ^[11]
British Producer of the Year ^[12]
British Technical Achievement of the Year ^[13]
British Actor of the Year ^[14]
British Actress of the Year ^[15]
Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role ^[16]
Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role ^[17]
The Dilys Powell Award ^[18]
British Newcomer of the Year (now divided into two Breakthrough awards for Acting and Filmmaking) ^[19]