December 15, 2008
The San Francisco Film Critics Circle has named "Milk" as the Best Picture of 2008. In a tie, Sean Penn's performance in the title role of "Milk" shared Best Actor honors with Mickey Rourke, the lead of "The Wrestler." Best Original Screenplay honors also went to "Milk," written by Dustin Lance Black, while veteran director Gus Van Sant collected Best Director for "Milk."
The San Francisco Film Critics Circle (SFFCC), which includes twenty-four Bay Area film critics, also honored "Happy-Go-Lucky"'s Sally Hawkins in the Best Actress category. Best Supporting Actor honors went to Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight," and Best Supporting Actress to Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler."
Best Adapted Screenplay was awarded to Peter Morgan for bringing to the screen his hit play "Frost/Nixon." The Best Cinematography award went to Wally Pfister for his groundbreaking work on "The Dark Knight."
The San Francisco critics picked "My Winnipeg" as the year's Best Documentary, Guy Maddin's "docu-fantasia" about his hometown and the individual nature of memory. Best Foreign Language Picture went to Tomas Alfredson's "Let the Right One In" ("Låt den rätte komma in"), a Swedish vampire picture and coming-of-age story.
Lastly, the group presented its Marlon Riggs Award, honoring a Bay Area filmmaker or individual who represents courage and innovation in the world of cinema, to filmmaker Rob Nilsson. The award recognizes Nilsson's distinctive series 9@NIGHT, nine thematically connected films produced independently in San Francisco Bay Area communities.
The full list of winners for the 2008 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards follows.
Best Picture
"Milk"
Best Director
Gus Van Sant, "Milk"
Best Original Screenplay
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
Best Adapted Screenplay
Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"
Best Actor
TIE: Sean Penn, "Milk"
TIE: Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
Best Actress
Sally Hawkins, "Happy Go Lucky"
Best Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"
Best Supporting Actress
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"
Best Foreign Language Film
"Let the Right One In"
Best Documentary
"My Winnipeg"
Best Cinematography
Wally Pfister, "The Dark Knight"
Marlon Riggs Award for courage & vision in the Bay Area film community
Rob Nilsson, filmmaker, in recognition of his 9@NIGHT series of films
