The Oscars aren’t the only awards being handed out tonight; The Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards, established in 2006, took place on the closing Sunday of the Festival, presenting accolades for Best Film, Director, Irish Film and Documentary amongst others. The Critics this year named ‘Sing Street’’s Ferdia Walsh Peelo as recipient of the Michael Dwyer Discovery Award, and writer of ‘Viva’ Mark O’Halloran as recipient of the inaugural George Byrne Maverick Award.
Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s ‘Mustang’ was named as Best Film; Lucile Hadžihalilović, who attended the Festival screening of ‘Evolution’ was named as Best Director; Best Cinematography went to Matyas Erdely for ‘Son of Saul’ .
“2016 marks the DFCC’s tenth birthday and we can think of no better present this this year’s tremendous ADIFF programme,” said DFCC chair, Tara Brady. “We hope everybody loves our award picks as much as we do. We’re especially pleased to hand over the inaugural George Byrne Maverick Award to Mark, who has greatly enlivened our national cinema by thinking, as George did, outside the box. Thanks as ever to all the heroic jurors: Nicola Timmons, Brogen Hayes, David Turpin, Paul Whitington, Donald Clarke, John Maguire and Daniel Anderson.”
Best Film: ‘Mustang’
Best Director: Lucile Hadzihalilovic, ‘Evolution’
Best Cinematography: Matyas Erdely, ‘Son of Saul’
Best Actor: Alex Lawther, ‘Departure’
Best Actress: Monica Bellucci, ‘Ville Marie’
Best Ensemble: ‘Green Room’
Best Screenplay: Jaco Van Dormael, Thomas Gunzig, ‘The Brand New Testament’
Best Documentary: ‘Heart of a Dog’
Best Irish Film: ‘Viva’
Best Irish Documentary: ‘Atlantic’
Jury Award: ‘Black Mountain Poets’
Jury Award: ‘Victoria’
Jury Award: ‘Anomalisa’
Michael Dwyer Discovery: Ferdia Walsh Peelo, ‘Sing Street;
George Byrne Lifetime Achievement: Mark O’ Halloran