The National Board of Review (NBR) just announced this year’s winners. The Social Network swept the major awards, winning Best Film, Best Director (David Fincher), Best Actor (Jesse Eisenberg) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin). The rest of the winners were evenly distributed, with acting honors going to Lesley Manville (Best Actress, Another Year), Christian Bale (Best Supporting Actor, The Fighter), Jacki Weaver (Best Supporting Actress, Animal Kingdom), Jennifer Lawrence (Breakthrough Performance, Winter’s Bone) and the cast of The Town (Best Ensemble Cast).

In the other categories, the top films included Of Gods and Men (Best Foreign Language Film), Waiting for “Superman” (Best Documentary) and Toy Story 3 (Best Animated Feature). Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington were named Best Debut Directors for their acclaimed documentary, Restrepo, while another duo, Sylvain Chomet and Jacques Tati, picked up the Spotlight Award for The Illusionist.

Chris Sparling garnered Best Original Screenplay for his claustrophobic work on Buried. The Special Filmmaking Achievement Award was given to Sofia Coppola for her writing-directing-producing work on Somewhere. Veteran film critic Leonard Maltin was honored with the William K. Everson Film History Award, and the NBR Freedom of Expression went to three socially-conscious works: Fair Game, Conviction and Howl. In addition, Dante Ferretti won the Production Design Award for his work on Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island.

The annual NBR awards gala will take place in New York City on January 11, 2011. “The NBR screened over 250 films this year, from big studios to small independents, and I think our winners reflect the diversity and goal of the organization, which is to honor excellence in filmmaking,” says NBR President Annie Schulhof. “ We look forward to celebrating with all our talented honorees on the evening of January 11th and are very pleased to welcome back last year’s host Meredith Vieira.”

Other categories honored by NBR included:

Ten Best Films:
(in alphabetical order)

Another Year
The Fighter
Hereafter
Inception
The King’s Speech
Shutter Island
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

Five Best Foreign-Language Films:
(in alphabetical order)

I Am Love
Incendies
Life, Above All
Soul Kitchen
White Material

Five Best Documentaries:
(in alphabetical order)

A Film Unfinished
Inside Job
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Restrepo
The Tillman Story

Top Ten Independent Films:
(in alphabetical order)

Animal Kingdom
Buried
Fish Tank
The Ghost Writer
Greenberg
Let Me In
Monsters
Please Give
Somewhere
Youth in Revolt

For more information on NBR, please go to http://www.nbrmp.org/.

Share: