AN EDUCATION Leads London Critics

by Sandy Mandelberger, North American Editor

AN EDUCATION, the 1960s-set drama by Danish director Lone Scherfig, led the pack at the announcement of the 30th London Film Critics’ Circle Awards nominations. The film scored seven nominations, including British Film of the Year and notices for actors Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike and Olivia Williams.


AN EDUCATION will compete for Best British film with the likes of Jane Campion’s BRIGHT STAR, Armando Iannucci’s IN THE LOOP, Andrea Arnold’s FISH TANK, and Duncan Jones’s MOON. Nominees for Best Film of the Year included such Oscar contenders as James Cameron’s AVATAR, Kathryn Bigelow’s THE HURT LOCKER, Jacques Audiard’s A PROPHET, Michael Haneke’s THE WHITE RIBBON and Jason Reitman’s UP IN THE AIR.


Additionally, the LFCC announced that they will award Quentin Tarantino its highest honor, the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Cinema, at their ceremony on February 18, 2010 at the Landmark Hotel in London.

2009 LONDON FILM CRITICS AWARDS NOMINATIONS

FILM OF THE YEAR

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

A Prophet

The White Ribbon

Up in the Air



THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR

Bright Star

An Education

Fish Tank

In the Loop

Moon



FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

The Class

Katyn

Let the Right One In

A Prophet

The White Ribbon

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Jacques Audiard – A Prophet

Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker

James Cameron – Avatar

Michael Haneke – The White Ribbon

Jason Reitman – Up in the Air


BRITISH DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Andrea Arnold – Fish Tank

Armando Iannucci – In the Loop

Duncan Jones – Moon

Kevin Macdonald – State of Play

Sam Taylor-Wood – Nowhere Boy


ACTOR OF THE YEAR

Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart

George Clooney – Up in the Air

Tahar Rahim – A Prophet

Michael Stuhlbarg – A Serious Man

Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds


ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Abbie Cornish – Bright Star

Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air

Mo’Nique – Precious

Carey Mulligan – An Education

Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia


BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR

Peter Capaldi – In the Loop

Colin Firth – A Single Man

Tom Hardy – Bronson

Christian MacKay – Me and Orson Welles

Andy Serkis – Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll


BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Emily Blunt – The Young Victoria

Helen Mirren – The Last Station

Carey Mulligan – An Education

Katie Jarvis – Fish Tank

Kristin Scott Thomas – Nowhere Boy