SF Film Critics Circle Announces Awards

The San Francisco Film Critics Circle chose “Little Children” as its Best Picture of 2006. The group, made up of 23 film critics from around the Bay Area, gave Best Foreign Language Film honors to Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” in its annual year-end awards meeting Monday evening in downtown San Francisco. Best Director went to Paul Greengrass for “United 93.” And the Best Documentary award went to “An Inconvenient Truth,” directed by Davis Guggenheim.

Sacha Baron Cohen won Best Actor for his improvisational work as international news gatherer “Borat.” Helen Mirren was given Best Actress for her embodiment of Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears “The Queen.” Jackie Earle Haley won Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Little Children” as pedophile Ronald James McGorvey. “Babel’s” Adriana Barraza, was named Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of an anguished nanny caught the U.S.-Mexican border.

The group voted Rian Johnson’s stylized teen noir “Brick” as the Best Original Screenplay. The Best Adapted Screenplay was awarded to Todd Field and Tom Perrotta’s for “Little Children.”

One member of the SF Film Critics Circle, Arthur Lazere, passed away this year, and a Special Citation in his honor was given to the Romanian comedy “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu.”

The group’s Marlon Riggs Award, honoring a Bay Area filmmaker or individual who exhibits courage and innovation in the world of cinema, was given to Stephen Salmons, co-founder and artistic director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, for his work in creating what is now, in its 11th year, the nation’s largest annual display of silent films.

Members of the San Francisco Film Critics Circle are Jeff Anderson, San Jose Metro/Combustible Celluloid, Jeanne Aufmuth, Palo Alto Weekly, Rob Blackwelder, SPLICEDwire, Barry Caine, ANG Newspapers/Oakland Tribune, Peter Canavese, GrouchoReviews, Andrea Chase, Killer Movie Reviews/Movie Magazine, Cheryl Eddy, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Michael Fox, “j.” the Jewish news weekly of Northern California/SF Weekly, Susan Gerhard, SF360.org, Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle Dennis Harvey, Variety, Johnny Huston, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle, Glenn Lovell, KGO Radio, Carla Meyer, Sacramento Bee, Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News, Mary Pols, Contra Costa Times, Tim Sika, Celluloid Dreams, Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle, Kelly Vance, East Bay Express, Richard von Busack, San Jose Metro, Jan Wahl, Marinscope newspapers, KRON TV, KCBS radio, Jason Walsh, The Pacific Sun.

The complete list of San Francisco Film Critics Circle follows.
Best Picture: “Little Children”
Best Director: Paul Greengrass, “United 93”
Best Actor: Sacha Baron Cohen, “Borat”
Best Actress: Helen Mirren, “The Queen”
Best Supporting Actor: Jackie Earle Haley, “Little Children”
Best Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza, “Babel”
Best Screenplay, Original: Rian Johnson, “Brick”
Best Screenplay, Adapted: Todd Field/Tom Perrotta, “Little Children”
Best Foreign Film: “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Best Documentary: “An Inconvenient Truth”
Special Citation, in honor of Arthur Lazere: “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu”
Marlon Riggs Award: Stephen Salmons, co-founder and artistic director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival