The Houston Film Critics Society (of which I am a member) held their 12th annual awards ceremony last night at Museum of Fine Arts Houston, celebrating the best (and worst) that 2018 had to offer, cinematically.
The Favourite, the latest film from director Yorgos Lanthimos, won big at the ceremony, taking home awards for Best Picture, Best Screenplay for Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, and Best Supporting Actress for Rachel Weisz. Alfonso Cuaron’s latest, Roma, also made quite a splash, taking home Best Director and Best Cinematography, both for Cuaron, as well as Best Foreign Language film.
“We are thrilled to honor such a creative and entertaining film,” said Joshua Starnes, President of HFCS on the Best Picture winner. “The Favourite uses a broad visual approach, and a deep appreciation for its characters, to rethink the costume drama. Who would have thought a movie about royals could be so fun?”
The society also honored the best of Texas filmmaking with their Texas Independent Film Award (TIFA), with Henry Dunham’s The Standoff at Sparrow Creek receiving the coveted award for best film made in Texas, while filmmaker Andrew Bujalski took the TIFA Visionary Award for Support the Girls.
The HFCS is comprised of over 30 critics and film journalists working in and around Houston and San Antonio, Texas whose work collectively reaches millions of readers across the state, country, and globe while actively promoting film culture in Houston and Texas. The awards are chosen by the members of the society during a nomination and voting period in December.
“For the Houston Film Critics Society, the annual awards presentation culminates our year-long commitment to interpret and review achievements we experience on the screen,” Starnes said. “This year’s Oscar-style awards presentation celebrated the achievements of the year in the manner those honors deserve. The evening was Houston at its best.”
2018 Houston Film Critics Society Award Winners
Best Picture: The Favourite
Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Best Actor: Christian Bale, Vice
Best Actress: Toni Collette, Hereditary
Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
Best Screenplay: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite
Best Cinematography: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Best Animated Film: Isle of Dogs
Best Documentary: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Best Foreign Language Film: Roma
Best Score: Nicholas Britell, If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Song: “Shallow,” A Star Is Born
TIFA Feature: The Standoff at Sparrow Creek
TIFA Visionary Award: Andrew Bujalski, Support the Girls
Best Poster: BlacKkKlansman
Best Visual Effects: First Man
Best Worst Film: The Happytime Murders
