The San Francisco Film Critics Circle really went for the “The Tree of Life” naming it the Best Picture of 2011, its director Terrence Malick as Best Director and its lenser Emmanuel Lubezki as Best Cinematographer.
“Certified Copy,” Abbas Kiarostami’s thought-provoking, emotionally wrenching examination of relationships, art, and existence received the award for Best Foreign Language Film ; with Best Documentary nod given to “Tabloid,” Errol Morris’ unique take on a stranger-than-fiction tale that must be seen to be disbelieved.
A Special Citation for under-appreciated independent cinema singled out “The Mill and the Cross”—Lech Majewski’s distinctly original exploration of the inspiration for and creation of a Breugel painting—as an under-the-radar title deserving of attention.
The full list of winners for the 2011 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards:Best Picture
“The Tree of Life”
Best Director
Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”
Best Original Screenplay
J.C. Chandor, “Margin Call”
Best Adapted Screenplay
Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Best Actor
Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Best Actress
Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Best Supporting Actor
Albert Brooks, “Drive”
Best Supporting Actress
Vanessa Redgrave, “Coriolanus”
Best Animated Feature
“Rango”
Best Foreign Language Film
“Certified Copy”
Best Documentary
“Tabloid”
Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Tree of Life”
Special Citation for underappreciated independent cinema
The Mill and The Cross
Marlon Riggs Award for courage & vision in the Bay Area film community
National Film Preservation Foundation—Since 1997, the San Francisco-based nonprofit’s fundraising and grant-giving programs have supported the restoration and preservation of hundreds of rare U.S. films. Led by director Annette Melville and assistant director Jeff Lambert, the NFPF makes this cinematic legacy available to the public through its “Treasures” DVD box sets, including the 2011 release “The West, 1898-1938.”