The nation’s critics have spoken. The members of the Dublin Film Critics Circle have, for the 11th year, selected their favourite works of 2017. In common with many awarding bodies, Dunkirk was a clear favourite, as was Christopher Nolan, who was named Best Director. Second placed Get Out polled strongly in the Best Film category, with a tally that, numerically, would have won any of the previous annual polls.
The biggest landslide victory, however, was scored by Emer Reynolds’ The Farthest, which was named Best Documentary. The same film was cited for Kate McCullough’s cinematography and Reynolds’ direction. Across all categories, it received votes from more than 90 percent of critics.
The FarthestSanctuary was named Best Irish Feature Film, pipping The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Cardboard Gangsters and Handsome Devil at the post.
The Dublin Film Critics Circle once again demonstrated its eclecticism by long-listing some 45 films for Best Screenplay: Jordan Peele was ultimately (and emphatically) victorious against the spread.
Barry Keoghan was named Breakthrough Artist of the year; other Irish nominees shortlisted for the award included Emer Reynolds, Caoilfhionn Dunne, and Tom Ryan.
SanctuaryDespite an extended deadline to accommodate Star Wars: The Last Jedi, that film received just one vote across all categories: for Steve Yedlin’s cinematography. Star Wars: The Force Awakens placed joint fifth for Best Film in 2015.
As voted for by DFCC members: Aedin Gormley, Áine O’Connor, Ben O’Reilly, Brian Lloyd, Brogen Hayes, Cara O’Doherty, Celina Murphy, Chris Wasser, Daniel Anderson, Darren Mooney, David Turpin, Declan Burke, Deirdre Molumby, Donald Clarke, Esther McCarthy, Gavin Burke, Gordon Hayden, Graham Day, Hilary White, Jason Coyle, John Maguire, Kevin Fennell, Lisa Cannon, Michael Doherty, Niall Murphy, Nicola Timmons, Paul Whitington, Roe McDermott, and Dublin Film Critics Circle president Tara Brady.
Scannain contributors are highlighted in orange.
Dublin Film Critics Circle Poll 2017
BEST FILM
Dunkirk
Get Out
Moonlight
Blade Runner 2049
Manchester By The Sea
Wind River
The Florida Project / Call Me By Your Name
La La Land
Logan / God’s Own Country
Jackie / Lady Macbeth
Runners up: The Handmaiden, Aquarius, Paddington 2
BEST DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Julia Ducournau, Raw/ Emer Reynolds, The Farthest
Yorgos Lanthimos, The KIlling of a Sacred Deer / Paul Verhoeven, Elle
Pablo Larraín, Jackie
Sean Baker, The Florida Project
James Mangold, Logan
Runners up: Pat Collins, Song of Granite; James Franco, The Disaster Artist; Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman
BEST IRISH FEATURE FILM
Sanctuary
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Cardboard Gangsters / Handsome Devil
Song of Granite
Pilgrimage
Twice Shy
Maze
The Drummer and the Keeper
In View
Halal Daddy
Runners up: Property of the State, The Man Who Invented Christmas, A Dark Song
BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Farthest
I Am Not Your Negro
It’s Not Yet Dark
Condemned to Remember
Whitney: Can I Be Me
Meetings with Ivor
Kedi / An Inconvenient Sequel
City of Ghosts
Dancer / Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect
The Work / Cameraperson / The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
Runners up: Casting JonBenet, Jane, Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press, The Prince of Nothingwood
BEST ACTOR
James Franco, The Disaster Artist
Barry Keoghan, The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Robert Pattinson, Good Time
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
Denzel Washington, Fences / James McAvoy, Split
Armie Hammer, Call Be My Your Name
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Hugh Jackman, Logan
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight / John Connors, Cardboard Gangster
Runners up: Ryan Gosling, Blade Runner 2049; Andy Serkis, War for the Planet of the Apes; Sherwan Haji, The Other Side of Hope; Adrian Titieni, Graduation
BEST ACTRESS
Natalie Portman, Jackie / Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Sally Hawkins, Maudie
Florence Pugh, Lady Macbeth
Sonia Braga, Aquarius
Viola Davis, Fences / Emma Stone, i
Garance Miller, Raw
Kristen Stewart, Personal Shopper
Ruth Negga, Loving
Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes
Cynthia Nixon, A Quiet Passion / Anne Hathaway, Colossal
Runners up: Annette Bening, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool; Zoe Kazan, The Big Sick; Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane
BEST SCREENPLAY
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Taylor Sheridan, Wind River / Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The Sea
Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani, The Big Sick
Park Chan-wook, Chung Seo-kyung, The Handmaiden
Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou, The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Rebecca Blunt, Logan Lucky / Armando Iannucci, The Death of Stalin
Damien Chazelle, La La Land / Makoto Shinkai, Your Name
Terence Davies, A Quiet Passion
Runners up: Hampton Fancher, Michael Green, Blade Runner 2049, James Gray, The Lost City of Z; Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, The Florida Project
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049
Hoyte Van Hoytema, Dunkirk
Chung Chung-hoon, The Handmaiden
Linus Sandgren, La La Land
David Mullen, The Love Witch
Alexis Zabe, The Florida Project
Kate McCullough, The Farthest
Richard Kendrick, Song of Granite
Ben Richardson, Wind River / Stéphane Fontaine, Jackie
Thimios Bakatakis, The Killing of a Sacred Deer / Philippe Le Sourd, The Beguiled
Runners up: James Laxton, Moonlight; Michael Seresin, War for the Planet of the Apes; Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Call Me by Your Name
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR: SHORTLIST
Barry Keoghan, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Dunkirk (Winner)
Brooklynn Prince, The Florida Project
Caoilfhionn Dunne, In View
Dafne Keen, Logan
Emer Reynolds, The Farthest
Florence Pugh, Lady Macbeth
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Julia Ducournau, Raw
Sunny Pawar, Lion
Tom Ryan, Twice Shy