London Critics Circle Awards move to January in 2012

The London Critics Circle Awards will move ahead to bestow honors several months earlier next year.  Announcement via press release:

London – Thursday 6 October 2011 – Britain’s leading film critics have today announced that their 32nd awards ceremony will be held on 19 January 2012, bringing the annual event earlier in the awards calendar than in previous years. The awards will be held at BFI Southbank, hosted by¬¬¬¬ broadcaster and Chairman of The Critics’ Circle Film Section Jason Solomons, and are expected to attract a host of well-known British and international film talent.

Since its first edition in 1980, these awards have become one of the most anticipated and glamorous ceremonies in the annual film calendar. In recent years guests and award winners have included Quentin Tarantino, Carey Mulligan, Sienna Miller, Martin Scorsese, Daniel Craig, James McAvoy, Vanessa Redgrave, Sir Michael Caine, Kevin Spacey, Emma Thompson, Marion Cotillard, Lord Attenborough, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett and Albert Finney. Last year’s ceremony was no exception and drew a star-studded red carpet with guests including Colin Firth, Aaron Sorkin, Sam Taylor-Wood, Rosamund Pike, Mike Leigh and Dilys Powell Award recipient, Kristin Scott Thomas.

Next year’s competition is set to draw an equally stellar line up. Winners of awards for Film of the Year, Director of the Year, Actor / Actress of the Year will all be voted for by the UK’s leading film critics. Last awards show saw international hits The Social Network and The Fighter scoop awards alongside a wealth of British films including The King’s Speech, Another Year and Neds.

The Critics’ Circle Film Section will be voting the following categories:

• Film of the Year
• The Attenborough Award: British Film of the Year
• Foreign Language Film of the Year
• Documentary of the Year
• Director of the Year
• The Virgin Atlantic Award for Breakthrough British Film-Maker
• The Sky 3D Award for Technical Achievement
• Actor of the Year
• Actress of the Year
• British Actor of the Year
• The Moët Award for British Actress of the Year
• Supporting Actor of the Year
• Supporting Actress of the Year
• Screenwriter of the Year
• Young British Performer of the Year
• Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film

Chairman of The Critics’ Circle Film Section, Jason Solomons, comments:

“This date shift will further underline the distinctive choices of winners and nominees that make The London Critics’ Circle Film Awards stand out from the crowd, highlighting certain films, performances and achievements that may be overlooked by other awards events.

I am also delighted to be joining with BFI Southbank’s legendary venue for a second year, cementing our awards’ position at the very heart of British film culture, heritage and industry. We would like to thank Virgin Atlantic for joining as headline sponsor, illustrating their support for the best and newest in film.”

This year’s edition of the Critics’ Circle Film Awards will again be in aid of their charity partner, the BFI National Archive, to help with the preservation and restoration of British film, in particular Hitchcock’s nine silent features, as part of the BFI’s landmark ‘Rescue the Hitchcock 9’ campaign.

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About The Critics’ Circle
Established in 1913, The Critics’ Circle is the oldest organisation of its kind in the world, with more than 400 members who work in the UK media as critics of drama, art and architecture, music, film and dance. The Film Section has more than 120 voting members working as film critics, journalists and broadcasters, and has presented its awards annually since 1980.

About the BFI
The BFI is the lead body for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive by:

• Connecting audiences to the widest choice of British and World cinema
• Preserving and restoring the most significant film collection in the world for today and future generations
• Championing emerging and world class film makers in the UK
• Investing in creative, distinctive and entertaining work
• Promoting British film and talent to the world
• Growing the next generation of film makers and audiences

The BFI Southbank is open to all. BFI members are entitled to a discount on all tickets. BFI Southbank Box Office tel: 020 7928 3232. Unless otherwise stated tickets are £9.50, concs £6.75 Members pay £1.50 less on any ticket. Website www.bfi.org.uk/southbank

Tickets for FREE screenings and events must be booked in advance by calling the Box Office to avoid disappointment

BFI Filmstore
The BFI Filmstore is stocked and staffed by BFI experts with over 1,200 book titles and 1,000 DVDs to choose from, including hundreds of acclaimed books and DVDs produced by the BFI.

There’s more to discover about film and television through the BFI. Our world-renowned archival collections, cinemas, festivals, films, publications and learning resources are here to inspire you.

About The Hitchcock 9
Rescue the Hitchcock 9 is the BFI’s £2 million fundraising campaign to enable the BFI’s ambitious project to restore and preserve Alfred Hitchcock’s nine surviving silent films and stage screenings for new audiences to enjoy with newly commissioned live music scores launched as part of the London 2012 Festival.

Hitchcock’s early films are among the finest achievements of British silent cinema. His subsequent films refined his techniques of stunning visual composition, richly cinematic storytelling linked to dramatic invention, which are uniquely Hitchcock.

The surviving nitrate materials for these films bear the marks of natural wear and tear over the decades. New digital techniques mean that the BFI’s team of technical experts are now in a position to restore scratched and damaged negatives and produce much improved viewing copies.

The BFI are actively seeking more funds to complete the restorations and to enable once in a lifetime events in 2012, from Hitchcock devotees, film lovers or anyone who cares about our cultural history. Even small amounts to help the BFI reach its target and members of the public who would like to save an important and historic film can contribute by visiting www.bfi.org.uk/saveafilm

About the Sponsors
The Critics’ Circle would like to thank all sponsors: Virgin Atlantic are new headline sponsor and sponsor of the Breakthrough British Film-Maker category, Sky 3D are sponsor of new Sky 3D Award for Technical Achievement, Moët & Chandon are the Official Champagne sponsor and sponsor of the Moët Award for British Actress of the Year, Audi are the Official Car of the Awards and Chilli UK are the new Official Design Agency. Also with special thanks to Cameo ProductionsLTD.