December 18, 2008 – The Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) has named Slumdog Millionaire its Best Picture of 2008. The film, about a young man in Mumbai whose life of crushing poverty provides the answers he needs on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, won a total of three awards, including Best Director (Danny Boyle) and Best Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy).

Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler received two awards: Mickey Rourke won Best Actor for his portrayal of a former wrestling superstar whose personal life is a mess, and Marisa Tomei won Best Supporting Actress for her turn as the stripper who tries to help him. The Best Actress award went to Melissa Leo for her role as a single mother in Frozen River, and the late Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor honors for his stunning performance in The Dark Knight. Also winning for The Dark Knight was Wally Pfister for his cinematography.

In other awards,  the Swedish vampire pic Let The Right One In won Best Foreign Language Film, Wall*E won Best Animated Film by a huge margin and Man on Wire, about a Frenchman who walked a tightrope between the World Trade Center Towers in 1974, won Best Documentary.

The Pauline Kael Breakout Award went to Martin McDonagh, the writer/director of In Bruges. The Golden Orange Award, given for outstanding contribution to film, went to Dick Morris of the Sarasota Film Society, who has been a tireless champion of foreign, independent and alternative film and whose efforts have been seen in independent theaters and film festivals all over Florida for decades.

Founded in 1996, the Florida Film Critics Circle is comprised of 13 writers from state publications. Dan Hudak of the Miami Sun Post has served as chairman since March 2008.

Best Film:

Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director:

Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor:

Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

Best Actress:

Melissa Leo – Frozen River

Best Supporting Actor:

Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

Best Supporting Actress:

Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler

Best Screenplay:

Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire

Best Animated Film:

WALL•E

Best Cinematography:

Wally Pfister – The Dark Knight

Best Documentary Film:

Man on Wire

Best Foreign Language Film:

Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in) – Sweden

Pauline Kael Breakout Award:

Martin McDonagh (writer/director) – In Bruges

Golden Orange for Outstanding Contribution to Film:

Dick Morris and the Sarasota Film Society, who has been a tireless champion of foreign, independent and alternative film and whose efforts have been seen in independent theaters and film festivals all over Florida for decades.