December 21, 2023: For the first time in its history, the Florida Film Critics Circle awarded an animated film its top prize: The Boy and the Heron won Best Picture. Hayao Miyazaki’s first film in a decade, a somber, fiercely felt meditation on loss and its ripple effects, also secured Best Animated Film and Best Score for Joe Hisaishi’s compositions. 

Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon also earned three awards, including Best Ensemble and Best Actress for Lily Gladstone as the Osage woman at the center of a horrifying conspiracy; Celine Song’s debut Past Lives snagged two awards for Best First Film and Best Original Screenplay. As did May December, which picked up wins for Todd Haynes for Best Director and Charles Melton for Best Supporting Actor.

Voters spread the wealth among acting winners. Franz Rogowski won Best Actor for his role in Passages as the most chaotic bisexual man in recent film. Rachel McAdams took Best Supporting Actress for Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Other awards included Best Documentary to Frederick Wiseman’s Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros, Best Cinematography to John Wick: Chapter 4’s Dan Laustsen, Best Visual Effects to Godzilla Minus One and Anatomy of a Fall for Best International Film. Despite boasting the most nominations, Oppenheimer failed to sway Florida Film Critics Circle members in the final round of voting.

The Golden Orange, awarded to outstanding contributions to film by a Floridian, went to D. Smith and her documentary Kokomo City, depicting the lives of four Black trans sex workers.

About Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC)

Founded in 1996, the Florida Film Critics Circle is an organization of writers from Florida-based print and online publications. The FFCC strives toThe  recognize outstanding work in film, further the cause of good movies, and maintain the highest level of professionalism among film critics in Florida.

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BEST PICTURE: The Boy and the Heron
RUNNER-UP: May December

Best Actress: Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
RUNNER-UP: (TIE) Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall and Emma Stone, Poor Things

Best Actor: Franz Rogowski, Passages
RUNNER-UP: Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Best Supporting Actress: Rachel McAdams, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
RUNNER-UP: Da’vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Best Supporting Actor: Charles Melton, May December
RUNNER-Up: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

Best Ensemble: Killers of the Flower Moon
RUNNER-UP: Asteroid City

Best Director: Todd Haynes, May December
RUNNER-UP: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Best Original Screenplay: Celine Song, Past Lives
RUNNER-UP: Wes Anderson, Asteroid City

Best Adapted Screenplay: Tony McNamara, Poor Things
RUNNER-UP: Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Cinematography: Dan Laustsen, John Wick: Chapter 4
RUNNER-UP: Hoyte van Hoytema, Oppenheimer

Best Visual Effects: Godzilla Minus One
RUNNER-UP: (TIE) The Creator & Oppenheimer

Best Art Direction/Production: Asteroid City
RUNNER-UP: Poor Things

Best Score: Joe Hisaishi, The Boy and the Heron
RUNNER-UP: Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer

Best Documentary: Menus-Plaisir – Les Troisgros
RUNNER-UP: The Eternal Memory

Best International Film: Anatomy of a Fall
RUNNER-UP: The Zone of Interest

Best Animated Film: The Boy and the Heron
no clear runner-up

Best First Film: Celine Song, Past Lives
RUNNER-UP: A.V. Rockwell, A Thousand and One

Breakout Award: Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
RUNNER-UP: (TIE) Charles Melton, May December and Celine Song, Past Lives

Golden Orange: D. Smith – Kokomo City
RUNNER-UP: Alex Mechanik, May December