MetFilm Proudly Sponsors London Critics’ Circle Film Awards 2023

On Sunday 5 February, MetFilm joined the wider screen industry at The May Fair Hotel for the 2023 London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, a night celebrating the ‘best in film’, according to the UK’s longest-standing critics’ organisation. 

In attendance were stars including Florence Pugh, Cate Blanchett, Bill Nighy, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Martin McDonagh and Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle. 

At the ceremony, MetFilm sponsored and presented the Philip French Award for Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker, which went to Charlotte Wells, writer and director of the Oscar and BAFTA-nominated Aftersun.  

The Philip French Award

Renamed in 2016 to honour film critic – and member of the London Film Critics’ Circle – Philp French, the Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker award was the perfect accolade for MetFilm School to show their support to.  

As Jonny Persey (MetFilm Director) explained: 

‘It was such a privilege and honour for us to sponsor this award, and to be a part of the 43rd London Film Critics Awards – it was so inspiring for us to be in a room with such incredible talent, and a committed circle of film lovers and analysts who have devoted their lives to the betterment of this fine craft we all hold dear. 

I suspect that there were MetFilm School graduates working on a great number of the nominated films, and it was with that in mind that we were keen to sponsor a category which is all about breaking through into the industry. 

All the nominees were deserving of praise, and we were delighted for Charlotte Wells for her win, in recognition of her and her team’s incredible achievement with Aftersun.’ 

Paul Mescal, lead actor of Aftersun (whose performance earnt him his first Oscar nomination), accepted the award on behalf of Charlotte Wells. 

Paul Mescal and Frankie Corrio, stars of Charlotte Wells’s debut feature, Aftersun 

The London Critics’ Circle Film Awards

The big winners from the night were Todd Field’s Tár and Martin McDonagh’s Banshees of Inisherin. The former picked up Film of the Year, as well as Actress of the Year for Cate Blanchett (which she has previously won in 1998 for Elizabeth, and in 2013 for Blue Jasmine), and Director of the Year for Todd Field. 

McDonagh’s Banshees won The Attenborough Award for British/Irish Film of the Year, Screenwriter of the Year, and a trio of acting awards: Actor of the Year for Colin Farrell, Supporting Actress of the Year for Kerry Condon, and Supporting Actor of the Year for Barry Keoghan, all first-time recipients of these awards. 

At the end of the ceremony, Michelle Yeoh was honoured with the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film, and her six-minute speech touched on what this award meant to her. She spoke of her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once, and her personal surprise and joy at having been offered such a substantial part: 

‘I saw in [my character] a hero’s journey that so many women, wives, mothers and daughters go through. But what I had most in common with her, is that she never gave up. Not on love, not on kindness, and most of all, never on family.’ 

Making the moment even more memorable, Yeoh was presented the award by Danny Boyle, who directed her in the 2007 psychological-thriller Sunshine. ‘Danny Boyle,’ she mentioned in her speech, ‘you will always be the sunshine of my life’. 

Michelle Yeoh, star of Everything Everywhere All At Once 

MetFilm School in the wider awards

While at the Awards, we were proud to find MetFilm School graduates also in attendance, such as MA Producing graduate Guy Horlock. On top of studying at our London campus, Guy also completed an internship with MetFilm Production, and was at the Awards for his role as Associate Producer on All That Breathes, which was nominated for Documentary of the Year. 

MetFilm School graduates have worked on a number of films nominated at this year’s award season, and the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards were no exception:  

• Samuel Hayes (BA Practical Filmmaking): Second Assistant Camera on The Banshees of Inisherin 
• Matthew Smith (Former Short Course Student): Prosthetic Assistant on The Banshees of Inisherin 
• Maja Astrid Diedenhofen (MA Directing): First Assistant Director on EO, nominated for Foreign-Language Film of the Year 
• Tirza Oudolf (BA Practical Filmmaking): Lead Compositor at Method Studios for Top Gun: Maverick, nominated for Film of the Year 
• Edward Parodi (MA Cinematography): First Assistant Camera on A Letter to Black Men, nominated for British/Irish Short Film of the Year 
• Daniele Tartacca (MA Cinematography): Gaffer on A Letter to Black Men, nominated for British/Irish Short FIlm of the Year 
• Edward Parodi (BA Practical Filmmaking): Worldwide Sales at Film Constellation for Blue Jean, nominated for Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker 

The MetFilm community are extremely proud to have been a sponsor of the London Critics’ Circle Awards, alongside The House of Koko, Nyman Libson Paul and Wild Idol. Find more photos from the evening below – Credit: Dave Benett.

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