The Dublin Film Festival came to a close last night and they had their own awards with the Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards. This panel of judges included our regular contributor David Turpin (full list of judges here), so you know you are in good hands! The list will give you a good idea of films to watch out for over the next few months. Mark O’Halloran received a life time achievement award? That must make him feel old…

The Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards, established in 2006, took place on the closing Sunday of the Festival, presenting accolades for Best Film, Director, Irish Film and Documentary amongst others. The Critics this year named Sing Street’s Ferdia Walsh Peelo as recipient of the Michael Dwyer Discovery Award, and writer of Viva Mark O’Halloran as recipient of the inaugural George Byrne Maverick Award.

Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang was named as Best Film; Lucile Hadžihalilović, who attended the Festival screening of Evolution was named as Best Director; Best Cinematography went to Matyas Erdely for Son of Saul
. Acting Awards were given to Alex Lawther for Departure, Monica Bellucci for Ville Marie
 and Green Room
 for Best Ensemble. Best Screenplay went to Jaco Van Dormael and Thomas Gunzig for The Brand New Testament; 
Laurie Anderson’s Heart of a Dog won
 Best Documentary; Best Irish Film went to the Festival’s Closing Film, Paddy Breathnach’s Viva
; whilst Best Irish Documentary went to Atlantic. 
Jury Prizes were also awarded to Jamie Adams’ Black Mountain Poets
, Sebastian Schipper’s single take Victoria 
and Charlie Kaufman’s Anomalisa.

“2016 marks the DFCC’s tenth birthday and we can think of no better present this this year’s tremendous ADIFF programme,” said DFCC chair, Tara Brady.  “We hope everybody loves our award picks as much as we do. We’re especially pleased to hand over the inaugural George Byrne Maverick Award to Mark, who has greatly enlivened our national cinema by thinking, as George did, outside the box. Thanks as ever to all the heroic jurors:  Nicola Timmons,  Brogen Hayes,  David Turpin,  Paul Whitington,  Donald Clarke,  John Maguire and Daniel Anderson.”

Best Film:  Mustang

Best Director:  Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Evolution

Best Cinematography:  Matyas Erdely,  Son of Saul

Best Actor:  Alex Lawther, Departure

Best Actress:  Monica Bellucci, Ville Marie

Best Ensemble:  Green Room

Best Screenplay:  Jaco Van Dormael, Thomas Gunzig, The Brand New Testament

Best Documentary:  Heart of a Dog

Best Irish Film:  Viva

Best Irish Documentary:  Atlantic

Jury Award:  Black Mountain Poets

Jury Award:  Victoria

Jury Award:  Anomalisa

Michael Dwyer Discovery:  Ferdia Walsh Peelo, Sing Street

George Byrne Lifetime Achievement:  Mark O’ Halloran