New York Film Critics Circle Sets Award Dates

The New York Film Critics Circle will hold their annual vote on 2009's best films on Monday, December 14th. Historically, the best films often forecast Oscar nominations, but the NYFCC prides itself on picking winners that the Oscars overlook. Recent best picture winners include Milk, No Country for Old Men, United 93, and Brokeback Mountain. The group is comprised of 31 New York area critics. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association usually announce their votes before New York, so they will probably convene on December 13. Gold Derby has posted a helpful Awards Calendar.

The NYFCC will honor the award winners at their awards banquet on Monday, January 11th at Strata in NYC’s Flatiron District.

The group is using its 75th anniversary as an opportunity to celebrate the role of film critic, says NYFCC chairman Armond White (The New York Press):

"Because our role as film critics is under attack as never before, from downsizing and competition from amateur media, it is important to acknowledge the New York Film Critics Circle as the country’s oldest and most prestigious film critics’ organization. And we thank those organizations below for helping us achieve that goal."

The 75th anniversary special events are on the jump:

1. The Museum of Modern Art concludes its series “Critical Favorites: The New York Film Critics Circle at 75” this week, with a special reception on September 24th.

2. The Hamptons International Film Festival is honoring the Circle with a panel discussion on the state of film criticism, followed by a celebratory cocktail party on October 10th.

3. The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s film department will host a salute, “BAM and the New York Film Critics Circle Presents 1962” from October 23rd - November 9th. This unprecedented film series looks back at the only year the Circle did not present awards due to a newspaper strike. Members of the Circle will hold forth on the year’s importance in terms of international art and commercial cinema.