Oman today_ Jafar Panahi, a day after winning three Gotham Awards for Best Director for his film It Was Just An Accident, also received the Best Director award at the 91st New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards. The circle, which comprises over 50 journalists, announced the top films of 2025 just moments ago. Since the Academy Awards expanded the Best Picture category to 10 nominees in 2009, only two films—Carol (2015) and First Cow (2020)—have not been nominated for Best Picture after receiving an NYFCC award. The critics’ selections often do not fully align with the Oscar winners, as members tend to value deeper, more impactful storytelling. For example, The Artist won both the Oscar and the NYFCC Best Film award, while American Hustle was recognized by the circle just one day after its release in 2013.
The list of winners at the 91st NYFCC Awards in 2025 includes One Battle After Another as Best Film, Jafar Panahi for It Was Just An Accident as Best Director, Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent as Best Actor, and Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You as Best Actress. Benicio Del Toro won Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another, and Amy Madigan took Best Supporting Actress for Weapons. Best Screenplay went to Marty Supreme, KPop Demon Hunters was named Best Animated Feature, and Sinners received Best Cinematography. In the Non-Fiction category, My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow was honored, while Best International Film went to The Secret Agent. Finally, the Best First Film award was presented to Eephus.