The 2025 San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) Winners

The San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) have announced their winners representing the best in film for 2025. Here are this year’s winners…

Best Picture
HAMNET
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
MARTY SUPREME
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (RUNNER-UP)
SINNERS (WINNER)

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Ryan Coogler, SINNERS (WINNER)
Yorgos Lanthimos, BUGONIA (RUNNER-UP)
Jafar Panahi, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
Chloe Zhao, HAMNET

Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet, MARTY SUPREME
Leonardo DiCaprio, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Joel Edgerton, TRAIN DREAMS (RUNNER-UP)
Michael B. Jordan, SINNERS (WINNER)
Wagner Moura, THE SECRET AGENT

Best Actress
Jessie Buckley, HAMNET (WINNER TIE)
Rose Byrne, IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU (WINNER TIE)
Renate Reinsve, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Emma Stone, BUGONIA
Eva Victor, SORRY, BABY

Best Supporting Actor
Benicio del Toro, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Jacob Elordi, FRANKENSTEIN
Sean Penn, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (RUNNER-UP)
Stellan Skarsgård, SENTIMENTAL VALUE (WINNER)
Jeffrey Wright, HIGHEST 2 LOWEST

Best Supporting Actress
Odessa A’zion, MARTY SUPREME
Nina Hoss, HEDDA (RUNNER-UP)
Amy Madigan, WEAPONS (WINNER)
Wunmi Mosaku, SINNERS
Teyana Taylor, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Best Comedic Performance
Will Arnett, IS THIS THING ON?
Molly Gordon, OH, HI! (RUNNER-UP)
Liam Neeson, THE NAKED GUN
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, ETERNITY (WINNER)
Tim Robinson, FRIENDSHIP

Best Youth Performance (For a performer under the age of 18)
Cary Christopher, WEAPONS (WINNER)
Shannon Mahina Gorman, RENTAL FAMILY
Jacobi Jupe, HAMNET (RUNNER-UP)
Alfie Williams, 28 YEARS LATER
Nina Ye, LEFT-HANDED GIRL

Best Original Screenplay
Ryan Coogler, SINNERS
Zack Cregger, WEAPONS
David Koepp, BLACK BAG (RUNNER-UP)
Jafar Panahi, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (WINNER)
Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (RUNNER-UP)
Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar, TRAIN DREAMS
JT Mollner, THE LONG WALK
Maggie O’Farrell & Chloe Zhao, HAMNET
Will Tracy, BUGONIA (WINNER)

Best First Feature (Director)
Drew Hancock, COMPANION
Scarlett Johansson, ELEANOR THE GREAT
Ben Leonberg, GOOD BOY
Kristen Stewart, THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER (RUNNER-UP)
Eva Victor, SORRY, BABY (WINNER)

Best Documentary
BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN
BILLY JOEL: AND SO IT GOES (RUNNER-UP)
JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME
ORWELL: 2 + 2 = 5 (WINNER)
PREDATORS

Best Animated Film
ELIO
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS (WINNER)
LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN (RUNNER-UP)
PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS
ZOOTOPIA 2

Best Foreign Language Film
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (WINNER)
LEFT-HANDED GIRL
THE SECRET AGENT
SENTIMENTAL VALUE (RUNNER-UP)
SIRAT

Best Editing
Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie, MARTY SUPREME (WINNER)
Barry Alexander Brown & Allyson C. Johnson, HIGHEST 2 LOWEST
Affonso Goncalves & Chloe Zhao, HAMNET
Andy Jurgensen, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (RUNNER-UP)
Stephen Mirione & Patrick J. Smith, F1: THE MOVIE

Best Cinematography
Autumn Durald Arkapaw, SINNERS
Michael Bauman, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (RUNNER-UP)
Dan Laustsen, FRANKENSTEIN
Adolpho Veloso, TRAIN DREAMS (WINNER)
Lukasz Zal, HAMNET

Best Production Design
Hannah Bleachler & Monique Champagne, SINNERS (RUNNER-UP TIE)
Cara Brower & Stella Fox, HEDDA
Fiona Crombie & Alice Felton, HAMNET
Tamara Deverell & Shane Vieau, FRANKENSTEIN (WINNER)
Kasra Farahani & Jille Azis, THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (RUNNER-UP TIE)

Best Visual Effects
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH (WINNER)
THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (RUNNER-UP TIE)
FRANKENSTEIN (RUNNER-UP TIE)
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING
SUPERMAN

Best Costume Design
Alexandra Byrne, THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS
Ruth E. Carter, SINNERS (RUNNER-UP TIE)
Kate Hawley, FRANKENSTEIN (RUNNER-UP TIE)
Paul Tazewell, WICKED: FOR GOOD (WINNER)
Malgosia Turzanska, HAMNET

Best Sound Design
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
F1: THE MOVIE (RUNNER-UP)
FRANKENSTEIN
SINNERS
WARFARE (WINNER)

Best Use of Music
HEDDA (RUNNER-UP)
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS
MARTY SUPREME
SINNERS (WINNER)
SIRAT

Best Stunt Choreography
BALLERINA: FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING (WINNER)
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
SINNERS (RUNNER-UP)
SUPERMAN

Best Ensemble
BLACK BAG (WINNER)
JAY KELLY
THE LONG WALK
SINNERS (RUNNER-UP)
WEAPONS

Breakthrough Performance
Chase Infiniti: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Special Award for Body of Work
Josh O’Connor: WAKE UP, DEAD MAN, THE MASTERMIND, THE HISTORY SOUND, REBUILDING

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