Following a member’s only party at the Rendezvous Jewel Box on Saturday night, the Seattle Film Critics Society announced their [our] awards for the best in film from 2023. Representing 37 voting members who live, work, or publish in the greater Seattle Area, this is SFCS’s eighth official year of presenting awards across 21 categories.
The big winner was one you’ve seen on several of our own year-end lists: Past Lives. Written and directed by Celine Song, the film generated immediate buzz when it premiered at Sundance, wowed Seattle when it opened SIFF’s 49th festival, and stayed with audiences all year. Showing Up, Kelly Reichardt’s dazzling portrait of a Portland ceramicist balancing her art with myriad annoyances and family obligations, was chosen as the best Pacific Northwest Film. Martin Scorsese was awarded Best Director and Godzilla was the King of Villains for his truly rousing performance as “Godzilla” in Godzilla Minus One.
In total, 21 awards went to 14 different films (full list below, with link to our previous coverage). Check out the full list, along with video and photos of Lily Gladstone receiving this year’s inaugural John Hartl Pacific Northwest Spotlight award on the SFCS page.
| Best Picture | Past Lives – Celine Song | review |
| Director | Killers of the Flower Moon – Martin Scorsese | review roundtable |
| Lead Actor | Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction | review |
| Lead Actress | Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon | review roundtable |
| Supporting Actor | Charles Melton – May December | review |
| Supporting Actress | Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers | capsule |
| Ensemble Cast | The Holdovers – Susan Shopmaker | capsule |
| Screenplay | The Holdovers – David Hemingson | capsule |
| Documentary Film | 20 Days in Mariupol – Mstyslav Chernov | |
| International Film | Godzilla Minus One – Takashi Yamazaki | |
| Animated Film | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson | review |
| Cinematography | Poor Things – Robbie Ryan | review |
| Costume Design | Barbie – Jacqueline Durran | review roundtable |
| Editing | Oppenheimer – Jennifer Lame | review roundtable |
| Original Score | Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson | review roundtable |
| Production Design | Barbie – Sarah Greenwood (Production Designer) | Katie Spencer (Set Decorator) | review roundtable |
| Visual Effects | Godzilla Minus One – Takashi Yamazaki | |
| Action Choreography | John Wick: Chapter 4 – Scott Rogers, Stephen Dunlevy, Laurent Demianoff, Ralf Haeger, James M. Halty | review |
| Youth Performance | Milo Machado Graner – Anatomy of a Fall | capsule |
| Villain of the Year | Godzilla – Godzilla Minus One | |
| Pacific Northwest Award | Showing Up – Kelly Reichardt | review |