Critics' Circle honours 12 Years A Slave

Steve McQueen's film picks up three gongs.

by Amber Wilkinson

Lupita Nyong'o and Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years A Slave.
Lupita Nyong'o and Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years A Slave.
Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave won the top prize at the London Critics' Circle Film Awards tonight.

Stars attending the event in the capital were left shocked by the news of Philip Seymour Hoffman's death, with film critic Jason Solomons paying tribute to the actor as he opened the awards.

Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave was named film of the year, while its star Chiwetel Eijiofor took home the actor of the year award and co-star Lupita Nyong'o was named best supporting actress.

Alfonso Cuaron took home the director of the year accolade for his space drama Gravity, while French film Blue Is The Warmest Colour took home the foreign language cinema prize. Cate Blanchett continues to sweep all before her, picking up the actress of the year award for her performance in Blue Jasmine, while Dame Judi Dench was named British actress of the year for her role in Philomena and James McAvoy won British actor for his work on Filth, Trance and Welcome To The Punch.

The full list of winners is below:

Film of the Year - 12 Years A Slave
Foreign-language Film of the Year - Blue Is The Warmest Colour
Documentary of the Year - The Act Of Killing
British Film of the Year - The Selfish Giant
Director of the Year - Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Screenwriter of the Year - Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis
Actor of the Year - Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Actress of the Year - Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Supporting Actor of the Year - Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Supporting Actress of the Year - Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years A Slave
British Actor of the Year - James McAvoy, Filth/Trance/Welcome to the Punch
British Actress of the Year - Judi Dench, Philomena
Young British Performer of the Year - Conner Chapman, The Selfish Giant
Breakthrough British Filmmaker - Jon S Baird, Filth
Technical Achievement Award - Tim Webber, Gravity special effects
Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film - Gary Oldman

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