Seattle Film Critics Society: 2025 Award Winners

Seattle Film Critics Society (“SFCS”) announced the winners in 22 categories for the 2025 Seattle Film Critics Society Awards on Monday, December 15, 2025.

One Battle After Another was named the Best Picture of 2025. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and shot in immersive Vistavision, the topical comedic thriller about a father and daughter confronting the cruel echoes of a violent revolutionary past won the most awards in SFCS history. Taking home eight awards, it was one win after another for Anderson. In addition to Best Picture, the filmmaker was also recognized for Best Director and for his Screenplay, an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland. 

The film was further recognized for standout performances from Leonardo DiCaprio (Best Actor), Sean Penn (Best Supporting Actor), and Best Ensemble for a sprawling and memorable cast that includes the big screen debut of Chase Infiniti alongside affecting performances from Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, and Benicio del Toro. One Battle After Another was further recognized for Best Editing and for Jonny Greenwood’s invigorating Original Score. 

“A number of films made an impact on our members this year, but none more than Paul Thomas Anderson’s 10th feature, One Battle After Another, which captures the present moment like nothing else with vivid characters, thrilling–sometimes hilarious–chase sequences, and a tender father-daughter relationship in which the revolutionary spirit passes from one generation to the next,” said Kathy Fennessy, SFCS President.

As part of our annual tradition of honoring exceptional filmmaking in the region, SFCS honored Train Dreams with Best Pacific Northwest Film. Written and directed by Clint Bentley and filmed across Washington state, the contemplative drama about a laborer at the turn of the 20th century boasts some of the most stunning footage of the region put to film. Songs of Black Folk, documenting a groundbreaking Juneteenth concert in Seattle was the winner of SFCS’s inaugural award to honor the Best Pacific Northwest Short Film.

Other film awards include WTO/99, Ian Bell’s masterful reconstruction of the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle from a trove of archival footage, was named Best Documentary Film. It Was Just An Accident, Jafar Panahi’s madcap thriller exploring the possibilities of revenge among former political prisoners in Tehran, was awarded Best International Film. KPop Demon Hunters, a globe-conquering phenomenon that inspired theatrical sing-a-longs and a #1 song and album soundtrack, was chosen as Best Animated Film.

Additional acting honors went to Jessie Buckley (Lead Actress) and Jacobi Jupe (Youth Performance) for their portrayal of mother and son in Chloé Zhao’s heartrending Hamnet. Aunt Gladys from Weapons, chillingly portrayed by Amy Madigan, was named SFCS’s Villain of the Year. The SFCS also issued a special citation to recognize Indy’s achievements in Animal Acting for the suspenseful horror film Good Boy. 

Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s Delta Blues vampire allegory of assimilation, received two awards: Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku and Best Cinematography (Autumn Durald Arkapaw). 

Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro’s sumptuous interpretation of Mary Shelley’s gothic novel was honored for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. Other craft awards went to box office behemoths Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Best Action Choreography) and Avatar: Fire and Ash (Best Visual Effects).

The SFCS is also proud to announce the 2025 John Hartl Pacific Northwest Spotlight Award will be presented to director Sky Hopinka. Born in Ferndale, Washington, Hopinka has directed a wide range of acclaimed short films and features, including the upcoming feature-length documentary Powwow People, which is scheduled for release in 2026. The SFCS will present the third John Hartl Pacific Northwest Spotlight Award, named in honor of the legendary Seattle Times film critic, to Hopinka in May, during the 2026 Seattle International Film Festival.

Complete List of 2025 SFCS Awards Winners

Picture: One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)

Lead Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)

Lead Actress: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)

Supporting Actor: Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)

Supporting Actress: Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)

Ensemble: One Battle After Another (Cassandra Kulukundis)

Pacific Northwest Film: Train Dreams (Clint Bentley)

Pacific Northwest Short Film: Songs of Black Folk (Justin Emeka, Haley Watson)

International Film: It Was Just An Accident (Jafar Panahi)

Documentary Film: WTO/99 (Ian Bell)

Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters (Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans)

Cinematography: Sinners (Autumn Durald Arkapaw)

Editing: One Battle After Another (Andy Jurgensen)

Screenplay: One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Production Design: Frankenstein (Tamara Deverell, Production Designer; Shane Vieau, Set Decorator)

Costume Design: Frankenstein (Kate Hawley)

Original Score: One Battle After Another (Jonny Greenwood)

Action Choreography: Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (Wade Eastwood)

Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash (Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett)

Youth Performance: Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet)

Villain of the Year: Aunt Gladys (Weapons, as portrayed by Amy Madigan)

About SFCS: 

After forming in late 2016, Seattle Film Critics Society officially became a non-profit organization in 2017, with a membership consisting of 40 film critics, representing print, broadcast, podcasting, and online film criticism. This year’s awards are the tenth to be held under the banner of the SFCS, honoring the best films and performances of the year.

Contacts: seattlefilmcritics.com | @seattlecritics | press@seattlefilmcritics.com