The National Board of Review awards 2008

Well the film award season is upon us, leading up to the 81st Oscars on Feb. 22.

(The Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 22. Traditionally the nominations are announced on a Tuesday, but due to the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences decided to push back the date.)

Here are the first awards announcement, The National Board of Review awards for 2008:

Best Film:
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Dir. Danny Boyle, based on Q and A by Vikas Swarup)

Top Ten Films:
(In alphabetical order) BURN AFTER READING, CHANGELING, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, THE DARK KNIGHT, DEFIANCE, FROST/NIXON, GRAN TORINO, MILK, WALL-E, THE WRESTLER

Top Ten Independent Films:
(In alphabetical order) FROZEN RIVER, IN BRUGES, IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS, MR. FOE, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, SNOW ANGELS, SON OF RAMBOW, WENDY AND LUCY, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, THE VISITOR

Best Actor:
CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino

Best Actress:
ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Actor:
JOSH BROLIN, Milk

Best Supporting Actress:
PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Ensemble Cast:
DOUBT

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor:
DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress:
VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt

Best Foreign Language Film:
MONGOL (Dir. Sergei Bodrov Sr., Russia) [Nominated for a 2007 Oscar)

Top Five Foreign Films:
(In alphabetical order) THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (Ger.), LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Sweden), ROMAN DE GARE (French), A SECRET (French), WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Israel)

Best Documentary:
MAN ON WIRE (Dir. James Marsh)

Top Five Documentaries:
(In alphabetical order)AMERICAN TEEN, THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON), DEAR ZACHARY, ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED

Best Director:
DAVID FINCHER, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Directorial Debut:
COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River

Best Adapted Screenplay:
SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Spotlight Award:
MELISSA LEO, Frozen River and RICHARD JENKINS, The Visitor

Best Original Screenplay:
NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino

Best Animated Feature:
WALL-E

William K. Everson Award For Film History:
MOLLY HASKELL and ANDREW SARRIS

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression:
TRUMBO