UNITED 93 CLAIMS SECOND BEST FILM PRIZE IN A DAY

Last updated: Tuesday, December 12, 2006

UNITED 93 CLAIMS SECOND BEST FILM PRIZE IN A DAY

9/11 drama UNITED 93 has hurtled into the Oscars race after picking up two Best Film prizes in a day.

Writer, director and producer Paul Greengrass with the actors who portray the crew and passengers of United Airlines Flight 93

Hours after claiming the top honour from the Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), the stirring film has been voted 2006's Best Picture by the New York Film Critics Circle.

It took the movie writers five attempts to break a three-way deadlock between United 93, THE QUEEN and THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND.

FOREST WHITAKER, DAME HELEN MIRREN and DREAMGIRLS star JENNIFER HUDSON continued their push for Academy Awards, claiming New York's Best Actor (Last King of Scotland), Best Actress (The Queen) and Best Supporting Actress (DREAMGIRLS) respectively.

JACKIE EARLE HAILEY, a new name in the race for Oscar gold, picked up the Circle's Best Supporting Actor award for his role in LITTLE CHILDREN.

The full list of winners is as follows:

Best Picture: UNITED 93

Best Actor: FOREST WHITAKER - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

Best Actress: DAME HELEN MIRREN - THE QUEEN

Best Director: MARTIN SCORSESE - THE DEPARTED

Best Foreign Film: ARMY OF SHADOWS

Best Screenplay: PETER MORGAN - THE QUEEN

Best Supporting Actor: JACKIE EARLE HALEY - LITTLE CHILDREN

Best Supporting Actress: JENNIFER HUDSON - DREAMGIRLS

Best Cinematographer: GUILLERMO NAVARRO - PAN'S LABYRINTH

Best Non-Fiction Film: DELIVER US FROM EVIL