'Roma' Named Best Picture by New York Film Critics Circle

The film's helmer, Alfonso Cuaron, also won best director and cinematography honors.

The New York Film Critics Circle on Thursday named Alfonso Cuaron's autobiographical film Roma as its best picture of 2018.

In addition, Cuaron was named best director for the black-and-white movie, which also was cited for its cinematography. Cuaron also wrote Roma — a foreign-language film set in Mexico City in the early 1970s — based on his childhood. Netflix recently released the movie in theaters in a limited run ahead of its Dec. 14 bow on the streaming service in an effort to boost its profile during awards season.

Last year, the NYFCC selected Lady Bird as its best picture of 2017. The film went on to nab five Oscar nominations, including best picture and best director and original screenplay for Greta Gerwig.

Other films cited by the NYFCC on Thursday included First Reformed for best actor (Ethan Hawke) and best screenplay, Support the Girls for best actress (Regina Hall), Can You Ever Forgive Me? for best supporting actor (Richard E. Grant) and If Beale Street Could Talk for best supporting actress (Regina King).

Eighth Grade, the directorial debut of comedian Bo Burnham, was tapped as best first film, and in a surprise move, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was named best animated film (the pic hits theaters Dec. 14).

Pawel Pawlikowski's Cold War, which examines Soviet-era angst in Poland, was voted as best foreign-language film, while Bing Liu's documentary Minding the Gap, which examines skateboarding and toxic masculinity, was named best nonfiction film.

A full list of this year's winners follows.

Best Picture: ?Roma

Best Director: ?Alfonso Cuaron, Roma

Best Actor: ?Ethan Hawke, First Reformed

Best Actress: ?Regina Hall, Support the Girls

Best Screenplay: First Reformed

?Best Supporting Actress: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

?Best Supporting Actor: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Animated Film: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Best Cinematography: ?Roma

Best First Film: ?Eighth Grade

Best Foreign-Language Film: ?Cold War

Best Nonfiction Film: Minding the Gap

Special Award: David Schwartz, who is stepping down as chief film curator at Museum of the Moving Image after 33 years

Special Award: Kino Classics box set Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers

Founded in 1935, the New York Film Critics Circle’s membership includes critics from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines and qualifying online general-interest publications. Every year in December, the group meets in New York to vote on awards for the previous calendar year’s films.

In addition to the regular categories, which include best picture, director, actor and actress, special stand-alone awards are given to individuals and organizations that have made substantial contributions to the art of cinema, including producers, directors, actors, writers, critics, historians, film restorers and service organizations.

The awards will be handed out in January in New York.