g'day! the first of many awards to come…

International Film Critics Vote ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Year’s Best Film

George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road is the surprise choice for best film of the year, as chosen by the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci).

Miller beat out the other three Fipresci finalists for the best film honor: Laszlo Nemes’ Son Of Saul, Hou Hsiao-hsien’s The Assassin and Jafar Panahi’s Taxi. The 2015 Fipresci best film award was selected from films which had their premiere after July 1, 2014. 493 Fipresci members – all international film critics - voted for the award.

“You could have knocked me over with a feather!,” said Miller in a statement. “It’s lovely to have this great cohort of critics acknowledge our collective labors in this way.”

Miller will receive the Fipresci Grand Prix at the San Sebastian film festival on Sept. 18, whereMad Max: Fury Road will also get a special gala screening.

Since its creation in 1999, the Fipresci Grand Prix has been awarded to such directors as Michael Haneke, Paul Thomas Anderson, Jean-Luc Godard and Pedro Almodovar. (hollywoodreporter.com)