It’s all about the awards this issue. The Dublin Film Critics Circle has unveiled the results of its annual poll. Released in these territories in the first week of the year – seven days after its UK debut – Michel Hazanavicius’s The Artist stayed in critics’ minds and ended up being named as best film of 2012. The runners-up spot in that race was shared between Michael Haneke’s Amour and Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Once Upon a Time in Anatolia. Haneke was named best director and Emmanuelle Riva, veteran star of Amour, took the gong for best actress.

The DFCC, which is comprised of a selection of professional critics based in the capital, named Lenny Abrahamson’s What Richard Did as best Irish film and Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present as best documentary.

Joaquin Phoenix took the best actor’s prize for his jaw-dropping turn in Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master. Gareth Evans, whose The Raid received a prize from the DFCC at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, was identified as having achieved the most impressive breakthrough. This newspaper’s Tara Brady, president of the DFCC, noted the wide spread in nominated films this year. Thirty-five movies received votes from critics and 27 film-makers were named in the directors’ race.

Illustrating the mighty scope, Béla Tarr's The Turin Horse joined Marvel Avengers Assemble in a four-way tie for third place in the best-film competition. Full details of the results can be found on the Screenwriter blog: irishtimes.com/blogs/ screenwriter