indieWIRE CRITICS' POLL '08 | Chuck Stephens

This is the latest ballot in indieWIRE's 2008 Critics Poll, continuing the tradition of a national survey of critics by calling attention to the year's best -- and, in many cases, most overlooked -- films, providing a meaningful counterpoint to much of the year-end hoopla. Note that some lists are unranked at the discretion of the critic. For all categories except Best Undistributed Film, eligible feature films had first-run theatrical engagements in the U.S. during 2008. Films without a U.S. distributor, screened anywhere (festival circuit, one-off screenings, etc.), are eligible in the Best Undistributed Film category. The full list of critics poll ballots is available here at indieWIRE and tabulated results are being published by indieWIRE later this month.

Chuck Stephens
Film Comment

Best Film
1 - Ashes of Time Redux
2 - Ballast
3 - Boarding Gate
4 - The Exiles
5 - Flight of the Red Balloon
6 - Gomorrah
7 - In the City of Sylvia
8 - Paranoid Park
9 - Still Life
10 - Wendy and Lucy
Note: NOT RANKED

Best Performance
1 - Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
2 - Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy
Note: NOT RANKED

Best Director
Kelly Reichardt, Wendy and Lucy

Best First Feature
Ballast

Best Undistributed Film
1 - Headless Woman
2 - 24 City
3 - Birdsong
4 - United Red Army
Note: NOT RANKED