The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) has announced its picks for the best films of the year. The big thriller One Battle After Another tops the list with 11 nominations, making it the film to watch at this year’s awards. The winners will be revealed on December 14, 2025.
Top Contenders and Key Nominees
The race for Best Picture features five strong films. Alongside One Battle After Another, the nominees are the drama Sinners, the emotional story Sentimental Value, the historical film Hamnet, and Train Dreams. These films also lead in several other major categories.
- One Battle After Another: Paul Thomas Anderson’s film is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio. It also has two actors, Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn, competing for Best Supporting Actor.
- Sinners: Directed by Ryan Coogler, this film earned nine nominations. It is up for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, and Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku.
- Sentimental Value: This international feature from Joachim Trier has eight nominations. It is recognized for Best Picture, Best Actress for Renate Reinsve, and two actresses in the Best Supporting Actress category: Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas.
- Hamnet: Chloé Zhao’s adaptation received seven nominations. Its nods include Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Jessie Buckley, and Best Supporting Actor for Paul Mescal.
- Train Dreams: This Netflix film rounds out the Best Picture list and earned a Best Actor nomination for Joel Edgerton.
Complete List of 2025 Nominees
Here is the full list of nominees across all categories for the 24th San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards.
Best Picture
- Hamnet
- One Battle After Another
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
- Train Dreams
Best Director
- Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
- Jafar Panahi – It Was Just An Accident
- Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
- Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
- Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Best Actor
- Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
- Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
- Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
- Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
- Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Best Actress
- Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
- Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
- Emma Stone – Bugonia
- Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
Best Supporting Actor
- Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
- Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
- Paul Mescal – Hamnet
- Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
- Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Best Supporting Actress
- Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
- Amy Madigan – Weapons
- Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
- Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Best Original Screenplay
- Sinners – Ryan Coogler
- Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
- Sorry, Baby – Eva Victor
- It Was Just An Accident – Jafar Panahi
- Weapons – Zach Cregger
Best Adapted Screenplay
- Bugonia
- Hamnet
- No Other Choice
- One Battle After Another
- Train Dreams
Other Award Categories
The Circle also honors achievements in technical filmmaking and other genres.
Best Animated Feature
- Arco
- Elio
- KPop Demon Hunters
- Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain
- Zootopia 2
Best International Feature Film
- It Was Just An Accident
- No Other Choice
- The Secret Agent
- Sentimental Value
- Sirat
Best Documentary Feature
- The Alabama Solution
- Come See Me In The Good Light
- Orwell: 2+2=5
- The Perfect Neighbor
- Riefenstahl
The awards for Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design also feature the year’s top films like Hamnet, One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Train Dreams.
Where to Watch the Nominated Films
Many of the nominated films are available to stream or are currently in theaters.
- On Netflix: Train Dreams, the animated film KPop Demon Hunters, and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein are available.
- In Theaters Now: Major nominees like One Battle After Another and Sinners are currently playing in theaters.
- Streaming Soon: Other films, including several international nominees, are expected to arrive on streaming platforms following their theatrical runs.
Special Awards and Bay Area Connections
In addition to the main categories, the SFBAFCC gives a Special Citation for Independent Cinema. This year’s nominees are:
- Brother Verses Brother
- The Encampments
- Happyend
- Twinless
The Circle also presents the Marlon Riggs Award, though this year’s recipient has not yet been announced. The awards highlight the Circle’s role, which has involved Bay Area film critics since 2002.
The local film scene is active, with SFFILM also set to honor artists like Benicio Del Toro and Wunmi Mosaku at a separate event on December 8.
Also Read: San Diego Film Critics Society 2025 Nominations List Revealed
