04/02/2013 - Sam Mendes and Ben Whishaw also awarded for Skyfall

The UK’s regional critics have voted Ben Affleck’s Argo as Film of the Year. Established in 2006, the UK Regional Critics’ Film Awards are dedicated to Richard (Lord) Attenborough, actor, filmmaker and champion of British cinema. Known in full as The Richard Attenborough UK Regional Critics’ Film Awards, they celebrate excellence and achievement in filmmaking. Film journalists and bloggers who write or broadcast for local media throughout the UK vote for the winners.

Skyfall [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile], he UK’s biggest hit of all time with more than £102 million in cinema ticket sales, picked up two awards – for Sam Mendes (photo - Director of the Year) and Ben Whishaw (Rising Star). The prize for Screenplay of the Year went to Amy Jump, Alice Lowe and Steve Oram for Sightseers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ben Wheatley
film profile], the British comedy directed by Ben Wheatley.

Oram said,  “Thank you, it’s a real honour. And thank you too to everyone in the regional media who have supported Sightseers, it’s made a huge difference and won’t be forgotten.”

The winner of the British Performance of the Year is Robert Pattinson for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2.

Three-quarters of UK cinema admissions take place outside the London region. In 2012, 107.8 million cinema visits were made in England and Wales (excluding London), 15.9 million in Scotland and 5.9 million in Northern Ireland. The overall UK total (including London) was 172.5 million cinema visits, which generated box-office receipts of £1.1 billion, a new record.