Noise , a drama about a police officer with a debilitating case of tinnitus, dominated the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards (FCCA).

It earned best film for producer Trevor Blainey, best director for Matthew Saville, best actor for Brendan Cowell, best editor for Geoff Hitchins, and best music score for Bryony Marks, who is married to Saville. In the cinematography category, Laslo Baranyai shared his award for Noise with Nigel Bluck who filmed The Home Song Stories.

The Home Song Stories went home with two additional awards: best script for Tony Ayres, who also directed the autobiographical film about a young boy who emigrated to Australia from China, and best actress for Joan Chen.

The FCCA also presented a special acknowledgement award to young actor Kodi Smit-McPhee for Romulus, My Father, in which he played Raimond Gaiter, the philosopher whose memoir was the basis of the film starring Eric Bana.

Australia's other critics group also recently voted Noise their best Australian film for the year whereas industry and general voters opted for Romulus, My Father and The Jammed in the case of the AFI Awards and the IF Awards respectively.

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's German film The Lives of Others won the award for best foreign-language film, while Ethan & Joel Coen's No Country For Old Men from the US won the category for the best foreign language film in English.

The FCCA Awards were presented at Cinema Paris in Sydney on Friday night.

Full list of winners

Best film: Noise, producer Trevor Blainey

Director: Matthew Saville, Noise

Script: Tony Ayres, The Home Song Stories

Actor: Brendan Cowell, Noise

Actress: Joan Chen, The Home Song Stories

Supporting actor: Marton Csokas, Romulus My Father

Supporting actress: Emma Booth, Clubland

Editor: Geoff Hitchins, Noise

Music score: Bryony Marks, Noise

Cinematography: (awarded jointly): Laszlo Baranyai, Noise, Nigel Bluck, The Home Song Stories.

Special acknowledgement: Kodi Smit-McPhee (actor), Romulus My Father.

Best documentary: Forbidden Lie$

Best short documentary: Who Killed Dr Bogle & Mrs Chandler

Best foreign language film: The Lives Of Others

Best foreign film in English: No Country For Old Men

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