Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life won FIPRESCI Grand Prix 2011 for the Best Film of the Year

The Tree of Life is the Best Film of the past year, according to the members of FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics. More than 200 critics from throughout the world responded to the annual poll for the Grand Prix, giving Terrence Malick’s latest work a clear victory.It also won this year’s Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival.The award will be presented on September 16, during the opening ceremony of the 59th San Sebastián International Film Festival, the first under the direction of José Luis Rebordinos. The Spanish event, where Malick’s Badlands won the Golden Shell in 1974, hosts the FIPRESCI Grand Prix since its creation in 1999. This award, which has already been presented to Jafar Panahi, Jean-Luc Godard, Pedro Almodóvar, Michael Haneke and Aki Kaurismäki, among others, distinguishes a feature-length film premièred since July of the previous year for its overall artistic quality.