The Author's Best 10 and Best 20 Films of 2018

The author's best 20 films of 2018 (ranked taking into account direction, script, performances, cinematography, sound, editing, music and art direction/production design) are from 15 different countries. Three films are from Japan and two are from the same director! Two Italian, two Chinese, and two German films figure on the list. Two of the 20 were released in 2017 but participated in film festivals in 2018.

1. The Third Murder. (2017) (Japan) dir. Hirokazu Kore'eda, Winner of 6 Japanese Academy Awards of 2018, including Best Film and Best Director
2. Capernaum. (2018) (Lebanon) dir. Nadine Labaki. Winner of the Jury Prize and two other awards at the Cannes film festival; award for direction at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards; best screenplay award at the Stockholm Film Festival, audience awards at Calgary, Acadie, Ghent, Melbourne, Mill Valley, Norway, Sarajevo, St Louis, Sao Paulo, and Toronto international film festivals. 
3. The Wild Pear Tree. (2018) (Turkey) dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan
4. Dovlatov. (2018) (Russia) dir. Alexei German, Jr. Winner of Silver Bear at the Berlin film festival.
5. Shoplifters. (2018) (Japan) dir. Hirokazu Kore'eda. Winner of the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival; Best Film awards at the Denver and Munich Film Festivals and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards; Audience awards at Oslo and Vancouver film festivals. 
6. Vision. (2018) (Japan) dir. Naomi Kawase.
7. The Third Wife. (2018) (Vietnam) dir. Ash Mayfair. Winner of the Golden Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Best Film at the Kolkata International Film Festival, and awards at the Toronto, San Sebastian and Cairo International Film Festivals.
8. Hannah. (2017) (Italy) dir. Andrea Pallaoro. Winner of the Best Actress Volpi Cup at the 2017 and another award at the Venice Film Festival and winner of the Silver Hugo for Cinematography at the Chicago International Film Festival.
9. Cold War. (2018) (Poland) dir. Pawel Pawlikowski Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival; Best Editing award at the European Film Awards; 4 awards at the Polish national film festival, including best film.  
10. 3 Faces. (2018) (Iran). dir Jafar Panahi Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival; Douglas Sirk Award at the Hamburg Film Festival; Best Film at the Antalya International Film Festival; Leon Cakoff prize at the Sao Paulo International Film Festival; Golden Globe winner
11. Roma. (2018) (Mexico). dir. Alfonso Cuaron Winner of Golden Lion for best film at the Venice Film Festival. Golden Globe winner.
12. In the Aisles. (2018) (Germany) dir. Thomas Stuber. Winner of the Guild Film and Ecumenical Jury prizes at the Berlin film festival; Best Film awards at Naples (Napoli) and Valladolid International Film Festivals; Best Screenplay award at the Athens International Film Festival. 
13. Yomeddine. (2018) (Egypt) dir. Abu Bakr Shawky. Winner of the Francois Chalais Award at the Cannes Film Festival; Best fiction feature film at the Carthage Film Festival; Audience awards at Valladolid and El Gouna International Film Festivals.
14. Manta Ray (aka Kraben rahu). (2018) (Thailand) dir. Phuttiphong Aroonpheng. Winner of Best Film at the Mumbai International Film Festival and the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival;  Best Director at Cairo and Thessaloniki International Film Festivals.
15. The Heiresses. (2018) (Paraguay) dir. Marcello Martinessi. Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Actress and the Alfred Bauer Prize the Berlin film festival; Best Latin American film at the San Sebastian International Film Festival;  Best film at the Athens, Transilvania, Sydney and Vina Del Mar International Film Festivals; the Best Director and the FIPRESCI award at the Cartagena Film Festival; Best Actress at the Lima Film Festival; Silver Gateway award at the Mumbai International Film Festival; and Best Director at the Santiago International Film Festival.
16. High Life. (2018) (Germany/France/UK/USA) dir. Claire Denis. Winner of the FIPRESCI award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival; the Georges Delerue prize at the Ghent International Film Festival.
17. Dogman. (2018) (Italy) dir. Matteo Garrone. Winner of  the Best Actor and Best Dog at at the Cannes Film Festival; Costume and Makeup awards at the at the European Film Awards; Best Film at the Jerusalem International Film Festival.
18. An Elephant Sitting Still. (2018) (China) dir. the late Bo Hu. Winner of  the Best Film at the Philadelphia Film Festival; three awards, including the Best Film, at the Golden Horse Film Festival; audience awards at Hong Kong and New Horizons (Poland) International Film Festivals.
19. Climax. (2018) (France) dir. Gaspar Noe. Winner of minor awards at the Cannes and the Sitges Film Festivals.
20. Ash is Purest White. (2018) (China) dir. Jia Zhangke. Winner of the Best Director and the  Best Actress at the Chicago International Film Festival;  the Best Actress at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

(Click on the colored titles on the above list to access the reviews of those films on this blog.)