MUMBAI: The Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) has declared Terrence Malick‘s The Tree of Life as the best film of 2011. The director also received the best director trophy.

The closest competition came from Michel Hazanavicius‘ The Artist and Alexander Payne‘s The Descendants, both major award contendersthis year.

The Tree of Life, which stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, in the last week received best film honors from the San Fransisco and African-American film critics associations.

While Michael Shannon was voted as the best actor for Jeff Nichols‘ Take Shelter, Michelle Williams lapped up the best actress award for her role as Marilyn Monroe in Simon Curtis‘ My Week With Marilyn.
 
Christopher Plummer won for best supporting actor for his role in Mike Mills‘ Beginners while Jessica Chastain clinched the best supporting actress crown.

The TFCA award for best screenplay went to Moneyball (Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin), while the best foreign-language film honor was given to the late Chilean director Raul Ruiz for Mysteries of Lisbon. Patricio Guzman‘s Nostalgia for the Light won for best documentary feature.

British writer-director Joe Cornish‘s Attack the Block won the award for the best first feature while the best animated feature prize went to Steven Spielberg‘s The Adventures of Tintin.