Chinese-born director's ’Nomadland’ wins big at National Society of Film Critics Awards in US

LOS ANGELES -- Chinese-born female director Chloe Zhao's feature film "Nomadland" turned out to be a big winner on Saturday at the annual National Society of Film Critics Awards with four trophies, continuing to sweep the awards circuit in the United States.

At the US critics' group's 55th awards voting meeting, which was held virtually this year, the American contemporary western drama film from Disney's Searchlight Pictures was named Best Picture of 2020. Zhao also nabbed the Best Director award at the annual event.

Adapted by Zhao from Jessica Bruder's 2017 non-fiction book "Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century," the film stars two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand as an out-of-work woman who packs her van and sets off from her small town to travel around the vast landscape of the American West, exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad.

McDormand won Best Actress for her performance in the film while Joshua James Richards walked away with the Best Cinematography award.

The National Society of Film Critics is made up of 60 prominent movie critics across the United States.