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Reuters

Action adventure Mad Max: Fury Road has stormed into unlikely Oscars contention after it was named the best film of 2015 on Tuesday by the US National Board of Review, a surprise choice by the New York-based body whose list traditionally kicks off the annual Hollywood awards season.
Space drama The Martian won a best actor award for Matt Damon and best director for Ridley Scott and was also named one of the nine top films of the year.
But the main Oscar hopefuls were left empty handed by the Board of Review. These included Steve Jobs, a film about Apple Inc’s co-founder, Irish immigrant saga Brooklyn and Jennifer Lawrence's much anticipated Joy.
WATCH: Is 'Mad Max: Fury Road' the best film of 2015?

Instead, the 100-year-old organisation, which comprises academics, filmmakers, students and professionals, chose popular fare such as boxing movie Creed, rap music film Straight Outta Compton, Catholic Church sex abuse tale Spotlight and psychological thriller Room among its top films of the year.
Sylvester Stallone was named best supporting actor for his role in Creed, a sixth sequel to his hit Rocky movie, while Brie Larson took the best actress award for playing an abducted mother in Room.
Quentin Tarantino's yet-to-be-released drama The Hateful Eight also fared well. It was included in the best-of-the-year list and won best screenplay as well as supporting actress for Jennifer Jason Leigh.

The Board of Review is known for its sometimes idiosyncratic picks. Last year it chose the small independent drama A Most Violent Year as its best film of 2014.
This year's winner Mad Max: Fury Road, directed by Australian George Miller, starred Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron ain a post-apocalyptic future. The movie won warm reviews and has made some US$376 million at the box office worldwide but it had not been seen as a likely contender for major awards.

“2015 has been a banner year for popular cinema. We are thrilled to be awarding George Miller and Ridley Scott, two iconic filmmakers at the top of their game, while also celebrating the next generation of talent,” Board of Review President Annie Schulhof said in a statement.
The Board of Review will present its awards at a ceremony in New York on January 5.
The Hollywood awards season runs for three months and ends with the Oscar ceremony in Hollywood on February 28.


Road to the Oscars? ‘Mad Max’ is a surprising best film choice by US Board of Review

Tom Hardy in the title role of George Miller's widely lauded reboot of his Mad Max films. Photo: Warner Brothers

Charlize Theron plays the leader of a rebellion in "Mad Max: Fury Road". Photo: Warner Brothers

A typically frenetic scene from "Mad Max: Fury Road". Photo: Warner Brothers

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