2009 Awards
December 15, 2009 (Austin, TX) -- The Austin Film Critics Association announces its fifth annual end-of-the-year awards, with 9 films winning in 16 categories for 2009. A special Top 10 list for the best films of the decade is also announced.
THE HURT LOCKER, an Iraq war thriller, takes home 3 awards, including the top honor, best film. Kathryn Bigelow is named Best Director and Barry Ackroyd wins the Best Cinematography award.
As a man struggling with life after losing a lover, Colin Firth receives the Best Actor award for his work in A SINGLE MAN.
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS is also a major winner with victories in 3 categories. Mélanie Laurent wins Best Actress for her role as a vengeful victim of the Nazis and Christoph Waltz is named Best Supporting Actor for his role as "The Jew Hunter." Quentin Tarantino receives his second AFCA Award, this time for Best Original Screenplay.
Best Supporting Actress goes to Anna Kendrick for her role in UP IN THE AIR, while Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner receive the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the adaptation of the novel of the same name by Walter Kirn.
ME AND ORSON WELLES, helmed by local director Richard Linklater, is recognized with 2 awards. Christian McKay has been handed the Breakthrough Artist Award for his turn as the title character Orson Welles, and Linklater is honored with his second Austin Film Award, which goes to the best local director or locally made film.
The latest film from Pixar, UP, is not only victorious in the Best Animated Feature category, but has also been awarded Best Original Score for Michael Glacchino.
Cary Fukunaga's Spanish-language thriller SIN NOMBRE is named Best Foreign Language Film, while Best Documentary goes to Sacha Gervasi's ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL. Best First Film, which is awarded to a director for his or her first feature film, goes to Neill Blomkamp for his apartheid allegory DISTRICT 9.
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND has been named the best film of the past decade by the AFCA in a special poll, while THERE WILL BE BLOOD and THE LORD OF THE RINGS rounded out the top three.
The Hurt Locker
Best Director:
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Actor:
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Best Actress:
Mélanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actor:
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress:
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Best Original Screenplay:
Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Up in the Air, Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Best Cinematography:
The Hurt Locker, Barry Ackroyd
Best Original Score:
Up, Michael Glacchino
Best Foreign Language Film:
Sin Nombre, Cary Fukunaga
Best Documentary Film:
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Best Animated Feature:
Up
Breakthrough Artist Award:
Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
Best First Film:
Neill Blomkamp, District 9
Best Austin Film:
Me and Orson Welles, Richard Linklater
As a man struggling with life after losing a lover, Colin Firth receives the Best Actor award for his work in A SINGLE MAN.
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS is also a major winner with victories in 3 categories. Mélanie Laurent wins Best Actress for her role as a vengeful victim of the Nazis and Christoph Waltz is named Best Supporting Actor for his role as "The Jew Hunter." Quentin Tarantino receives his second AFCA Award, this time for Best Original Screenplay.
Best Supporting Actress goes to Anna Kendrick for her role in UP IN THE AIR, while Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner receive the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the adaptation of the novel of the same name by Walter Kirn.
ME AND ORSON WELLES, helmed by local director Richard Linklater, is recognized with 2 awards. Christian McKay has been handed the Breakthrough Artist Award for his turn as the title character Orson Welles, and Linklater is honored with his second Austin Film Award, which goes to the best local director or locally made film.
The latest film from Pixar, UP, is not only victorious in the Best Animated Feature category, but has also been awarded Best Original Score for Michael Glacchino.
Cary Fukunaga's Spanish-language thriller SIN NOMBRE is named Best Foreign Language Film, while Best Documentary goes to Sacha Gervasi's ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL. Best First Film, which is awarded to a director for his or her first feature film, goes to Neill Blomkamp for his apartheid allegory DISTRICT 9.
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND has been named the best film of the past decade by the AFCA in a special poll, while THERE WILL BE BLOOD and THE LORD OF THE RINGS rounded out the top three.
2009 Award Summary
Best Film:The Hurt Locker
Best Director:
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Actor:
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Best Actress:
Mélanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actor:
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress:
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Best Original Screenplay:
Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Up in the Air, Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Best Cinematography:
The Hurt Locker, Barry Ackroyd
Best Original Score:
Up, Michael Glacchino
Best Foreign Language Film:
Sin Nombre, Cary Fukunaga
Best Documentary Film:
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Best Animated Feature:
Up
Breakthrough Artist Award:
Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
Best First Film:
Neill Blomkamp, District 9
Best Austin Film:
Me and Orson Welles, Richard Linklater
Top 10 Films:
1. The Hurt Locker (Summit)
2. Star Trek (Paramount)
3. Up (Pixar)
4. A Serious Man (Focus)
5. Up in the Air (Paramount)
6. Avatar (20th Century Fox)
7. Inglourious Basterds (The Weinstein Co.)
8. District 9 (TriStar)
9. Where the Wild Things Are (Warner Bros.)
10. (tie) Moon (Sony Pictures Classic), The Messenger (Oscilloscope)
Top 10 Films of the Decade:
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
2. There Will Be Blood (2007)
3. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)
4. The Dark Knight (2008)
5. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
6. Kill Bill (2003/4)
7. No Country for Old Men (2007)
8. The Incredibles (2004)
9. Children of Men (2006)
10. (tie) Memento (2000), The Departed (2006)