The AFCA Announces their top picks for the 2024 Awards Season

Fri, Dec. 27th – The Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) announced its 2024 awards nominations today.

The Brutalist leads the pack with nominations in 10 categories, including Best Director, Best Picture, Best Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and a host of acting categories. 

Other films racking up multiple nominations include Anora (nominations in 7 categories), Dune: Part Two (nominations in 8 categories),and The Substance (nominations in 7 categories). 

We continue to celebrate new creative talent in our Best First Film category, with nominations for Vera Drew (The People’s Joker), Zoe Kravitz (Blink Twice), Josh Margolin (Thelma), Arkasha Stevenson (The First Omen), and Sean Wang (Didi). We also celebrate the work of those filmmakers based in our own city of Austin, TX, with this year’s nominees for the Best Austin Film award. 

The winners, as voted by our membership, will be unveiled on January 6th.

---

List of Nominees (all in alphabetical order)

Best Director

• Sean Baker, Anora
• Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
• Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
• Rose Glass, Love Lies Bleeding
• Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two

Best Picture

• Anora
• The Brutalist
• Dune: Part Two
• Conclave
• Love Lies Bleeding
• Nosferatu
• Nickel Boys
• The Substance
• Sing Sing
• Wicked

Best Actress

• Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl
• Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
• Nicole Kidman, Babygirl
• Mikey Madison, Anora
• Demi Moore, The Substance

Best Actor

• Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
• Daniel Craig, Queer
• Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
• Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
• Hugh Grant, Heretic

Best Supporting Actress

• Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson
• Ariana Grande, Wicked
• Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
• Katy O’Brian, Love Lies Bleeding
• Margaret Qualley, The Substance

Best Supporting Actor

• Yura Borisov, Anora
• Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
• Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
• Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
• Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Best Ensemble

• Anora
• The Brutalist
• Conclave
• Dune: Part Two
• Sing Sing

Best Original Screenplay

• Sean Baker, Anora
• Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold, The Brutalist
• Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain
• Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
• Justin Kuritzkes, Challengers

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox, Wicked
• Greg Kwedar & Clint Bentley, Sing Sing
• RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes, Nickel Boys
• Peter Straughan, Conclave
• Denis Villeneuve & Jon Spaihts, Dune: Part Two

Best Cinematography

• Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu
• Lol Crawley, The Brutalist
• Jomo Fray, Nickel Boys
• Greig Frasier, Dune: Part Two
• Benjamin Kracun, The Substance

Best Editing

• Sean Baker, Anora
• Coralie Fargeat Jérôme Eltabet, & Valentin Féron, The Substance
• Dávid Jancsó, The Brutalist
• Joe Walker, Dune: Part 2
• Hansjörg Weißbrich, September 5

Best Original Score

• Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist
• Kris Bowers, The Wild Robot
• Robin Carolan, Nosferatu
• Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Challengers
• Hans Zimmer, Dune: Part 2

Best International Film

• Emilia Perez
• Flow
• I’m Still Here
• Kneecap
• The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Documentary

• Dahomey
• No Other Land
• The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
• Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
• Will & Harper

Best Animated Film

• Flow
• Inside Out 2
• Memoir of a Snail
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
• The Wild Robot

Best Voice Acting/Animated/Digital Performance

• Kevin Durand, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Lupita Nyong’o, The Wild Robot
• Amy Poehler, Inside Out 2
• Sarah Snook, Memoir of a Snail
• Robbie Williams/Jonno Davies, Better Man

Best Stunt Work

• Dune: Part Two
• The Fall Guy
• Furiosa
• Kill
• Monkey Man

Best First Film

• Vera Drew, The People’s Joker
• Zoe Kravitz, Blink Twice
• Josh Margolin, Thelma
• Arkasha Stevenson, The First Omen
• Sean Wang, Didi

The Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist Award

• In a change to this category, all 5 of our top nominees will be honored with the award, and will be announced on January 6th.

---

As part of the organization’s annual voting, the Austin Film Critics Association acknowledges standout titles with local ties — works made by directors who live in Austin. This award is distinct to our group of critics, recognizing the talent of Austin filmmakers as we celebrate the best films of the year.

In alphabetical order, the five nominees for Best Austin Film 2024 are:

• The Bikeriders (dir. Jeff Nichols)
• Fugitive Dreams  (dir. Jason Neulander)
• Hit Man (dir. Richard Linklater)
• Sasquatch Sunset (dir. Nathan and David Zellner)
• Sing Sing (dir. Greg Kwedar)

---

The AFCA will announce the 2024 award winners, including the Austin Film Award and any special awards, on Monday, Jan 6th.

Founded in 2005 by Cole Dabney & Bobby McCurdy, the AFCA has seen its membership grow from single digits to well over 35 members. The diverse outlets our members contribute to include the Austin Chronicle, Bullz-Eye, But Why Tho?, Certified Forgotten, Cinapse, Cinema Scholars, Consequence, Daily Grindhouse, Double Toasted, Dread Central, Edge Media Network, Fangoria, Film School Rejects, Hyperreal Film Club, Indiewire, Horror’s Not Dead, Junkfood Cinema, KOOP 91.7 FM Radio, Mendowerks, One Movie Punch, One Of Us, Paste, The Playlist, Sightlines, Slashfilm, True View Reviews, Uproxx, and We Got This Covered.

---