The best of film 2024, as selected by our membership

Mon, Jan. 6th – The Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) announces its 2024 awards. 

Anora leads the way, winning 5 awards from its 7 nominations – including Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress (Mikey Madison), and Best Supporting Actor (Yura Borisov). Madison was also one of five recipients of this year’s Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Award.

Other acting award winners include Colman Domingo as Best Actor for Sing Sing, which also won Best Ensemble, and Margaret Qualley as Best Supporting Actress for The Substance.

The Brutalist, which garnered a standout 10 nominations, secured wins for Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. Other major awards include The Substance for Best Editing, and The Wild Robot winning Best Animated Feature. Will & Harper was awarded Best Documentary, while The Seed of a Sacred Fig won Best International Film. Arkasha Stevenson was the recipient of our Best First Film Award for The First Omen.

Our Best Austin Film Award winner was Sing Sing (dir. Grew Kwedar) which, in addition to the aforementioned acting wins, also picked up an award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The full list of winners, including the AFCA Best Austin Film and AFCA Top Ten Films of 2024, is included below.

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Best Film: Anora

Best Director: Sean Baker, Anora

Best Actress: Mikey Madison, Anora

Best Actor: Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Best Supporting Actress: Margaret Qualley, The Substance

Best Supporting Actor: Yura Borisov, Anora

Best Ensemble: Sing Sing

Best Original Screenplay: Sean Baker, Anora

Best Adapted Screenplay: Greg Kwedar & Clint Bentley, Sing Sing

Best Cinematography: Lol Crawley, The Brutalist

Best Editing: Coralie Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, & Valentin Feron, The Substance 

Best Original Score: Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist 

Best International Film: The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Documentary: Will & Harper

Best Animated Film: The Wild Robot

Best Voice Acting/Animated/Digital Performance: Lupita Nyong’o, The Wild Robot

Best Stuntwork: The Fall Guy

Best First Film: Arkasha Stevenson, The First Omen

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

• Vera Drew, The People’s Joker
• Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, Sing Sing
• Mikey Madison, Anora
• Katy O’Brian, Love Lies Bleeding
• Aaron Pierre, Rebel Ridge

 

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As part of the organization’s annual voting, the Austin Film Critics Association awards titles with local ties — works made by directors who live in Austin. This award is distinct to our group of critics. Thanks to the support of the AFS Cinema, a special screening to celebrate this film will be announced soon.

2024 Austin Film Award Winner: Sing Sing (dir. Greg Kwedar)

AFCA Top 10 Films of 2024

1. Anora
2. The Brutalist
3. The Substance
4. Sing Sing
5. Love Lies Bleeding
6. Nickel Boys
7. Dune: Part Two
8. Nosferatu
9. Conclave
10. Wicked

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