A rundown on the annual awards bestowed by the Austin Film Critics Association
Each year, our roster of critics reflect on the theatrical releases of the year and generate a list of nominees, from which we vote for an overall winner. Our categories and eligibility requirements are listed below.
AFCA Award Categories
- Best Film
- Best Director
- Best Actress
- Best Actor
- Best Supporting Actress
- Best Supporting Actor
- Best Ensemble
- Best Original Screenplay
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Cinematography
- Best Editing
- Best Original Score
- Best International Film
- Best Documentary
- Best Animated Film
- Best Voice Acting/Animated/Digital Performance
- Best Visual Effects
- Best Remake/Franchise Film
- Best Stuntwork
- Best First Film
- The AFCA Top Ten Films of the Year
Special Awards
The Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Award: Named in honor of one of our founding members, this award recognizes artists both in front, and behind the camera, making a notable impact in the respective awards year.
Best Austin Film: 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.
Eligibility
Films must have received a theatrical and/or home entertainment premiere during the period of eligibility (January-December) to be considered. Screening and voting deadlines will be set at the AFCA annual meeting each year, and dates shared via PR contacts and our social media channels.
AI Statement
The Austin Film Critics Association was founded to celebrate and promote cinema as an art form, and filmmaking as the work of artists. While moviemaking has always been about the intersection of creativity and technology, the mass availability of generative AI poses deep and increasingly complicated questions about when software is being used to replace artists and technicians rather than as a vehicle for their work. The use of generative AI has already placed an asterisk over the achievements of some films and artists, and this will only become more common in the coming years. The AFCA therefore affirms that it remains committed to the belief that art is first and foremost a human endeavor, and while technology will always be a part of that process, it should never be used to replace or subvert it.
The Austin Film Critics Association 