February 2, 2019:
“IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK,” “BLACK PANTHER,” “BLACKKKLANSMAN” AND “ROMA” LEAD ALL WINNERS AT THE CHICAGO INDEPENDENT FILM CRITICS CIRCLE’S THIRD ANNUAL CIFCC AWARDS
The 21 prolific members of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle casted their final ballots this week to declare the winners of 21 categories for their third annual CIFCC Awards. At special ceremony this evening hosted by the Cards Against Humanity Theater in Chicago, the film critics and guests gathered to honor the year in film, celebrate member accomplishments, and promote overall group achievements. The event was streamed live over the CIFCC YouTube channel.
The wealth was spread as four films each garnered three awards to lead all winners. Annapurna’s If Beale Street Could Talk directed by Barry Jenkins was named Best Independent Film and was also recognized for Best Supporting Actress and Best Musical Score. The leading nominee entering the evening, Marvel’s blockbuster Black Panther directed by Ryan Coogler, took home the Best Studio Film, Best Ensemble, and Best Costume Design and Makeup awards from its eleven nominations. Through his latest accomplishment, BlacKkKlansman from from Focus Features, Spike Lee had his name called three times between Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Impact Award wins. Finally, Alfonso Cuarón’s passion project Roma from Netflix was named Best Foreign Film and cited for Best Cinematography and Best Editing.
In two special award categories of distinction, the Trailblazer Award honoring the work of an artist who truly pushed the boundaries of the medium in terms of form and content was awarded to local filmmaker Bing Liu on the strength of his Best Documentary winner Minding the Gap. As aforementioned, Spike Lee of BlacKkKlansman was named the recipient of the Impact Award. That honor celebrates a person whose work has had a positive impact on society. In all, eleven different films won CIFCC Awards this year.
Founded in 2016, the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle (CIFCC) is a creative and engaging non-for-profit organization composed of unique, dedicated, and diversified film critics. Its members are wide-ranging in experiences, backgrounds, tastes, diversities, and target audiences across both print and online platforms and publications. The CIFCC organized to share their personal assessments, commentaries, passions, and creativity in the vigilant effort to highlight the greatness and diversity found in both independent and mainstream films. While they originate in the Chicagoland area, the efforts of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle are to share, celebrate, and promote the rich artistic medium of film to audiences, fans, and eager minds across the nation and world as an exemplary and upstanding pillar of intelligent print and broadcast journalism.
The complete list of the winners of the 2018 CIFCC Awards:
BEST INDEPENDENT FILM
If Beale Street Could Talk
Megan Ellison, DeDe Gardner, Barry Jenkins, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski, and Sara Murphy (producers)
BEST STUDIO FILM
Black Panther
Kevin Feige (producer)
BEST FOREIGN FILM
Roma
Alfonso Cuarón, Gabriela Rodriguez, and Nicolas Celis (producers)
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Minding the Gap
Bing Liu and Diane Quon (producers)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Avi Arad, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, and Christina Steinberg (producers)
BEST DIRECTOR
BlacKkKlansman
Spike Lee
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Eighth Grade
Bo Burnham
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BlacKkKlansman
Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee
BEST ACTOR
First Reformed
Ethan Hawke
BEST ACTRESS
Eighth Grade
Elsie Fisher
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Richard E. Grant
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
If Beale Street Could Talk
Regina King
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
Black Panther
Sarah Finn (casting director)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roma
Alfonso Cuarón
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Favourite
Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton
BEST COSTUME DESIGN AND MAKEUP
Black Panther
Ruth E. Carter, Joel Harlow, Camille Friend, and Ken Diaz
BEST EDITING
Roma
Alfonso Cuarón and Adam Gough
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
If Beale Street Could Talk
Nicholas Britell
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
First Man
Paul Lambert, J.D. Schwaim, Ian Hunter, and Tristan Myles
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS
TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Bing Liu for Minding the Gap
IMPACT AWARD
Spike Lee for BlacKkKlansman
CIFCC AWARD WINNERS BY THE NUMBERS:
3: Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, If Beale Street Could Talk, Roma
2: Eighth Grade, Minding the Gap
1: Can You Ever Forgive Me?, The Favourite, First Man, First Reformed, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
THE CHICAGO INDEPENDENT FILM CRITICS CIRCLE ANNOUNCES ITS NOMINEES FOR THEIR THIRD ANNUAL CIFCC AWARDS
The Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle has announced their nominees for the third annual CIFCC Awards. The voting members completed ballots to compile five nominees for 21 categories. CIFCC critics will commence a final round of voting ending on February 1, 2019. The 2018 CIFCC Award winners will be announced on the evening of February 2, 2019. A celebratory invitation-only private event will be held at the Cards Against Humanity Theater in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago.
Fans and followers can watch the awards event live-streaming on the CIFCC’s YouTube channel.
Leading all films with an impressive eleven nominations is the acclaimed comic book blockbuster Black Panther from director Ryan Coogler. The 32-year-old Oakland-born filmmaker is himself nominated for four different CIFCC Awards this year. Alfonso Cuarón’s highly regarded foreign language film Roma and the scathing Yorgos Lanthimos dark comedy The Favourite carry nine nominations each. Five of Roma’s nine nominations match work by the prolific Cuarón. Following closely is the tautly introspective historical drama First Man from Damien Chazelle, a previous CIFCC Award winner for La La Land, earned eight nominations. In all, there are 37 different nominated films included across the 21 total categories of the 2018 CIFCC Awards.
Two awards of special recognition and interest are the annual Trailblazer and Impact Awards. The CIFCC’s Trailblazer Award honors the work of an artist who truly pushed the boundaries of the medium in terms of form and content. Nominated this year are filmmakers Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), Alfonso Cuarón (Roma), Bing Liu (Minding the Gap), Adam McKay (Vice), and Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You). The Impact Award celebrates a person whose work during the past year made positive impact on society. The nominees include Brian Andreotti of Chicago’s Music Box Theatre and filmmakers Bo Burnham (Eighth Grade), Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians), Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), and Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman).
Founded in 2016, the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle (CIFCC) is a creative and engaging non-for-profit organization composed of unique, dedicated, and diversified film critics. Its members are wide-ranging in experiences, backgrounds, tastes, diversities, and target audiences across both print and online platforms and publications. The CIFCC organized to share their personal assessments, commentaries, passions, and creativity in the vigilant effort to highlight the greatness and diversity found in both independent and mainstream films. While they originate in the Chicagoland area, the efforts of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle are to share, celebrate, and promote the rich artistic medium of film to audiences, fans, and eager minds across the nation and world as an exemplary and upstanding pillar of intelligent print and broadcast journalism.
COMPLETE LIST OF CIFCC AWARD NOMINATIONS
BEST INDEPENDENT FILM (budgets under $20 million)
Eighth Grade
First Reformed
Hereditary
If Beale Street Could Talk
Roma
BEST STUDIO FILM (budgets over $20 million)
Annihilation
Black Panther
First Man
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
A Star is Born
Vice
BEST FOREIGN FILM
Burning
Cold War
The Guilty
Roma
Shoplifters
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Free Solo
Minding the Gap
RBG
Three Identical Strangers
Won’t You Be My Neighbor
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Big Fish & Begonia
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
BEST DIRECTOR
Ari Aster- Hereditary
Ryan Coogler- Black Panther
Alfonso Cuarón- Roma
Spike Lee- BlacKkKlansman
Lynne Ramsey- You Were Never Really Here
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Eighth Grade- Bo Burnham
The Favourite– Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
First Reformed- Paul Schrader
Roma– Alfonso Cuarón
Vice– Adam McKay
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Black Panther– Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole
BlacKkKlansman– Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee
Can You Ever Forgive Me?– Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
If Beale Street Could Talk– Barry Jenkins
Leave No Trace– Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini
A Star is Born– Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, and Will Fetters
BEST ACTOR
Christian Bale- Vice
Bradley Cooper- A Star is Born
Ryan Gosling- First Man
Ethan Hawke- First Reformed
Joaquin Phoenix- You Were Never Really Here
BEST ACTRESS
Yalitza Aparicio- Roma
Toni Collette- Hereditary
Olivia Colman- The Favourite
Elsie Fisher- Eighth Grade
Lady Gaga- A Star is Born
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali- Green Book
Adam Driver- BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott- A Star is Born
Hugh Grant- Paddington 2
Richard E. Grant- Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Michael B. Jordan- Black Panther
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Elizabeth Debicki- Widows
Claire Foy- First Man
Regina King- If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone- The Favourite
Rachel Weisz- The Favourite
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
The Favourite
If Beale Street Could Talk
Widows
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Cold War– Lukasz Zal
The Favourite– Robbie Ryan
First Man– Linus Sandgren
If Beale Street Could Talk– James Laxton
Roma– Alfonso Cuarón
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Annihilation– Mark Digby and Michelle Day
Black Panther– Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart
Crazy Rich Asians– Nelson Coates and Andrew Baseman
The Favourite– Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton
First Man– Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas
Roma– Eugenio Caballero and Barbara Enriquez
BEST COSTUME DESIGN AND MAKEUP
Black Panther– Ruth E. Carter (costumes), Joel Harlow, Camille Friend, and Ken Diaz (makeup)
The Favourite– Sandy Powell (costumes), Nadia Stacey (hair and makeup)
Mary Poppins Returns- Sandy Powell (costumes), Peter Swords King (makeup)
Suspiria– Giulia Piersanti (costumes) Fernanda Perez (makeup)
Vice– Susan Matheson (costumes), Kate Biscoe (makeup)
BEST EDITING
The Favourite– Yorgos Mavropsaridis
First Man– Tom Cross
Roma– Alfonso Cuarón and Adam Gough
A Star is Born– Jay Cassidy
Widows– Joe Walker
BEST MUSICAL SCORE
Annihilation- Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury
Black Panther- Ludwig Goransson
First Man- Justin Hurwitz
If Beale Street Could Talk- Nicholas Britell
Mandy– Jóhann Jóhannsson
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Annihilation– Richard Clarke, Simon Hughes, Andrew Whitehurst, and Sara Bennett
Avengers: Infinity War– Dan Deleeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl, and Dan Sudick
Black Panther– Geoffrey Baumann, Jesse James Chisholm, Craig Hammack, and Dan Sudick
First Man– Paul Lambert, J.D. Schwaim, Ian Hunter, and Tristan Myles
Ready Player One– Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew E. Butler, and David Shirk
SPECIAL AWARDS
TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Ryan Coogler for Black Panther
Alfonso Cuarón for Roma
Bing Liu for Minding the Gap
Adam McKay for Vice
Boots Riley for Sorry to Bother You
IMPACT AWARD
Brian Andreotti for the Music Box Theatre
Bo Burnham for Eighth Grade
Jon M. Chu for Crazy Rich Asians
Ryan Coogler for Black Panther
Spike Lee for BlacKkKlansman
CIFCC AWARD NOMINATIONS BY THE NUMBERS:
11: Black Panther
9: The Favourite, Roma
8: First Man
6: If Beale Street Could Talk, A Star is Born
5: Vice
4: Annihilation, BlacKkKlansman,
3: Eighth Grade, First Reformed, Hereditary, Widows
2: Avengers: Infinity War, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Cold War, Crazy Rich Asians, Minding the Gap, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, You Were Never Really Here
1: Big Fish & Begonia, Burning, Free Solo, The Guilty, Green Book, Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, Leave No Trace, Mandy, Paddington 2, Ralph Breaks the Internet, RBG, Ready Player One, Shoplifters, Suspiria, Three Identical Strangers, Won’t You Be My Neighbor
2018 AWARDS TIMELINE
Nominations announced January 27, 2019
Winner announced February 2, 2019
CATEGORIES
- Best Independent Film (under $20M)
- Best Studio Film (over $20M)
- Best Foreign-Language Film
- Best Documentary
- Best Animated Film
- Best Director
- Best Original Screenplay
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Supporting Actor
- Best Supporting Actress
- Best Production Design
- Best Cinematography
- Best Editing
- Best Musical Score
- Best Visual Effects
- Best Makeup and Costume Design
- Best Ensemble
- Impact Award (positive impact in cinema)
- Trailblazer Award (audacious artist/film)