The Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GWNYFCA), a collective of WNY film critics from in and around the Buffalo and Rochester metropolitan areas, has been busy viewing, reviewing, and compiling a list of the best films of 2021. The ranking categories include best picture, best actors, and so forth.
“In an era of aggregate sites, we aspire to give our region a voice within the ever-changing international cinematic landscape.” – GWNYFCA
While ten different titles have received notice above their peers, leading the way are Pig (3 wins, including Best Picture), The Power Of The Dog (3 wins), Judas And The Black Messiah (2 wins), and Spencer (2 wins), according to GWNYFCA.
The 2021 GWNYFCA Film Awards Winners
Best Picture:
- C’mon C’mon
- CODA
- Dune
- The Green Knight
- Judas and the Black Messiah
- The Last Duel
- Licorice Pizza
- Pig – WINNER
- The Power of the Dog
- Spencer
Best Foreign Language Film:
- Drive My Car (Japan) – WINNER
- Flee (Denmark)
- Parallel Mothers (Spain)
- Titane (France)
- The Worst Person in the World (Norway)
Best Animated Film:
- Belle
- The Boss Baby: Family Business
- Flee
- Luca
- The Mitchells vs the Machines – WINNER
Best Documentary:
- Flee
- No Ordinary Man
- Procession
- The Sparks Brothers
- Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) – WINNER
Best Director:
- Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog – WINNER
- Pablo Larraín, Spencer
- Ridley Scott, The Last Duel
- Michael Sarnoski, Pig
- Denis Villeneuve, Dune
Lead Actor:
- Nicolas Cage, Pig – WINNER
- Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
- Andrew Garfield, tick, tick … BOOM!
- Joaquin Phoenix, C’mon C’mon
- Will Smith, King Richard
Lead Actress:
- Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
- Jodie Comer, The Last Duel
- Emilia Jones, CODA
- Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World
- Kristen Stewart, Spencer – WINNER
Supporting Actor:
- Robin de Jesús, tick, tick … BOOM!
- Mike Faist, West Side Story
- Jason Isaacs, Mass
- Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah – WINNER
- Troy Kotsur, CODA
Supporting Actress:
- Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
- Ariana Debose, West Side Story
- Ann Dowd, Mass
- Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
- Ruth Negga, Passing – WINNER
Original Screenplay:
- Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
- Will Berson & Shaka King (story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenneth Lucas & Keith Lucas), Judas and the Black Messiah – WINNER
- Julia Ducournau, Titane
- Fran Kranz, Mass
- Mike Mills, C’mon C’mon
Adapted Screenplay:
- Ben Affleck, Matt Damon & Nicole Holofcener, The Last Duel
- Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog – WINNER
- Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter
- Rebecca Hall, Passing
- Tony Kushner, West Side Story
Best Cinematography:
- Bruno Delbonnel, The Tragedy of Macbeth
- Andrew Droz Palermo, The Green Knight – WINNER
- Greig Fraser, Dune
- Claire Mathon, Spencer
- Ari Wegner, The Power of the Dog
Best Editing:
- Peter Sciberras, The Power of the Dog – WINNER
- Sebastián Sepúlveda, Spencer
- Claire Simpson, The Last Duel
- Joe Walker, Dune
- Andrew Weisblum, The French Dispatch
Best Score:
- Carter Burwell, The Tragedy of Macbeth
- Jonny Greenwood, The Power of the Dog
- Jonny Greenwood, Spencer – WINNER
- Alberto Iglesias, Parallel Mothers
- Hans Zimmer, Dune
Breakthrough Performance:
- Mike Faist, West Side Story
- Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza
- Emilia Jones, CODA
- Agathe Rousselle, Titane
- Rachel Sennott, Shiva Baby – WINNER
Breakthrough Director:
- Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter
- Rebecca Hall, Passing
- Fran Kranz, Mass
- Michael Sarnoski, Pig – WINNER
- Emma Seligman, Shiva Baby
Greater Western New York Film Critics Association
Website: gwnyfilmcritics.com
Twitter: @GWNYFilmCritics
Instagram: @gwnyfca