The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association picked “Belfast” as the Best Film of 2021, but overall, they spread the love. Not only did “Belfast” win Best Film, it also won Best Original Screenplay. “The Power of the Dog” won Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay while “tick, tick… Boom!” won Best Actor and Best Editing. Winning three technical awards was “Dune,” with Score, Cinematography, and Production Design, a precursor to where it should likely land with nominations at the Oscars.
BEST FILM
“Belfast”
Produced by Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik, and Tamar Thomas Focus Features
NOMINEES
“The Green Knight” (A24)
“The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)
“tick, tick…BOOM!” (Netflix)
“West Side Story” (20th Century Studios)
BEST DIRECTOR
Jane Campion “The Power of the Dog”
Netflix
NOMINEES
Kenneth Branagh — “Belfast” (Focus Features)
David Lowery — “The Green Knight” (A24)
Steven Spielberg — “West Side Story” (20th Century Studios)
Denis Villeneuve — “Dune” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
BEST ACTOR
Andrew Garfield “tick, tick…BOOM!”
Netflix
NOMINEES
Nicolas Cage — “Pig” (Neon)
Benedict Cumberbatch — “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)
Will Smith — “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Denzel Washington — “The Tragedy of Macbeth” (A24)
BEST ACTRESS
Kristen Stewart “Spencer”
Neon
NOMINEES
Olivia Colman — “The Lost Daughter” (Netflix)
Nicole Kidman — “Being the Ricardos” (Amazon Studios)
Lady Gaga — “House of Gucci” (MGM)
Tessa Thompson — “Passing” (Netflix)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kodi Smit-McPhee “The Power of the Dog”
Netflix
NOMINEES
Jamie Dornan — “Belfast” (Focus Features)
Ciarán Hinds — “Belfast” (Focus Features)
Troy Kotsur — “CODA” (Apple Original Films)
Jesse Plemons — “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Aunjanue Ellis “King Richard”
Warner Bros. Pictures
NOMINEES
Caitríona Balfe — “Belfast” (Focus Features)
Ariana DeBose — “West Side Story” (20th Century Studios)
Ann Dowd — “Mass” (Bleeker Street)
Kirsten Dunst — “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
“Mass”
Cast: Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, and Martha Plimpton Bleeker Street
“The French Dispatch” — Alexandre Desplat (Searchlight Pictures)
“The Power of the Dog” — Jonny Greenwood (Netflix)
“Spencer” — Jonny Greenwood (Neon)
QUICK LIST
Best Film: “Belfast” Best Director: Jane Campion — “The Power of the Dog” Best Actor: Andrew Garfield — “tick, tick…BOOM!” Best Actress: Kristen Stewart — “Spencer” Best Supporting Actor: Kodi Smit-McPhee — “The Power of the Dog” Best Supporting Actress: Aunjanue Ellis — “King Richard” Best Acting Ensemble: “Mass” Best Youth Performance: Woody Norman — “C’mon, C’mon” Best Voice Performance: Awkwafina — “Raya and the Last Dragon” Best Original Screenplay: “Belfast” — Kenneth Branagh Best Adapted Screenplay: “The Power of the Dog” — Jane Campion Best Animated Feature: “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” Best Documentary: “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” Best Foreign Language Film: “Drive My Car” Best Production Design: “Dune” — Patrice Vermette, Production Designer; Richard Roberts and Zsuzsanna Sipos, Set Decorators Best Cinematography: “Dune” — Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS Best Editing: “tick, tick…BOOM!” — Myron Kerstein, ACE; Andrew Weisblum, ACE Best Original Score: “Dune” — Hans Zimmer
WASHINGTON D.C. AREA FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION
Founded in 2002, The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) comprises professional DC-based film critics with affiliations in television, radio, print and the internet. As of 2019, WAFCA has grown to include over 60 dedicated members from the District, Maryland and Virginia.