21ST ANNUAL AUSTIN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS
Thursday, December 18, 2025
BEST PICTURE
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER •
Warner Bros. Pictures
Paul Thomas Anderson | Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, Adam Somner, Sara Murphy | Producers
—
Bugonia • Focus Features
Frankenstein • Netflix
Marty Supreme • A24
The Secret Agent • NEON
Sentimental Value • NEON
Sinners • Warner Bros. Pictures
The Testament of Ann Lee • Searchlight Pictures
Train Dreams • Netflix
Weapons • Warner Bros. Pictures / New Line Cinema
Best Director
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER •
Warner Bros. Pictures
Paul Thomas Anderson, Adam Somner, Sara Murphy | Producers
—
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Guillermo Del Toro – Frankenstein
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Best Actor
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET
MARTY SUPREME • A24
Josh Safdie | Director
Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Anthony Katagas, Timothée Chalamet | Producers
—
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Best Actress
ROSE BYRNE
IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU • A24
Mary Bronstein | Director
Sara Murphy, Ryan Zacarias, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Eli Bush, Conor Hannon, Richie Doyle | Producers
—
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Jennifer Lawrence – Die My Love
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Best Supporting Actor
BENICIO DEL TORO
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER •
Warner Bros. Pictures
Paul Thomas Anderson | Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, Adam Somner, Sara Murphy | Producers
—
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
David Jonsson – The Long Walk
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
Best Supporting Actress
AMY MADIGAN
WEAPONS • Warner Bros / New Line Cinema
Zach Cregger | Director
Zach Cregger, Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, J. D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules | Producers
—
Odessa A’zion – Marty Supreme
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Best Ensemble
SINNERS • Warner Bros. Pictures
Ryan Coogler | Director
Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler | Producers
—
The Long Walk
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Best Original Screenplay
MARTY SUPREME • A24
Written by Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
Josh Safdie | Director
Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Anthony Katagas, Timothée Chalamet | Producers
—
The Secret Agent – Kleber Mendonça Filho
Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier
Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Weapons – Zach Cregger
Best Adapted Screenplay
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER •
Warner Bros. Pictures
Written by Paul Thomas Anderson & Thomas Pynchon
Paul Thomas Anderson | Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, Adam Somner, Sara Murphy | Producers
—
Bugonia – Will Tracy and Jang Joon-hwan
Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro and Mary Shelley
No Other Choice – Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahye Lee, Don McKellar and Donald E. Westlake
Train Dreams – Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar and Denis Johnson
Best Cinematography
SINNERS • Warner Bros. Pictures
Cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Ryan Coogler | Director
Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler | Producers
—
Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen
Marty Supreme – Darius Khondji
One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman
Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso
Best Editing
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER •
Warner Bros. Pictures
Editing by Andy Jurgensen
Ryan Coogler | Director
Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler | Producers
—
F1: The Movie – Stephen Mirrione
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
Sinners – Michael P. Shawver
Weapons – Joe Murphy
Best ORIGINAL SCORE
SINNERS • Warner Bros. Pictures
Composed by Ludwig Göransson
Ryan Coogler | Director
Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler | Producers
—
Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
The Testament of Ann Lee – Daniel Blumberg
Tron: Ares – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails)
Best International Film
THE SECRET AGENT • NEON
Kleber Mendonça Filho | Director
Emilie Lesclaux, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Wagner Moura, Brent Travers | Producers
—
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
Sentimental Value
Sirāt
BEST DOCUMENTARY
THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR • Netflix
Geeta Gandbhir | Director
Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne, Sam Bisbee, Geeta Gandbhir | Producers
—
Come See Me In The Good Light
The Librarians
Orwell: 2+2=5
Predators
Best Animated Film
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS • Netflix
Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang | Directors
Michelle L.M. Wong | Producer
—
Arco
Elio
Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
Best Voice Acting/Animated/Digital Performance
OONA CHAPLIN
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH •
20th Century Studios
James Cameron | Director
James Cameron, Jon Landau | Producers
—
Arden Cho – Audrey Nuna – KPop Demon Hunters
Will Patton – Train Dreams
Stephen Lang – Avatar: Fire & Ash
Zoe Saldaña – Avatar: Fire & Ash
Best Stuntwork
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING • Paramount Pictures
Christopher McQuarrie | Director
Christopher McQuarrie, Tom Cruise | Producers
—
Ballerina
F1: The Movie
One Battle After Another
Sinners
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH •
20th Century Studios
James Cameron | Director
James Cameron, Jon Landau | Producers
—
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
Sinners
Superman
BEST REMAKE / FRANCHISE FILM
WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY • Netflix
Rian Johnson | Director
Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman | Producers
—
28 Years Later
Avatar: Fire & Ash
Frankenstein
Superman
Best First Film
EVA VICTOR
SORRY, BABY • A24
Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins | Producers
—
Andrew DeYoung – Friendship
Carson Lund – Eephus
Charlie Polinger – The Plague
Kristen Stewart – The Chronology of Water
— 21st Annual Austin Film Critics Association Awards —
Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial
Breakthrough Artist Award
ODESSA A’ZION
MARTY SUPREME • A24
Josh Safdie | Director
Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Anthony Katagas, Timothée Chalamet | Producers
MILES CATON
SINNERS • Warner Bros. Pictures
Ryan Coogler | Director
Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler | Producers
CHASE INFINITI
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER • Warner Bros. Pictures
Paul Thomas Anderson | Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, Adam Somner, Sara Murphy | Producers
MAGGIE KANG
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS • Netflix
Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang | Directors
Michelle L.M. Wong | Producer
EVA VICTOR
SORRY, BABY • A24
Eva Victor | Director
Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski | Producers
Best Austin Film
BLUE MOON • Sony Pictures Classics
Richard Linklater | Director
Christopher McQuarrie, Tom Cruise | Producers
—
The American Southwest – Ben Masters
Man Goes on Rant – Peter Curtis Pardini
Nouvelle Vague – Richard Linklater
The Toxic Avenger – Macon Blair
Austin Film Critics Association
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/Animated/Digital:
Best Stuntwork:
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
BEST REMAKE/FRANCHISE FILM:
Best First Film:
Austin Film Award:
“One Battle After Another”
Paul Thomas Anderson – “One Battle After Another”
Rose Byrne – “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Timothée Chalamet – “Marty Supreme”
Amy Madigan – “Weapons”
Benicio Del Toro – “One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”
“Marty Supreme” – Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
“One Battle After Another” – Paul Thomas Anderson
“Sinners” – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
“One Battle After Another” – Andy Jurgensen
“Sinners” – Ludwig Göransson
“The Secret Agent”
“The Perfect Neighbor”
“KPop Demon Hunters”
Oona Chaplin – “Avatar: Fire & Ash”
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”
“Avatar: Fire & Ash”
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”
Eva Victor – “Sorry, Baby”
“Blue Moon”
ABOUT THE Austin Film Critics Association
Since its inception, the members of the Austin Film Critics Association have been doing their best to Keep Austin Weird. With upsets like Ellen Page’s win over Helen Mirren in 2006 and “The Dark Knight” besting “Slumdog Millionaire” in 2008, it’s no surprise the AFCA has been called everything from “wildly contrarian” (Entertainment Weekly) to “progressive…compared to their counterparts” (FEARnet). Either way, these Austinites have established themselves as a collective that everyone in Hollywood must keep an eye on come awards season.
Founded in 2005 by Cole Dabney & Bobby McCurdy, the AFCA has seen its membership grow from single digits to well over 30 members with a diverse roster of professional film critics who regularly review movies for daily newspapers, weekly alternatives, local radio, monthly magazines, and websites with international prominence.
Each December, AFCA members vote on the year’s best in film, celebrating excellence on both sides of the camera. Awards are given annually in a number of “Oscar” categories and several unique AFCA categories, including the Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist Award, Best First Film, Best International Film, Best Ensemble and Best Austin Film.
The various outlets our members contribute to include Austin American-Statesman, the Austin Chronicle, Birth.Movies.Death, Cinapse, Daily Grindhouse, the Daily Dot, the Daily Texan, Double Toasted, Film School Rejects, FirstShowing.net, GotchaMovies, Hammer to Nail, Hill Country News, Horror’s Not Dead, KOOP 91.7 FM Radio, Movies.com, Nerdist, One Movie Punch, One Of Us, ScreenCrush, Smells Like Screen Spirit, and True View Reviews.
