Atlanta Film Critics Circle Announces its 2021 Winners

For the fifth year, the twenty-eight voting members of Atlanta’s only dedicated city-specific critics group, the Atlanta Film Critics Circle, have awarded their top films of the year.

Composed of a dynamic mix of 28 Atlanta-based critics working in newspaper, magazine and online journalism, the AFCC’s mission is to establish a national presence for a film critics group in Atlanta and to foster a vibrant film culture in Atlanta, already home to an exploding film industry production presence.

Founding members (critics living in and/or currently writing for global, national, regional and/or Atlanta metro area outlets) of AFCC voted on December 5 for the group’s annual awards

“This year marked the first time we’ve tied in two categories, with ties in the Best Ensemble and Actress categories,” AFCC Advisory Board member Jason Evans notes. “It speaks to the quality of the films during this crazy pandemic year.”

Here is the complete list of winners:

TOP 10 FILMS:

Licorice Pizza                          

The Power of the Dog            

The Green Knight                   

Belfast                                    

Tick, Tick … Boom!                 

Drive My Car                          

Titane                                     

West Side Story                     

Flee                                        

Dune (tie)

The Worst Person in the World (tie)

BEST LEAD ACTOR:

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog            

BEST LEAD ACTRESS (TIE):

Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza                            

Kristen Stewart, Spencer                     

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza                      

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog                        

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST (TIE)

Licorice Pizza                   

Mass                                    

BEST DIRECTOR:

Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog                        

BEST SCREENPLAY:                              

Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza                          

BEST DOCUMENTARY:

Flee                                        

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE:

Drive My Car (Japan)                      

BEST ANIMATED FILM:

The Mitchells vs. the Machines   

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Ari Wegner, The Power of the Dog         

BEST SCORE:

Hans Zimmer, Dune                                      

AFCC Special Award for BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER:

Agathe Rousselle, Titane                    

AFCC Special Award for BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM:

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tick, Tick…Boom!