Australian Film Critics Association

{{Short description|Professional association of film critics and reviewers}}

{{Distinguish|Film Critics Circle of Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}

{{use Australian English|date=April 2020}}

The Australian Film Critics Association (AFCA), formerly Melbourne Film Critics' Forum, is an Australian professional association for film critics, reviewers and journalists who work in the media, based in Melbourne.{{cite web | title=Contact | website=Australian Film Critics Association | url=http://www.auscritic.com/contact.html | access-date=25 April 2020 | archive-date=18 January 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118173528/http://www.auscritic.com/contact.html | url-status=dead }} It is a member of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI).{{cite web|title=Australian Film Critics|url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/australian-film-critics|first=Jan|last=Thurling|work=National Film and Sound Archive|access-date=30 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530145954/https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/australian-film-critics|archive-date=30 May 2019|url-status=live}}

History

Formed in 1996, AFCA began as the Melbourne Film Critics' Forum, expanding to a national organisation in 2004. In the same year, AFCA became an Australian representative of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI),{{cite web|title=FIPRESCI – Members|url=http://www.fipresci.org/about-us/members|work=FIPRESCI|access-date=17 February 2019}} which comprises the national organisations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world. FIPRESCI has members in more than 50 countries worldwide. AFCA helped to establish the first FIPRESCI jury at the Adelaide Film Festival.

AFCA's members, several of whom contribute to internationally recognised media outlets, are professional film critics, film reviewers and film journalists, from all media forums, who provide informed discussion, analysis and comment on Australian and world cinema. Here are some of them (past and present):

  • Adam Ross, Lachlan Marks, Alan James, Laura Bennett, Alex Thomas, Lawrence Barber, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Lee Zachariah, Lisa Thatcher, Ashley Beks, Luke Buckmaster, Marcella Papandrea, Bede Jermyn, Madeleine Swain, Mark Lavercombe, Cameron Williams, Matthew Toomey, Carol Van Opstal, Nicholas Brodie, Peter Krausz, Richard Alaba, David O'Connell, Andrew F Peirce, Nadine Whitney, Cerise Howard, Jamie Tran, Stephen A Russell, Travis Johnson, David Heslin, Jake Wilson, Karl Quinn, Glenn Dunks, Greg King, Lindsay Wilkins, Zak Hepburn, Emma Westwood, Thomas Caldwell, Josh Nelson, Lesley Chow, Sarah Ward, Jonathan Spiroff, Dave Griffiths{{cite web|title=MEMBERS – Australian Film Critics Association|url=http://www.auscritic.com/members.html|work=Australian Film Critics Association|access-date=17 February 2019|archive-date=22 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122190006/http://www.auscritic.com/members.html|url-status=dead}}

The body supports both mainstream and independent cinema and highlights significant or challenging films.{{cite web|url=http://afca.org.au/whatsnew.php |title=Who are we? |work=Australian Film Critics Association |access-date=2008-12-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025203835/http://afca.org.au/whatsnew.php |archive-date=25 October 2008 }}

Film awards

On 22 January 2008, AFCA announced the results of its inaugural Film Awards for 2007. The awards span four categories comprising Best Australian Film, Best Overseas Film, Best Documentary and Best Unreleased Film (in Australia at the time of the awards). The winning and commended films granted AFCA film awards are:

class="wikitable" width="95%" cellpadding="5"
width="100"|Year

!width="100"|

!width="300"|Best Australian

!width="300"|Best Overseas

!width="300"|Best Documentary

!width="300"|Best Unreleased

rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"|2007{{cite web|title=Noise named best Australian film of 2007|date=23 January 2008|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/bfilmb-inoisei-named-best-australian-movie-of-2007/2008/01/22/1200764258404.html|work=The Age|access-date=17 February 2019}}Winner:NoiseNo Country for Old Men (US)Forbidden Lie$ (Australia)The Band's Visit (Israel)
Commended:The Home Song StoriesThe Lives of Others (Germany)Deep Water (UK)-
Commended:Romulus, My Father4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania)Sicko (US)-
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2008{{cite web|title=AFCA Awards 2009: The Black Balloon Soars Again|date=29 January 2009|url=http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=15327&s=Features|work=Urban Cinefile|access-date=30 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002195239/http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=15327&s=Features|archive-date=October 2, 2009}}Winner:The Black BalloonThere Will Be Blood (US)Man on Wire (UK)In the City of Sylvia (Spain)
Commended:The SquareThe Dark Knight (US)Not Quite Hollywood (Australia)Romance of Astree and Celadon (France/Italy/Spain)
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2009{{cite web|title=2009 AFCA Awards Winners|url=http://s168.n228.n6.n64.static.myhostcenter.com/2009_afca_awards.php|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20160303000000/http://s168.n228.n6.n64.static.myhostcenter.com/2009_afca_awards.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 March 2016|work=AFCA|access-date=30 May 2019}}Winner:BaliboLet the Right One In (Sweden)Of Time and the City (UK)Un Lac (France)
Commended:Mary & Max, Samson and DelilahMoon (UK), Wrestler (US), Up (US)Encounters at the End of the World (Germany), Capitalism: A Love Story (US)Love Exposure (Japan)
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2010{{cite web|title=AFCA Announces results of annual industry awards|url=https://www.artshub.com.au/news-article/news/all-arts/artshub/afca-announces-results-of-annual-industry-awards-183305|work=ArtsHub|date=21 February 2011|access-date=30 May 2019}}Winner:Animal KingdomThe Social Network (US)Exit Through the Gift Shop (UK)Air Doll (Japan)
Commended:Beneath Hill 60, The Waiting City, Bran Nue DaeToy Story 3 (US), The Hurt Locker (US), Inception (US/UK)Food, Inc. (US), La Danse (France/US), Gasland (US)Tetro (US/Argentina/Spain/Italy), Film Socialisme (Switzerland/France), Berlin 36 (Germany)

In 2011 acting awards were introduced and the Best Unreleased Film category was discontinued.

class="wikitable" width="95%" cellpadding="5"
width="100"|Year

!width="300"|Best Film

!width="300"|Best International Film (English Language)

!width="300"|Best International Film (Foreign Language)

!width="300"|Best Documentary

style="text-align:center;"|2011{{cite web|title=Snowtown takes top spots at the Australian Film Critics Association Film Awards|url=https://mumbrella.com.au/snowtown-takes-top-spots-at-the-australian-film-critics-association-film-awards-77032|first=Colin|last=Delaney|work=Mumbrella|date=28 February 2012|access-date=30 May 2019}}SnowtownThe Tree of Life (US)Incendies (Canada)Senna (UK)
style="text-align:center;"|2012{{cite web|title=AFCA 2013 Writing & Film Award Winners|url=http://www.auscritic.com/afca-2013-writing--film-awards.html|work=AFCA|access-date=30 May 2019}}The SapphiresHugo (France/UK/US)A Separation (Iran)Searching for Sugar Man (Sweden/UK/Finland)
style="text-align:center;"|2013{{cite web|title=AFCA 2014 Writing & Film Award Winners|url=http://www.auscritic.com/afca-2014-writing--film-awards.html|work=AFCA|access-date=30 May 2019|archive-date=19 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019134642/http://www.auscritic.com/afca-2014-writing--film-awards.html|url-status=dead}}Mystery RoadDjango Unchained (US)Amour (France/Germany/Austria)Stories We Tell (Canada)
style="text-align:center;"|2014{{cite web|title=AFCA 2015 Writing & Film Award Winners|url=http://www.auscritic.com/afca-2015-writing--film-awards.html|work=AFCA|access-date=30 May 2019}}The BabadookThe Grand Budapest Hotel (US/Germany)Two Days, One Night (Belgium/France/Italy)Jodorowsky's Dune (US/France)
style="text-align:center;"|2015{{cite web|title=AFCA 2016 Writing & Film Award Winners|url=http://www.auscritic.com/afca-2016-writing--film-awards.html|work=AFCA|access-date=30 May 2019}}Mad Max: Fury RoadBirdman (US)Phoenix (Germany)Amy (UK)
style="text-align:center;"|2016{{cite web|title=AFCA 2017 Writing & Film Award Winners|url=http://www.auscritic.com/afca-2017-writing--film-awards.html|work=AFCA|access-date=30 May 2019}}Girl AsleepArrival (US)Mustang (France/Germany/Turkey)Sherpa (Australia)
style="text-align:center;"|2017{{cite web|title=AFCA 2018 Writing & Film Award Winners|url=http://www.auscritic.com/afca-2018-writing--film-awards.html|work=AFCA|access-date=30 May 2019}}Hounds of LoveMoonlight (US)Toni Erdmann (Germany/Austria)I Am Not Your Negro (France/US/Switzerland/Belgium)
style="text-align:center;"|2018{{cite web|title=2019 AFCA Awards|url=http://www.auscritic.com/afca-2019-film-awards.html|work=AFCA|access-date=30 May 2019}}Sweet CountryYou Were Never Really Here (UK/US/France)Roma (Mexico)Gurrumul (Australia)

Best Film (2019-2023):

class="wikitable"

|+

YearFilm
2019Sweet Country
2021Nitram
2022 The Stranger
2023Of an Age

Writing awards

In conjunction with its 2009 film awards, AFCA announced the results of its inaugural writing awards. The categories and winners are:

class="wikitable" width="95%" cellpadding="5"
width="100"|Year

!width="300"|Ivan Hutchinson Award for Writing on Australian Film

!width="300"|Award for Writing on Non-Australian Film

!width="300"|Award for a Review of an individual Australian Film

!width="300"|Award for a Review of an individual Non-Australian Film

style="text-align:center;"|2009Loving Samson and Delilah, Therese DavisFake Politics for the Real America, Martyn PedlerDisgrace, Alice Tynan2012, Stephen Rowley
style="text-align:center;"|2010Some of the Finest Films, Thomas CaldwellA Feast of Love – Eros, Agape and The Food Film, Bernard HemingwayThe Loved Ones, Anders WotzkeI'm Still Here, Luke Buckmaster
style="text-align:center;"|2011Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? We Are, Rebecca Harkins-CrossIslands and Ghosts: Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer, Jake WilsonGriff the Invisible, Alice TynanUncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Josh Nelson
style="text-align:center;"|2012God in all things: Amiel Courtin-Wilson's Hail, Josh NelsonThe Shape of Rage: David Cronenberg's Dangerous Methods, Rebecca Harkins CrossAll the Way Through Evening, Michael ScottThe Perks of Being a Wallflower, Laurence Barber
style="text-align:center;"|2013Launching The Rocket: Beyond the Typical Australian Film, Glenn DunksThrough the Mind: Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, Scott MacLeodThe Great Gatsby, Simon MiraudoTo the Wonder, Simon Di Berardino
style="text-align:center;"|2014Anger and Banality in Ghosts… of the Civil Dead, Thomas CaldwellTime Enough at Last: The Long History of the Long Film, Jake MoodyThe Babadook, Alexandra DonaldBoyhood, Kristen S. He
style="text-align:center;"|2015The Shadow of the Rock, Rebecca Harkins-CrossMad Max: Fury Road, Alexandra Heller-NicholasBridge of Spies, Luke Goodsell
style="text-align:center;"|2016South of Ealing: recasting a British studio's antipodean escapade, Adrian DanksJoe Cinque's Consolation, Lauren Carroll HarrisNo Home Movie, Ivan Cercina
style="text-align:center;"|2017Dog Day, Every Day: Gillian Leahy’s Baxter and Me and the Essay Film, Adrian MartinEllipsis, Luke BuckmasterRisk, Glenn Dunks
style="text-align:center;"|2018{{cite web|title=2019 Writing Awards|url=http://www.auscritic.com/writing-awards.html|work=AFCA|access-date=30 May 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022142016/http://www.auscritic.com:80/writing-awards.html| archive-date=22 Oct 2019}}The art of metamorphosis: Julian Rosefeldt's 'Manifesto, Gabrielle O'BrienWest of Sunshine, Andrew PeirceDisobedience, Glen Falkenstein

See also

References

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