Women Film Critics Circle Announces 2021 Awards
- Details
- Category: Women Film Critics Circle
- Published on 16 December 2021
- Written by Stephen Thorburn
The Women Film Critics Circle has announced its 2O21 Awards for the best movies this year by and about women - and outstanding achievements by women, who get to be rarely honored historically in the film world. Taking top honors as Best Movie About Woman was Passing. The film also won 3 additional awards - Best Screen Couple: Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson, The Josephine Baker Award for a film that most passionately opposes violence against women, and the Karen Morley Award for best exemplifying a woman's place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity. Kristen Stewart was named Best Actress for her portrayal of Princess Diana in Spencer.
The Women Film Critics Circle is comprised of 75 women film critics and scholars from around the country and internationally, who are involved in print, radio, online and TV broadcast media. WFCC was the first women critics’ organization in the United States, and was formed in the belief that women’s perspectives and voices in film criticism need to be recognized fully. WFCC also prides itself on being the most culturally and racially diverse critics group in the country by far, and best reflecting the diversity of movie audiences.
As proud members of this prestigious group,The Flick Chicks (Judy Thorburn and Jacqueline Monahan) are delighted to share WFCC's full list of nominees, winners and runners-up in each category.
Women Film Critics Circle 2021 AwardsBEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMENWINNER: PassingRUNNER-UP: The Lost DaughterBeing the RicardosCODABEST MOVIE BY A WOMANWINNER: Jane Campion - The Power of the DogRUNNER-UP: Sian Heder - CODANora Fingscheidt - The UnforgivableRebecca Hall - PassingBEST WOMAN STORYTELLER (Screenwriting Award)WINNER: Jane Champion - The Power of the DogRUNNER-UP: Rebecca Hall - PassingCharlene Favier, Antoine Lacomblez and Marie Talon - SlalomSian Heder - CODABEST ACTRESSWINNER: Kristen Stewart - SpencerRUNNER-UP: Nicole Kidman - Being the RicardosSandra Bullock - The UnforgivableVirginie Efira - BenedettaBEST ACTORWINNER: Will Smith - King RichardRUNNER-UP: Benedict Cumberbatch - The Power of the DogAndrew Garfield - tick, tick… BOOM!Nicolas Cage - PigBEST FOREIGN FILM BY OR ABOUT WOMENWINNER: TitaneRUNNER-UP: Drive My CarBenedettaI’m Your ManBEST DOCUMENTARY BY OR ABOUT WOMENWINNER: Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for ItRUNNER-UP: Introducing, Selma BlairGundaLady BudsBEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXESWINNER: King RichardRUNNER-UP (TIE): Being the RicardosRUNNER-UP (TIE): The Harder They FallGunpowder MilkshakeBEST ANIMATED FEMALEWINNER: Mirabel - EncantoRUNNER-UP: Raya - Raya and the Last DragonAbuela Alma - EncantoGabi - VivoBEST SCREEN COUPLEWINNER: Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson - PassingRUNNER-UP (TIE): Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur - CODARUNNER-UP (TIE): Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem - Being the RicardosAnthony Ramos and Melissa Barrera - In The Heights*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD – For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: Adrienne Shelly was a promising actress and filmmaker who was brutally strangled in her apartment in 2006 at the age of forty by a construction worker in the building, after she complained about noise. Her killer tried to cover up his crime by hanging her from a shower rack in her bathroom, to make it look like suicide. He later confessed that he was having a "bad day." Shelly, who left behind a baby daughter, had just completed her film Waitress, which she also starred in, and which was honored at Sundance after her death.WINNER: Last Night in SohoRUNNER-UP: Adrienne*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD – For best expressing the woman of color experience in America*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: The daughter of a laundress and a musician, Baker overcame being born black, female and poor, and marriage at age fifteen, to become an internationally acclaimed legendary performer, starring in the films Princess Tam Tam, Moulin Rouge and Zou Zou. She also survived the race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois as a child, and later expatriated to France to escape US racism. After participating heroically in the underground French Resistance during WWII, Baker returned to the US where she was a crusader for racial equality. Her activism led to attacks against her by reporter Walter Winchell who denounced her as a communist, leading her to wage a battle against him. Baker was instrumental in ending segregation in many theaters and clubs, where she refused to perform unless integration was implemented.WINNER: PassingRUNNER-UP: RespectBruisedTest Pattern*KAREN MORLEY AWARD – For best exemplifying a woman's place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity*KAREN MORLEY AWARD: Karen Morley was a promising Hollywood star in the 1930s, in such films as Mata Hari and Our Daily Bread. She was driven out of Hollywood for her leftist political convictions by the Blacklist and for refusing to testify against other actors, while Robert Taylor and Sterling Hayden were informants against her. And also for daring to have a child and become a mother, unacceptable for female stars in those days. Morley maintained her militant political activism for the rest of her life, running for Lieutenant Governor on the American Labor Party ticket in 1954. She passed away in 2003, unrepentant to the end, at the age of 93.WINNER: PassingRUNNER-UP: Being the RicardosBenedettaSpencerACTING AND ACTIVISM AWARDDolly PartonLIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDBetty White
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