AFCA Backs 'Black Swan'

The Social Network has been dominating the awards season something fierce, but leave it to those contrarians at the Austin Film Critics Association (of which I am proud member) to buck the trend, naming Black Swan its best film of the year.

Black Swan scored five wins in total, including Best Director and Best Actress. The AFCA also championed Gareth Edwards' sci-fi stunner Monsters for Best First Film and pint-sized shapeshifter Chloë Grace Moretz for her polar-opposite parts in Kick-Ass and Let Me In. Moretz won the Breakthrough Artist Award, renamed this year in honor of AFCA founding member Robert McCurdy (of Cole and Bobby... at the Movies!!), who passed away suddenly last weekend. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Best Film: Black Swan

Best Director: Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech

Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Best Supporting Actress: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

Best Original Screenplay: Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin, Black Swan

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Best Cinematography: Matthew Libatique, Black Swan

Best Original Score: Daft Punk, Tron: Legacy

Best Foreign Film: A Prophet [Un Prophète], France

Best Documentary: Exit Through the Gift Shop, [dir. Banksy]

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3

Robert R. McCurdy Honorary Breakthrough Artist Award: Chloë Grace Moretz, Kick-Ass & Let Me In

Best First Film: Gareth Edwards, Monsters

Austin Film Award: Ben Steinbauer, Winnebago Man

Special Honorary Award: Friday Night Lights, for producing excellent, locally made television in Austin for the past five years

Top 10 Films:
1. Black Swan
2. The Social Network
3. Inception
4. Toy Story 3
5. The King's Speech
6. True Grit
7. The Fighter
8. A Prophet (Un Prophète)
9. Winter's Bone
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

The membership of the Austin Film Critics Association includes Marjorie Baumgarten (The Austin Chronicle), Jenn Brown (Slackerwood), Dave Campbell (Smells Like Screen Spirit), C. Robert Cargill (Film.com), Laurie Coker (Hill Country News), Korey Coleman (Spill), Chris Cox (Spill), Cole Dabney (INsite magazine), Victor Diaz (News 8 Austin), Charles Ealy (Austin American-Statesman), Peter S. Hall (Horror's Not Dead, Cinematical, and Horror Squad), Kimberley Jones (The Austin Chronicle), Jette Kernion (Cinematical), Harry Knowles (Ain't It Cool News), Bobby McCurdy (INsite magazine), Neil Miller (Film School Rejects), Marc Savlov (The Austin Chronicle), Martin Thomas (Spill), Eric Vespe (Ain't It Cool News), and Chase Whale (Gordon and the Whale). For more info, visit www.austinfilmcritics.org.