King Richard, Will Smith, Tessa Thompson Among Winners From Black Film Critics Circle

The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC) has voted “KING RICHARD” Best Film of 2021, TESSA THOMPSON Best Actress and WILL SMITH Best Actor for their work in “PASSING” and “KING RICHARD” respectively. And for Best Director DENIS VILLENUEVE for “DUNE”. The announcement was made today by Mike Sargent, co-president, BFCC. Votes were cast and tabulated in New York City at the organization’s annual meeting on December 17, 2021.

Recognizing achievements in theatrical motion pictures, the BFCC awarded prizes in 13 categories including best picture, best director, original and adapted screenplay, best actor, best actress, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, best animated feature, best independent film, best documentary feature, best foreign film, and best ensemble. Special Signature awards are also given to industry pioneers and rising stars.

“The last two years if nothing else have shown that the global appetite for diverse stories by and inclusive of people of color has literally changed the filmed entertainment landscape forever. Films like “King Richard” and “The Harder They Fall” only underscore the desire and need for representation on film of present day African-American heroes and heroic historical figures of color who have been largely ignored by mainstream Hollywood.” says Sargent. “Narrative films along with documentaries like this year's “Summer of Soul” also underscore the appetite, interest and importance of highlighting and celebrating African-American art and culture.”

Co-president Wilson Morales adds “Behind the scenes Production designers like Wynn Thomas, whose latest film King Richard and last year’s Da’ 5 Bloods and composer Kris Bowers who has a remarkable 3 feature films to his credit this year (“King Richard”, “Respect”, and “Space Jam: A New Legacy”) are getting more opportunities for their work to be seen and heard. Congratulations to all of the winners.”

The complete list of award winners:

Best Picture: King Richard

Best Director: Denis Villeneuve (Dune)

Best Actor: Will Smith (King Richard)

Best Actress: Tessa Thompson (Passing)

Best Supporting Actor: Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)

Best Supporting Actress: Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)

Best Original Screenplay: King Richard

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Power of the Dog

Best Cinematography: Dune

Best Documentary: Summer of Soul

Best Animated Film: The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Best Foreign Film: Hand of God

Best Ensemble: The Harder They Fall

BFCC Signature Awards:

PIONEER – Janicza Bravo

This year's BFCC Pioneer Award is given to Janicza Bravo who, to quote BFCC Member Dwight Brown (CINEMA PAPERS), “turned a tweet storm into the most raucous movie of the year. Hysterical, gets great performances from the entire cast and writes a script that is funny as hell” regarding Bravo’s role in “Zola”. Janicza Bravo studied directing and design for theatre at New York University's Playwrights Horizons Theater School. She has mounted plays in New York, Los Angeles, and Madrid. Her first short, Eat, premiered at SXSW. Her last short, Gregory Go Boom, played at the Sundance Film Festival. Since then, she has directed episodes for many TV series including Dear White People, Here and Now, Atlanta, and Mrs. America to name a few. Her ingenuity and storytelling skills embodies the very essence of the word Pioneer.

RISING STAR – Jeymes Samuel

This year's BFCC Rising star Award for producing, writing, directing, goes to Jeymes Samuel for his groundbreaking western “The Harder They Fall”. Samuel combination of great storytelling, direction and writing resulted in what may be the cowboy movie of the decade. Jeymes Samuel, also known by his stage name The Bullitts, is a British singer-songwriter, music producer and filmmaker. “The Harder They Fall” is his second Western to feature a nearly all black cast and showcases his continued perseverance to literally change the face of the western genre. The vivid authenticity of his work shows why he will truly be a force to be reckoned with in the years ahead.

SPECIAL MENTION – QuestLove

Special Mention this year goes to Questlove for his groundbreaking documentary “Summer of Soul” which features performances from and interviews about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a series of six free concerts at Mount Morris Park in Harlem between June and August of 1969 the film is a brilliant chronicle of pivotal moment in Black culture that transports you to the energy of that place and time. Questlove is truly an artist we felt needs special recognition.

BLACK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE TOP TEN FILMS OF 2021

Top Ten

1. The Harder They Fall

2. King Richard

3. The Power of the Dog

4. West Side Story

5. Respect

6. Summer of Soul

7. Dune

8. Macbeth

9. Cyrano

10. Passing

Founded in 2010, the Black Film Critics Circle is a membership organization comprised of film critics of color from daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, radio, television and qualifying online publications. The organization is dedicated to honoring the excellence of professionals in the theatrical motion picture industry in US and World Cinema. Its mission is to celebrate contributions and achievements in film by people of the Black Diaspora who work in front of and behind the camera, maintain the integrity of a true Critics organization and advance a collective vision of journalists of the Black Diaspora. BFCC assists in the development of new talent in the field of entertainment journalism through educational opportunities, mentoring and strategic partnerships and raises awareness of the significance of Black film and Black film history as a critical part of film culture and preservation. The organization meets annually in December to vote on the year’s films. BFCC’s Founding Members and co-presidents are journalists Mike Sargent (WBAI-FM, NY), Wilson Morales (BlackFilmandTV.com)

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