The Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) is an organization of professional film critics from Austin, Texas.
Each year, the AFCA votes on their end of year awards for films released in the same calendar year. A special award, the Austin Film Award, is given each year to the best film made in Austin or by an Austin-area director.
The Austin Film Critics Association was founded in 2005 by local film critics Cole Dabney and Robert “Bobby” McCurdy while attending Bowie High School in Austin. The organization grew exponentially in its first eight years, expanding from 3 members in 2005 to 25 members in 2013.
On January 12, 2007, after only one year in existence, Entertainment Weekly called the AFCA “wildly contrarian” for naming Ellen Page Best Actress for her role in Hard Candy over Helen Mirren for her performance in The Queen, as Mirren had swept the category so far during awards season.
The association chose to name the group’s Breakthrough Artist Award to honor Robert “Bobby” McCurdy starting in 2010. McCurdy died on December 19, 2010 while training to become a Naval Aviator.
5 awards:There Will Be Blood (2007): Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Original ScoreThe Dark Knight (2008): Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Score, Best Adapted ScreenplayBlack Swan (2010): Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best CinematographyMoonlight (2016): Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Special Honorary Award4 awards:Juno (2007): Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Breakthrough Artist AwardTake Shelter (2011): Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Austin Film Award, Breakthrough Artist Award*Her (2013): Best Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Special Honorary AwardBoyhood (2014): Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Austin Film AwardTower (2016): Best Documentary, Austin Film Award, Breakthrough Artist Award, Special Honorary Award3 awardsThe Hurt Locker (2009): Best Film, Best Director, Best CinematographyInglourious Basterds (2009): Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original ScreenplayThe Master (2012): Best Director, Best Actor, Best Cinematography12 Years a Slave (2013): Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted ScreenplayNightcrawler (2014): Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best First FilmRoom (2015): Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Breakthrough Artist Award2 awardsCrash (2005): Best Film, Best DirectorHustle & Flow (2005): Breakthrough Artist Award, Best First FilmSin City (2005): Best Animated Film, Austin Film AwardThe Departed (2006): Best Actor, Best Supporting ActorChildren of Men (2006): Best Director, Best CinematographyPan's Labyrinth (2006): Best Foreign Film, Best Original ScreenplayNo Country for Old Men (2007): Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted ScreenplayUp (2009): Best Original Score, Best Animated FilmUp in the Air (2009): Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted ScreenplayMe and Orson Welles (2009): Breakthrough Artist Award, Austin Film AwardDrive (2011): Best Director, Best Supporting ActorBeasts of the Southern Wild (2012): Best First Film, Breakthrough Artist AwardGravity (2013): Best Director, Best CinematographyShort Term 12 (2013): Best Actress, Breakthrough Artist AwardBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014): Best Cinematography, Best ScoreGone Girl (2014): Best Actress, Best Adapted ScreenplayEx Machina (2015): Best Supporting Actress, Best First FilmInside Out (2015): Best Original Screenplay, Best Animated FilmMad Max: Fury Road (2015): Best Film, Best DirectorLa La Land (2016): Best Cinematography, Best Score6 Awards
Richard LinklaterBest Film2014 – BoyhoodBest Director2014 – BoyhoodBest Austin Film2006 – A Scanner Darkly2009 – Me and Orson Welles2012 – Bernie2014 – Boyhood4 Awards
Emmanuel LubezkiBest Cinematography2006 – Babel2011 – The Tree of Life2013 – Gravity2014 – BirdmanKeith MaitlandBest Documentary2016 – TowerBobby McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist Award2016 – TowerAustin Film Award2016 – TowerSpecial Honorary Award2016 – Tower3 Awards
Paul Thomas AndersonBest Film2007 – There Will Be BloodBest Director2007 – There Will Be Blood2012 – The MasterKathryn BigelowBest Film2009 – The Hurt Locker2012 – Zero Dark ThirtyBest Director2009 – The Hurt LockerRobert RodriguezBest Austin Film2005 – Sin City2007 – Grindhouse (Shared with Quentin Tarantino)Best Animated Film2005 – Sin City2 Awards
Mark BoalBest Film2009 – The Hurt Locker2012 – Zero Dark ThirtyAlfonso CuarónBest Director2006 – Children of MenBest Adapted Screenplay2006 – Children of MenMegan EllisonBest Film2012 – Zero Dark Thirty2013 – HerPaul HaggisBest Film2005 – CrashBest Director2005 – CrashQuentin TarantinoBest Original Screenplay2009 – Inglourious BasterdsBest Austin Film2007 – Grindhouse (Shared with Robert Rodriguez)Rian JohnsonBest First Film2006 – BrickBest Original Screenplay2012 – LooperBarry JenkinsBest Director2016 – MoonlightBest Original Screenplay2016 – Moonlight3 Awards
Brie LarsonBest Actress2013 – Short Term 122015 – RoomBobby McCurdy Breakthrough Artist Award2013 – Short Term 122 Awards
Jessica ChastainBest Supporting Actress2011 – Take ShelterBobby McCurdy Breakthrough Artist Award2011 – for her work in The Debt, The Help, Take Shelter, and The Tree of LifeColin FirthBest Actor2009 – A Single Man2010 – The King's SpeechAnne HathawayBest Actress2008 – Rachel Getting MarriedBest Supporting Actress2012 – Les MisérablesEllen PageBest Actress2006 – Hard Candy2007 – JunoChristoph WaltzBest Supporting Actor2008 – Inglourious Basterds2012 – Django Unchained- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- There Will Be Blood (2007)
- The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003)
- The Dark Knight (2008)
- Requiem for a Dream (2000)
- Kill Bill (2003/4)
- No Country for Old Men (2007)
- The Incredibles (2004)
- Children of Men (2006)
- Memento (2000) / The Departed (2006) (TIE)
