Photo: Klaus Hackenberg / The Image Bank / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The African American Film Critics Association Monday announced the winners of the 15th annual AAFCA Awards honoring outstanding achievements in film, including the organization's selections for the top 10 films of the year.
The winners will be celebrated at the 15th Annual AAFCA Awards on Feb. 21 at the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, in Beverly Hills.
AAFCA President and Co-Founder Gil Robertson purposely made the announcement Monday -- Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- and said, "It's become a tradition to announce our winners on MLK Day, and what a great year for cinema showcasing the vibrant tapestry of Black storytelling, where diversity is not a trend, but an imperative. This year's winners have inspired, challenged, and moved us, and we are delighted to celebrate them and their cultural impact."
Based on votes from AAFCA's membership, the organization's top 10 films of the year are: "American Fiction," "Origin," "The Color Purple," "Oppenheimer," "Past Lives," "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," "Poor Things," "Anatomy of a Fall," "Killers of the Flower Moon," and "Barbie."
The year's categorical awards are as follows:
-Best Drama: "Origin"
-Best Comedy: "American Fiction"
-Best Musical: "The Color Purple"
-Best Director: Ava DuVernay ("Origin")
-Best Screenplay: "American Fiction"
-Best Actor: Colman Domingo ("Rustin")
-Best Actress: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor ("Origin")
-Best Supporting Actor: Sterling K. Brown ("American Fiction")
-Best Supporting Actress: Da'Vine Joy Randolph ("The Holdovers") and Danielle Brooks ("The Color Purple")
-Best Ensemble: "The Color Purple"
-Breakout Performance: Lily Gladstone ("Killers of the Flower Moon")
-Emerging Filmmaker: Cord Jefferson ("American Fiction")
-Best Independent Feature: "A Thousand and One"
-Best Animated Feature: "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"
-Best Documentary: "Stamped From The Beginning"
-Best Music: "The Color Purple"
-Best International Film: "Io Capitano"
-Best Short Film: "The After"