‘ROMA’ AND ‘THE FAVOURITE’ TIE FOR KANSAS CITY FILM CRITICS’ BEST FILM

Kansas City, MO – For the first time since 1992 and the fourth time in the 53-year history of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle’s James Loutzenhiser Awards, there was a tie for Best Film. Roma and The Favourite took home three awards each, including the top prize. Roma also won Best Foreign Film and helmer Alfonso Cuarón collected the Robert Altman Award for Best Director. The Favourite‘s Olivia Colman won Best Actress and the script from Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara won Best Original Screenplay as well.

The Kansas City Film Critics Circle is the second oldest professional film critics organization in the United States. Since the first vote in 1966, this is only the fourth tie in the top category. Previous ties were 1992 (The Player, Unforgiven), 1986 (The Mission, Salvador) and 1970 (Patton, Five Easy Pieces).

The full list of winners for the 53rd James Loutzenhiser Awards are below:

BEST FILM (tie): Roma and The Favourite

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Runner Up: Paul Schrader, First Reformed

BEST ACTOR: (tie) Christian Bale, Vice and Ethan Hawke, First Reformed

BEST ACTRESS: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Runner Up: Yalitza Aparicio, Roma

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Runner Up: Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Amy Adams, Vice
Runner Up: Thomasin McKenzie, Leave No Trace

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Favourite
Runner Up: Eighth Grade

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: BlacKkKlansman
Runner Up: Can You Ever Forgive Me?

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Runners Up (tie): Isle of Dogs, Incredibles 2

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Roma
Runner Up: Cold War

BEST DOCUMENTARY: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Runner up: Free Solo

VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY or HORROR FILM: A Quiet Place
Runner up: Sorry to Bother You

TOM POE AWARD FOR BEST LGBT FILM: Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Runner up: Love, Simon

‘GET OUT’ WINS THREE AWARDS, INCLUDING BEST PICTURE, FROM KANSAS CITY FILM CRITICS

Kansas City, MO – Writer-director Jordan Peele and his horror/social satire “Get Out” won three awards, including Best Picture, in the Kansas City Film Critics Circle’s 52nd annual James Loutzenhiser Awards. Founded in 1966, the KCFCC is the second oldest critics group in the country. In addition to Best Picture, “Get Out” won the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Award, and Peele won for Best Original Screenplay.

“Call Me By Your Name” also received three awards, including Best LGBT Film, a category created last year in honor of late KCFCC member and activist Tom Poe. Timothée Chalamet’s performance in “Call Me By Your Name” won Best Actor, while James Ivory’s screenplay won the adapted category,

“The Shape of Water” received two awards, with Guillermo del Toro winning Best Director and Sally Hawkins winning Best Actress for “The Shape of Water.”

The full list of winners for the 52nd James Loutzenhiser Awards are below:

BEST PICTURE: Get Out

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

BEST ACTOR: Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name

BEST ACTRESS: Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Jordan Peele, Get Out

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: (tie) James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name and Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Michael Green, Logan

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Coco

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: In The Fade

BEST DOCUMENTARY: Jane

VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY or HORROR FILM: Get Out

TOM POE AWARD FOR BEST LGBT FILM: Call Me By Your Name

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA WINS 3 KANSAS CITY FILM CRITICS AWARDS, INCLUDING BEST PICTURE

Manchester by the Sea was chosen as the Best Film of 2016 by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, the second oldest critics group in the country. The winners were announced today during a ceremony for the 51st Annual James Loutzenhiser Awards at the Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet Theatre in Kansas City.

In addition to winning Best Picture, Manchester by the Sea’s Casey Affleck won Best Actor, and Kenneth Lonergan won the Robert Altman Award for Best Director. Hell or High Water received two wins, for Jeff Bridges in Supporting Actor and Taylor Sheridan’s original screenplay. Arrival won the adapted screenplay award, as well as the Vince Koehler Award for Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror Film.

It is with great affection that the KCFCC announce the inaugural Tom Poe Award for Best LGBT Film, which was awarded to Moonlight. A beloved associate professor of film and media arts in the Department of Communications Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Tom further shared his enthusiasm for film through film reviews in the Kansas City New Times and as one of the movie critics on the Walt Bodine Show and Central Standard on KCUR. His reviews were inevitably astute and well-informed yet just as naturally considered and kind, in keeping with his sympathies for both filmmaker and audience. It was Tom’s belief that “great film reviews give rise to thinking about films.” As such, he supported many members of KCFCC through encouragement and dialogue. Tom was our colleague and friend, and it is our intention that this annual award honor his legacy as an advocate for LGBT rights and promote his desire for justice by way of accurate and beneficial representation.

The full list of winners at the 51st Annual James Loutzenhiser Awards is below:

BEST PICTURE: Manchester by the Sea

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR: Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

BEST ACTOR: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

BEST ACTRESS: Natalie Portman, Jackie

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: (tie) Naomie Harris, Moonlight and Viola Davis, Fences

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Eric Heisserer, Arrival

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Zootopia

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: The Handmaiden (South Korea)

BEST DOCUMENTARY: OJ: Made in America

VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY or HORROR FILM: Arrival

TOM POE AWARD FOR BEST LGBT FILM: Moonlight
The Kansas City Film Critics Circle was founded by Dr. James Loutzenhiser in 1966 as the Kansas City Film Circle Awards, and is the second oldest professional film critics’ association in the United States, after the New York Film Critics Circle.

KANSAS CITY FILM CRITICS CIRCLE NOMINATE (10) FILMS AS THE BEST OF 2016

Kansas City, MO – The Kansas City Film Critics Circle, the second oldest film critic organization in the United States, released its list of nominees for the Best Film of 2016.  They are:

 
ARRIVAL
HACKSAW RIDGE
HELL OR HIGH WATER
JACKIE
LA LA LAND
THE LOBSTER
LOVING
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
MOONLIGHT
SWISS ARMY MAN
 
The winner, as well as the winners in eleven other categories, will be announced during the groups 51st Annual James Loutzenhiser Awards Ceremony on Sunday, December 18. Follow the voting live on Twitter @KCFCC and with hashtag #KCFCC.

KANSAS CITY FILM CRITICS NAME MAD MAX: FURY ROAD THE BEST FILM OF 2015 AT 50TH ANNUAL JAMES LOUTZENHISER AWARDS

Mad Max: Fury Road was chosen as the Best Film of 2015 by The Kansas City Film Critics Circle, the second oldest critics group in the country. The winners were announced yesterday during a ceremony at the Alamo Drafthouse Theatre in Kansas City.

The film, which had been nominated in four categories by the group, also took home the Robert Altman Award for Best Director for George Miller and Best Actress for Charlize Theron. The film was the only multiple winner announced by the group. The directing award is named in honor of Academy Award winner and Kansas City native Robert Altman.

Leonardo DiCaprio was named Best Actor for his work in The Revenant. In the supporting categories, Michael Shannon received the Best Supporting Actor prize for 99 Homes while Alicia Vikander was named Best Supporting Actress for Ex Machina. Pixar’s Inside Out was named the year’s Best Animated Feature.

Below is a complete list of winners:

BEST PICTURE: Mad Max: Fury Road

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR: George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant

BEST ACTRESS: Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Michael Shannon – 99 Homes

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy – Spotlight

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay – The Big Short

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Inside Out

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Phoenix (Germany)

BEST DOCUMENTARY: Amy

VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY or HORROR FILM: Ex Machina

 

 

KANSAS CITY FILM CRITICS CIRCLE ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR 50TH ANNUAL JAMES LOUTZENHISER AWARDS

Kansas City, Missouri –  The Kansas City Film Critics Circle, the second oldest film critic organization in the country, released their nominees for the 50th Annual James Loutzenhiser Awards, recognizing the best in film for 2015.

Sicario, a fall release that addressed the war on drugs in both the United States and Mexico, led all films with five nominations including Best Picture and Best Director for Denis Villeneuve.  The film also earned nods for Emily Blunt for Best Actress, Benicio Del Toro for Best Supporting Actor and Original Screenplay.

Right behind are the summer action film Mad Max: Fury Road and the upcoming Leonardo DiCaprio film, The Revenant, which each earned four nominations, including Best Picture.  Also earning Best Picture nominations:  Room and Spotlight.  DiCaprio was nominated as one of the year’s Best Actors, along with Steve Carell (The Big Short), Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs) and last year’s Academy Award winner in this category, Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl).

Charlize Theron was nominated as Best Actress for her role as Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road.  Nominated alongside her and Blunt are Cate Blanchett (Carol), Bel Powley (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) and Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn).

Besides Del Toro, the list of nominees for Best Supporting Actor include Tom Hardy (The Revenant), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Michael Shannon (99 Homes) and Sylvester Stallone, reprising his role of Rocky Balboa in Creed.  In 1976, the group named Stallone the year’s Best Actor for playing Balboa in Rocky.

Blanchett’s Carol co-star, Rooney Mara, earned a nod for Best Supporting Actress, alongside Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) and Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs).

Directors joining Villeneuve in competition for the Robert Altman Award for Best Director are Alex Garland (Ex Machina), Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant), Tom McCarthy (Spotlight) and George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road).

The group also handed out nominations for Best Animated Feature, Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, Foreign Film, Documentary Feature and the Vince Koehler Award, which is chosen as the year’s best Science Fiction, Horror or Fantasy Film.

Winners will be voted on and the results released this Sunday, December 20.

Below is a complete list of nominees:

 

BEST PICTURE:

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Room

Sicario

Spotlight

 

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR:

Alex Garland, Ex Machina

George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, The Revenant

Denis Villeneuve, Sicario

Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

 

BEST ACTOR:

Steve Carell, The Big Short

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo

Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

 

BEST ACTRESS:

Cate Blanchett, Carol

Emily Blunt, Sicario

Bel Powley, The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Benicio Del Toro, Sicario

Tom Hardy, The Revenant

Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

Michael Shannon, 99 Homes

Sylvester Stallone, Creed

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Elizabeth Banks, Love & Mercy

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight

Rooney Mara, Carol

Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Ex Machina

The Hateful Eight

Inside Out

Sicario

Spotlight

Trainwreck

 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

The Big Short

Carol

The Martian

Room

Steve Jobs

 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

Anomalisa

Inside Out

Minions

The Peanuts Movie

Shaun the Sheep

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

The Assassin

Goodnight Mommy

Phoenix

Son of Saul

The Tribe

White God

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY:

Amy

Best of Enemies

The Look of Silence

Where to Invade

The Wrecking Crew

 

VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY or HORROR FILM:

Ex Machina

Goodnight Mommy

It Follows

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian