The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) is an association of professional
film critics, who work in print, broadcast and online media, based in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
, United States.
The organization was founded in 1990 by film critics Sharon LeMaire and Sue Kiner, following the success of the first Chicago Film Critics Awards given out in 1988. The association comprises 60 members.
Since 1989, the CFCA has given out annual awards that recognize the best films in a variety of categories. These awards are noted in the established print media such as ''
Variety'' and ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
''. The association has also hosted the annual Chicago Critics Film Festival since 2013, which intends to bring a number of feature and short films to a larger audience.
Membership
The Chicago Film Critics Association restricts its membership to professional film critics, who have been employed in the media as a "critical voice or staff authority" on the subject of the cinema for six months.
Applicants for membership in the CFCA must provide a letter signed by a producer or editor showing they have been in paid employment as a critic, as well as examples of published work.
Applicants must also reside in the Chicago area.
By 2004, the CFCA had just over 40 members and now comprises over 60.
Its membership includes writers for such film-related websites and print media as ''
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News (AICN) is an entertainment news website founded by Harry Knowles and run by his sister Dannie Knowles since September 2017, dedicated to news, rumors, and reviews of upcoming and current films, television, and comic book proje ...
'', ''
The A.V. Club'', ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the '' Chicago ...
'', ''
Daily Herald'', ''
Consequence of Sound'', ''
Paste'',
RogerEbert.com and eFilmCritic.com.
Chicago Film Critics Awards
The Chicago Film Critics Awards (also known as the Chicago Flames) have been held annually since 1988 and recognise achievement in film making and acting performances. The first awards were compiled by the CFCA's founders and were not presented in a ceremony. In the past, winners received a glass Chicago Flame trophy, which featured an etching of the Chicago skyline created by artist Josef Puehringer. In 2019, following the death of longtime CFCA member Milos Stehlik, the organization's Most Promising Filmmaker award was renamed in his honor to the Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award.
Current award categories
*
Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to the ...
*
Best Actress
*
Best Adapted Screenplay
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...
(2006–)
*
Best Animated Film (2007–)
* Best Art Direction (2012–)
*
Best Cinematography (1990–93, 1995–)
*
Best Director
*
Best Documentary (2001–)
*
Best Editing (2012–)
*
Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
*
Best Foreign Language Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
*
Best Original Score (1993–)
*
Best Original Screenplay (2006–)
*
Best Supporting Actor
*
Best Supporting Actress
* Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award (2019–)
* Most Promising Performer (2001–)
Previous award categories
* Most Promising Filmmaker (2001–2018)
*
Best Screenplay
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporation, ...
(1990–2005)
* Most Promising Actor (1988–2000)
* Most Promising Actress (1988–2000)
20th Century Fox boycott
In 2007, the CFCA boycotted all
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...
and
Fox Searchlight films, as part of a protest over the studio's decision to limit online critics' access to media screenings.
A number of critics complained that the late media screenings affected the quality of their reviews.
The CFCA's protest garnered support from many other film critics associations, including the
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association
The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) is a group of film critics based in Washington, D.C., and founded in 2002. WAFCA is composed of nearly 50 D.C.-based film critics from internet, print, radio, and television. Annually, the ...
and the
San Francisco Film Critics Circle.
Chicago Critics Film Festival
The Chicago Critics Film Festival was founded in 2013 and is held annually. It is the only film festival in the country that is entirely programmed and produced by a film critics association.
Of the decision to host a film festival, Erik Childress, the festival's producer and CFCA board member stated, "We really wanted to be a bigger part of the film discussion here in Chicago, and we wanted to bring the discussion about these films to the community. It was an idea that was floating out there until we had the means to pull it off. It's really expanded far beyond what we expected."
The inaugural event was held from April 12–14, 2013 at the Muvico Theater in
Rosemont.
The festival showcased over 20 films that would have had a low distribution in a bid to expose them to a larger audience. Films shown included ''
The Spectacular Now'' and ''
The Dirties
''The Dirties'' is a 2013 Canadian found footage thriller film and the directorial debut of Matt Johnson. It has received praise from critics as well as numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative at the 2013 Slamdance Fi ...
''.
The event also featured Q&A sessions with directors
William Friedkin and
Sarah Polley.
The second festival was expanded to a week, beginning May 9, 2014 at the
Music Box Theatre.
References
External links
*
*
{{American film critic org
American film critics associations
Culture of Chicago
Mass media in Chicago
Organizations established in 1990
1990 establishments in Illinois