Australian Film Critics Association


The Australian Film Critics Association, formerly Melbourne Film Critics’ Forum, is an Australian professional association for film critics, reviewers and journalists who work in the media, based in Melbourne. It is a member of the International Federation of Film Critics.

History

Formed in 1996, AFCA began as the Melbourne Film Critics’ Forum, expanding to a national organisation in 2004. In the same year, AFCA became an Australian representative of the International Federation of Film Critics, which comprises the national organisations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world. FIPRESCI has members in more than 50 countries worldwide. AFCA helped to establish the first FIPRESCI jury at the Adelaide Film Festival.
AFCA's members, several of whom contribute to internationally recognised media outlets, are professional film critics, film reviewers and film journalists, from all media forums, who provide informed discussion, analysis and comment on Australian and world cinema. Here are some of them: Adam Ross, Lachlan Marks, Alan James, Laura Bennett, Alex Thomas, Lawrence Barber, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Lee Zachariah, Lisa Thatcher, Ashley Beks, Luke Buckmaster, Marcella Papandrea, Bede Jermyn, Madeleine Swain, Mark Lavercombe, Cameron Williams, Matthew Toomey, Carol Van Opstal, Nicholas Brodie, Paul Turner, Peter Krausz, Richard Alaba, David O'Connell, etc. The body supports both mainstream and independent cinema and highlights significant or challenging films.

Film Awards

On 22 January 2008, AFCA announced the results of its inaugural Film Awards for 2007. The awards span four categories comprising Best Australian Film, Best Overseas Film, Best Documentary and Best Unreleased Film. The winning and commended films granted AFCA film awards are:
YearBest AustralianBest OverseasBest DocumentaryBest Unreleased
2007Winner:NoiseNo Country for Old Men Forbidden Lie$ The Band's Visit
2007Commended:The Home Song StoriesThe Lives of Others Deep Water -
2007Commended:Romulus, My Father4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days Sicko -
2008Winner:The Black BalloonThere Will Be Blood Man On Wire In the City of Sylvia
2008Commended:The SquareThe Dark Knight Not Quite Hollywood Romance of Astree and Celadon
2009Winner:BaliboLet the Right One In Of Time and the City Un Lac
2009Commended:Mary & Max, Samson and DelilahMoon, Wrestler, Up Encounters at the End of the World, ' Love Exposure
2010Winner:Animal KingdomThe Social Network Exit Through the Gift Shop Air Doll
2010Commended:Beneath Hill 60, The Waiting City, Bran Nue DaeToy Story 3, The Hurt Locker, Inception Food, Inc., La Danse, Gasland Tetro, Film Socialisme, Berlin 36

In 2011 acting awards were introduced and the Best Unreleased Film category was discontinued.
YearBest FilmBest International Film Best International Film Best Documentary
2011SnowtownThe Tree of Life Incendies Senna
2012The SapphiresHugo A Separation Searching for Sugar Man
2013Mystery RoadDjango Unchained Amour Stories We Tell
2014The BabadookThe Grand Budapest Hotel Two Days, One Night Jodorowsky's Dune
2015'Birdman Phoenix Amy
2016Girl AsleepArrival Mustang Sherpa
2017Hounds of LoveMoonlight Toni Erdmann I Am Not Your Negro
2018Sweet CountryYou Were Never Really Here Roma Gurrumul

Writing Awards

In conjunction with its 2009 film awards, AFCA announced the results of its inaugural writing awards. The categories and winners are:
YearIvan Hutchinson Award for Writing on Australian FilmAward for Writing on Non-Australian FilmAward for a Review of an individual Australian FilmAward for a Review of an individual Non-Australian Film
2009Loving Samson and Delilah, Therese DavisFake Politics for the Real America, Martyn PedlerDisgrace, Alice Tynan2012, Stephen Rowley
2010Some of the Finest Films, Thomas CaldwellA Feast of Love - Eros, Agape and The Food Film, Bernard HemingwayThe Loved Ones, Anders WotzkeI'm Still Here, Luke Buckmaster
2011Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? We Are, Rebecca Harkins-CrossIslands and Ghosts: Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer, Jake WilsonGriff the Invisible, Alice TynanUncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Josh Nelson
2012God in all things: Amiel Courtin-Wilson’s Hail, Josh NelsonThe Shape of Rage: David Cronenberg’s Dangerous Methods, Rebecca Harkins CrossAll the Way Through Evening, Michael ScottThe Perks of Being a Wallflower, Laurence Barber
2013Launching The Rocket: Beyond the Typical Australian Film, Glenn DunksThrough the Mind: Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, Scott MacLeodThe Great Gatsby, Simon MiraudoTo the Wonder, Simon Di Berardino
2014Anger and Banality in Ghosts… of the Civil Dead, Thomas CaldwellTime Enough at Last: The Long History of the Long Film, Jake MoodyThe Babadook, Alexandra DonaldBoyhood, Richard S. He
2015The Shadow of the Rock, Rebecca Harkins-Cross-', Alexandra Heller-NicholasBridge of Spies, Luke Goodsell
2016South of Ealing: recasting a British studio's antipodean escapade, Adrian Danks-Joe Cinque's Consolation, Lauren Carroll HarrisNo Home Movie, Ivan Cercina
2017Dog Day, Every Day: Gillian Leahy’s Baxter and Me and the Essay Film, Adrian Martin-Ellipsis, Luke BuckmasterRisk, Glenn Dunks
2018'The art of metamorphosis: Julian Rosefeldt's 'Manifesto, Gabrielle O'Brien-West of Sunshine, Andrew PierceDisobedience'', Glen Falkenstein