Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Names American Fiction Best Film of 2023

The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) has announced their awards for 2023, naming Jefferson Cord's "American Fiction" Best Film of 2023. The film also received Best Adapted Screenplay. The biggest winner of the group was Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," which nabbed six categories, including Best Director, Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), and Best Ensemble.

THE WINNERS:

Best Original Score

“Kris Bowers — The Color Purple” (Warner Bros.)

Jerskin Fendrix — “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)

Ludwig Göransson — “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) - WINNER

Daniel Pemberton — “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures)

Robbie Robertson— “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)

Best Editing

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.) — Nick Houy

“John Wick Chapter 4” (Lionsgate) — Nathan Orloff

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures) — Thelma Schoonmaker

“Maestro” (Netflix) — Michelle Tesoro

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) — Jennifer Lame (WINNER)

Best Cinematography

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.) — Rodrigo Prieto

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures) — Rodrigo Prieto

“Maestro” (Netflix) — Matthew Libatique

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) — Hoyte van Hoytema (WINNER)

“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures) — Robbie Ryan

Best Production Design

“Asteroid City” (Focus Features) — Adam Stockhausen (production designer), Kris Moran (set decorator)

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.) — Sarah Greenwood (production designer), Katie Spencer (set decorator) (WINNER)

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures) — Jack Fisk (production designer), Adam Willis (set decorator)

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) — Ruth De Jong (production designer), Claire Kaufman (set decorator)

“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures) — Shona Heath, James Price (production designer), Zsuzsa Mihalek (set decorator)

Best International/Foreign Language Film

"Anatomy of a Fall" (France) — dir. Justine Triet (WINNER)

“Fallen Leaves” (Finland) — dir. Aki Kaurismäki

“Perfect Days” (Japan) — dir. Wim Wenders

“The Teachers’ Lounge” (Germany) — dir. İlker Çatak

“Society of the Snow” (Spain) — dir. J.A. Bayona

“The Taste of Things” (France) — dir. Trần Anh Hùng

“The Zone of Interest” (United Kingdom) — dir. Jonathan Glazer

Best Documentary

“20 Days in Mariupol” (PBS) — Mstyslav Chernov (director, producer), Derl McCrudden, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath (producers)

“American Symphony” (Netflix) — Matthew Heineman (director, producer), Lauren Domino, Joedan Okun (producers) (WINNER)

“Little Richard: I Am Everything” (Magnolia Pictures) — Lisa Cortes (director, producer), Caryn Capotosto, Robert Friedman, Liz Yale Marsh (producers)

“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” (Apple Original Films) — Davis Guggenheim (director, producer), Jonathan King, Annetta Marion (producers)

“They Shot the Piano Player” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Javier Mariscal, Fernando Trueba (directors), Cristina Huete (producer)

Best Animated Feature

“Elemental” (Pixar)

“Nimona” (Netflix)

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures) (WINNER)

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” (Paramount Pictures)

“The Boy and the Heron” (GKids/Toho)

Best Adapted Screenplay

“American Fiction” (MGM) — Cord Jefferson (based on “Erasure” by Percival Everett) (WINNER)

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures) — Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese (based on the book by David Grann)

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) — Christopher Nolan (based on the book by Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin)

“Origin” (Neon) — Ava DuVernay (based on the book by Isabel Wilkerson

“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures) — Tony McNamara (based on the book by Alasdair Gray)

Best Original Screenplay

“Air” (Amazon) - Alex Convery

“Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon) - Justin Triet, Arthur Harari

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.) — Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach

“May December” (Netflix) - Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik

“Past Lives” (A24) - Celine Song (WINNER)

The Holdovers (Miramax) — David Hemingson

Best Voice Performance

Jack Black – “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (Illumination)

Daniel Kaluuya – “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures)

Shameik Moore – “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures) (WINNER)

Hailee Steinfeld – “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures)

Masaki Suda - "The Boy and the Heron"

Best Youth Performance

Joe Bird – Talk To Me

Abby Ryder Fortson – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Milo Machado Graner - "Anatomy of a Fall"

Ariana Greenblatt - "Barbie"

Dominic Sessa - "The Holdovers" (WINNER)

Iman Vellani – The Marvels

Best Acting Ensemble

“American Fiction” (MGM)

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.)

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) (WINNER)

“The Holdovers” (Focus Features)

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

Viola Davis, Air

Jodie Foster, Nyad

Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers (WINNER)

Best Supporting Actor

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Charles Melton, May December (WINNER)

Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers

Best Actress

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Origin

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon (WINNER)

Greta Lee, Past Lives

Margot Robbie, Barbie

Emma Stone, Poor Things

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Colman Domingo, Rustin

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer (WINNER)

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Best Director

Greta Gerwig, Barbie

Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer (WINNER)

Martin Scorcese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Celine Song, Past Lives

Best Feature

“American Fiction” (MGM) (WINNER)

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.)

"Killers of the Flower Moon" (Apple Studios)

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)

“Past Lives” (A24)

“The Holdovers” (Focus Features)

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