THE POWER OF THE DOG LEADS CHICAGO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION 2021 AWARDS, WINS SEVEN HONORS

Jane Campion’s sweeping western earns Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and more at awards announced Wednesday evening

Chicago, IL (December 15, 2021) — The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) today announces their 2021 award winners. Claiming the organization’s top honors is Jane Campion’s masterful THE POWER OF THE DOG, which earned a leading seven awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Best Supporting Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score. Kristen Stewart was named Best Actress for her role as Princess Diana in SPENCER; Ruth Negga was named Best Supporting Actress for PASSING. Three films earned two awards: THE FRENCH DISPATCH (Best Editing; Best Art Direction/Production Design); LICORICE PIZZA (Best Original Screenplay; Most Promising Performer - Alana Haim); and SPENCER (Best Actress (Stewart); Best Costume Design). 

Other highlights among the winners this year include: FLEE named Best Animated Feature; SUMMER OF SOUL named Best Documentary; DRIVE MY CAR named Best Foreign Language Film; and Michael Sarnoski, writer/director of PIG, named recipient of the Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award. 

The complete list of 2021 Chicago Film Critics Award winners is as follows:

BEST PICTURE: The Power of the Dog
BEST DIRECTOR: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
BEST ACTOR: Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
BEST ACTRESS: Kristen Stewart, Spencer
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Ruth Negga, Passing
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Licorice Pizza by Paul Thomas Anderson
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Power of the Dog by Jane Campion
BEST ANIMATED FILM: Flee
BEST DOCUMENTARY: Summer of Soul
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Drive My Car
BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN: The French Dispatch
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Power of the Dog, Ari Wegner
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Spencer, Jacqueline Durran
BEST EDITING: The French Dispatch, Andrew Weisblum
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: The Power of the Dog, Jonny Greenwood
BEST USE OF VISUAL EFFECTS: Dune, Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor, and Gerd Nefzer
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER: Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza
MILOS STEHLIK BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER: Michael Sarnoski, Pig