Although female filmmakers were shut out of this year’s Golden Globe nominations and subsequently underrepresented in the Screen Actors Guild nominations, the Chicago Film Critics Association announced their more gender-balanced categories for the 2019 Awards Nominations.
While ignored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Greta Gerwig leads the pack of female nominees on the CFCA ballot with Little Women recognized for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay (Gerwig), Best Supporting Actress (Florence Pugh), Best Original Score (Alexandre Desplat), Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Editing and Best Picture. Director Lulu Wang’s The Farewell is nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress (Awkwafina), Best Supporting Actress (Shuzhen Zhou).
Wang, too, is being nominated for the Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award (renamed after a longtime CFCA member who passed away this July) alongside Mati Diop (Atlantics), Alma Har’el (Honey Boy) and Olivia Wilde (Booksmart).
Winners will be announced at the organization’s annual Awards Dinner on Saturday, December 14 in Chicago. All nominees listed below are films written and/or directed by women:
Little Women: Best Director (Greta Gerwig), Best Adapted Screenplay (Greta Gerwig), Best Supporting Actress (Florence Pugh), Best Original Score (Alexandre Desplat), Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Editing and Best Picture
The Farewell: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress (Awkwafina), Best Supporting Actress (Shuzhen Zhou), Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award (Lulu Wang)
1917: Best Cinematography (Roger Deakins), Best Original Score (Thomas Newman), Best Art Direction, Best Use of Visual Effects, Best Editing
Portrait of a Lady on Fire: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Cinematography (Claire Mathon), Best Costume Design
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Best Supporting Actor (Tom Hanks), Best Adapted Screenplay (Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster)
Honey Boy: Best Supporting Actor (Shia Labeouf), Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award (Alma Har’el)
Hustlers: Best Adapted Screenplay (Lorene Scafaria), Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Lopez)
American Factory: Best Documentary
Atlantics: Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award (Mati Diop)
Booksmart: Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award (Olivia Wilde)
For Sama: Best Documentary
Frozen 2: Best Animated Film
Honeyland: Best Documentary
The Nightingale: Most Promising Performer (Aisling Franciosi)
Toy Story 4: Best Animated Film
Read the complete list of 2019 Chicago Film Critics Awards nominations.
© Brigid K. Presecky (12/12/19) FF2 Media
Featured photo: Director/Writer Greta Gerwig and DP Yorick LeSaux on the set of Columbia Pictures’ LITTLE WOMEN.
