2023 Awards

2023 | 2022 | 2021

The Critics Association of Central Florida is an organization of critics based in or around the Central Florida area and consists of critics and journalists with a wide reach to a diverse and expansive audience.

Our membership experienced rapid growth in its third year. We have expanded our membership to 40 in 2023, and continued nurturing new critics in the region. Our membership represents outlets of all sizes, from independent blogs to major outlets such as FandomWire and Flickering Myth. We have also added two additional categories for future years, “Best Editing” and “Best Sound Design.”

Best Picture
Winner: Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Barbie

Best Director
Winner: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Greta Gerwig, Barbie

Best Actor
Winner: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Best Actress
Winner: Emma Stone, Poor Things
Runner-up: Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Runner-up: Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

Best Cast
Winner: Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Barbie

Best Documentary
Winner: Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Runner-up: Beyond Utopia

Best International Film
Winner: The Zone of Interest
Runner-up: Anatomy of a Fall

Best Animated Film
Winner: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Runner-up: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Best Screenplay
Winner: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach, Barbie

Best Cinematography
Winner: Hoyte Van Hoytema, Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Robbie Ryan, Poor Things

Best Score
Winner: Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Daniel Pemberton, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Original Song
Winner: “I’m Just Ken,” Barbie
Runner-up: “What Was I Made For,” Barbie

Best Sound Design
Winner: Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Maestro

Best Editing
Winner: Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Poor Things

Best Make-Up and Hairstyling
Winner: Poor Things
Runner-up: Barbie

Best Production Design
Winner: Barbie
Runner-up: Poor Things

Best Visual Effects
Winner: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Runner-up: Oppenheimer

Best Costume Design
Winner: Barbie
Runner-up: Poor Things

Best Stunt Coordination
Winner: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Runner-up: John Wick: Chapter 4

In addition to the traditional line up of awards, the CACF has several special honors. Returning this year are: “Best Central Florida Film,” a category designed to recognize outstanding achievement by a film with a significant connection to the Central Florida area, “Best Achievement in Diversity,” a category designed to recognize outstanding achievement by a film that showcases inclusion and diversity, both on the screen and behind the scenes, and “Best First Feature,” recognizing the most promising debut of a filmmaker in 2023. The sole new category for 2023 is: “Outstanding Youth Performance” to celebrate the achievements of performers under the age of eighteen. These winners are listed below.

Best Central Florida Film
Winner: Path of the Panther

Best Achievement in Diversity
Winner: Bottoms

Best First Feature
Winner: Celine Song, Past Lives

Outstanding Youth Performance
Winner: Abby Ryder Fortson, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.

The Critics Association of Central Florida is proud to recognize these amazing achievements in film.