One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson’s political parable about the failures and flaws of America’s wannabe revolutionaries, came out on top in this year’s Austin Film Critics Association 2025 awards.
The AFCA, which includes critics from the Austin Chronicle, Cinapse, KOOP, One of Us, WE Got This Covered, Fangoria, and other publications and outlets, gave the film wins in five categories, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Anderson, Best Editing for Andy Jurgensen, and Best Supporting Actor for Benicio del Toro. In addition, Chase Infiniti was selected as one of five recipients of this year’s Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Award. In total, One Battle had been nominated in 11 categories, with a total of 12 nominations.
The next big winner was Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s melding of horror, music, and history, which was the number two pick in the Top 10 list and takes home three wins from 11 nominations, with Autumn Durald Arkapaw winning Best Cinematography, Ludwig Göransson taking Best Score, and a big win for Best Ensemble. It also scored a mention in the Breakthrough category for Miles Canton.
However, it’s a double win for Eva Victor, who not only joins Infiniti and Canton in the Breakout category but also took the Best First Film award for his debut feature, Sorry Baby.
There will also be big celebrations in the Bronstein household. Rose Byrne won the Best Actress nod for her performance in Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, while the director’s husband, Ronald, splits the Best Original Script with Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme.
The big winner locally was Richard Linklater, who takes home the Best Austin Film Award for his latest collaboration with Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon. The award is awarded to the best film by a director who was resident in Austin during production. Linklater, who had previously won for Boyhood in 2014 and Orson Welles and Me in 2009, was actually in competition with himself this year, with both Blue Moon and his homage to the French New Wave, Nouvelle Vague, eligible for this award. In total, 20 films were submitted and considered by the members, indicating a bumper year for the Austin film scene.
Plus a special award was given to a star who won the hearts of Austin audiences earlier this year, with Indy, the hero of South by Southwest smash Good Boy, who was lauded by the AFCA members for a uniquely realized performance in the field of animal acting.
AFCA Top 10 Films of 2025
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
- Marty Supreme
- Sentimental Value
- Weapons
- The Secret Agent
- The Testament of Ann Lee
- Frankenstein
- Train Dreams
- Bugonia
Best Film: One Battle After Another
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Best Actress: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Best Actor: Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan, Weapons
Best Supporting Actor: Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
Best Ensemble: Sinners
Best Original Screenplay: Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners
Best Editing: Andy Jurgensen, One Battle After Another
Best Original Score: Ludwig Göransson, Sinners
Best International Film: The Secret Agent
Best Documentary: The Perfect Neighbor
Best Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters
Best Voice Acting/Animated/Digital Performance: Oona Chaplin, Avatar: Fire & Ash
Best Stuntwork: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Best Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash
Best Remake/Franchise Film: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Best First Film: Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby
The Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Award:
- Odessa A’zion, Marty Supreme
- Miles Caton, Sinners
- Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
- Maggie Kang, KPop Demon Hunters
- Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby
2025 Austin Film Award Winner: Blue Moon
Special Awards:
The Dual Threat Special Award: Elle Fanning (Predator: Badlands), Theo James (The Monkey), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Diego Luna/Tonatiuh/Jennifer Lopez (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Dylan O’Brien (Twinless), Robert Pattinson (Mickey 17), and Rosamund Pike/Matthew Rhys (Hallow Road).
Indy the Dog for Good Boy: For a uniquely realized performance in the field of animal acting