Indiana Film Journalists Association Announces 2023 Awards
The Indiana Film Journalists Association has named “Poor Things” the best film of 2023, a strong showing that also included Best Lead Performance for Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo for Best Supporting Performance, Best Director for Yorgos Lanthimos, Best Adapted Screenplay (Tony McNamara), Original Vision and Best Ensemble Acting. Its seven wins is the most ever in the 15 years of the IFJA awards.
“Oppenheimer,” which was named runner-up for Best Film, also was runner-up in four other categories: directing, lead and supporting performance, and ensemble acting. It notched three wins: Cinematography, Editing and Musical Score.
Eight other films were voted Finalists for Best Film. Along with the winner and runner-up, they represent the IFJA’s selection as the Top 10 movies of the year.
“The Zone of Interest” was awarded Best Foreign Language Film and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” won Best Animated Film. “Kokomo City” was named Best Documentary.
David Hemingson took the Best Original Screenplay award for “The Holdovers.” Writer/director Celine Song earned the Breakout of the Year Award for her debut film, “Past Lives.”
The Edward Johnson-Ott Hoosier Award, which goes to a film or filmmaker with Indiana ties, went to Sam Mirpoorian, director of the documentary “Greener Pastures.”
IFJA members issued this statement for the Edward Johnson-Ott Hoosier Award:
“Sam Mirpoorian has shown that an Indiana-based filmmaker can make major waves across the cinematic landscape. His documentary ‘Greener Pastures’ is a powerful look at the lives of independent farmers shot over several years, traveling alongside them before and during Covid, observing their struggles with depression and substance abuse but always demanding we see their intrinsic dignity as those who nourish us. Mirpoorian has rendered those who were largely invisible indelible in our eyes and hearts.”
In addition to the winner, IFJA recognizes a runner-up in each category (with one exception, noted below). Here is the complete list:
Best Picture
Winner: Poor Things
Runner-up: Oppenheimer
Other Best Film Finalists: (listed alphabetically)
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Barbie
The Holdovers
John Wick: Chapter 4
Killers of the Flower Moon
May December
Past Lives
Robot Dreams
Best Animated Film
Winner: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Runner-up: Robot Dreams
Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: The Zone of Interest
Runner-up: Godzilla Minus One
Best Documentary Film
Winner: Kokomo City
Runner-up: 20 Days in Mariupol
Best Original Screenplay
Winner: David Hemingson, The Holdovers
Runner-up: Samy Burch (screenplay/story) and Alex Mechanik (story), May December
Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: Tony McNamara, Poor Things
Runner-up: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie
Best Director
Winner: Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Runner-up: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Best Lead Performance
Winner: Emma Stone, Poor Things
Runner-up: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Best Supporting Performance
Winner: Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Runner-up: Robert Downey, Jr., Oppenheimer
Best Vocal/Motion Capture Performance
Winner: Hailee Steinfeld, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Runner-up: Shameik Moore, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Ensemble Acting
Winner: Poor Things
Runner-up: Oppenheimer
Best Musical Score
Winner: Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon
Breakout of the Year
Winner: Celine Song, Past Lives
Runner-up: Charles Melton, May December
Best Cinematography
Winner: Hoyte van Hoytema, Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Dan Laustsen, John Wick: Chapter 4
Best Editing
Winner: Jennifer Lame, Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Thelma Schoonmaker, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Stunt/Movement Choreography
Winner: Jeremy Marinas (fight coordinator), Scott Rogers (stunt coordinator) and Stephen Levy (stunt choreographer), John Wick: Chapter 4
Runner-up: Jennifer White (choreographer) and Lisa Welham (associate choreographer), Barbie
Original Vision Award
Winner: Poor Things
Runner-up: Barbie
The Edward Johnson-Ott Hoosier Award*
Winner: Director Sam Mirpoorian, Greener Pastures
*As a special honor, no runner-up is named for the Hoosier Award. It is named after founding IFJA member and longtime NUVO Newsweekly critic Edward Johnson-Ott.
What is the Indiana Film Journalists Association?
Established in 2009 by a dedicated group of six Indiana journalists, the Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) is a growing organization of Indiana-based journalists and broadcasters who specialize in film criticism and commentary. All major dailies, weeklies and a variety of other print and electronic outlets are represented. IFJA was established to promote the art of film criticism in the Hoosier state, to support Indiana’s growing film industry and to promote quality film criticism in Indiana.
In addition to presenting our Annual Awards and Top Ten List, members of the Indiana Film Journalists Association stay active throughout the year serving on film festival juries, attending and sponsoring special screenings, appearing at film and genre-specific conferences, and speaking to civic groups, schools, media outlets and many other places.
Every year in mid-December, the IFJA presents awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Animated Film, Best Documentary Feature and Best Foreign Language Film. In 2011, IFJA added a category for Best Original Score! Additionally, IFJA has two extra special awards presented each year, the “Edward Johnson Ott Hoosier Award” and the “Original Vision” Award.
IFJA’s “Hoosier Award” is meant to recognize a significant cinematic contribution by a person or persons with Indiana roots. As a special award, no runner-up is declared. In 2021, the "Hoosier Award" has been renamed to celebrate the legacy of charter IFJA member and longtime Indy film critic Edward Johnson Ott. The award is now called the "Edward Johnson Ott Hoosier Award."
IFJA’s “Original Vision Award” recognizes a cinematic achievement that is extraordinarily innovative or represents outstanding achievement in experimental and/or original filmmaking.