The 17 dedicated and talented members of Chicago Indie Critics cast their final ballots this week to declare the winners of 23 categories for their fifth annual film awards. Recorded for video presentation on the group’s YouTube channel, the CIC film critics came together to celebrate the year and recognize the best in film for 2020.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, directed by George C. Wolfe and adapted from August Wilson’s stage play, dominated this year’s CIC Awards, winning seven of its nine nominations. Topmost, the Netflix original film was named the Best Studio Film in a tie with another offering from the streaming leader, Best Director winner Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom also won awards for adapted screenplay, lead actor, lead actress, ensemble cast, costume design, and makeup.
Starring in both of those victorious films, beloved late actor Chadwick Boseman was prominently honored by the CIC. Boseman won posthumous awards for Best Actor (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Best Supporting Actor (Da 5 Bloods), and special recognition as the recipient of the group’s Impact Award celebrating a person whose work during the past year or beyond made a positive influence on society. Also of note, Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland won Best Independent Film and Small Axe anthology filmmaker Steve McQueen won the CIC’s Trailblazer Award honoring the work of an artist who truly pushed the boundaries of the medium in terms of form and content.
THE COMPLETE LIST OF THE WINNERS OF THE 2020 CIC AWARDS:
BEST INDEPENDENT FILM (BUDGETS UNDER $20 MILLION)
NOMADLAND
Producers: Frances McDorman, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, and Chloe Zhao
BEST STUDIO FILM (BUDGETS OVER $20 MILLION)
DA 5 BLOODS (tie)
Producers: John Kilik, Spike Lee, Beatriz Levin, and Lloyd Levin
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (tie)
Producers: Denzel Washington, Todd Black, and Dany Wolf
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
HIS HOUSE
Producers: Aidan Elliott, Martin Gentles, Arnon Milchan, Ed King, and Roy Lee
BEST DOCUMENTARY
BOYS STATE
Producers: Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss
BEST ANIMATED FILM
SOUL
Producers: Dana Murray
BEST DIRECTOR
Spike Lee, DA 5 BLOODS
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN – Emerald Fennell (tie)
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 – Aaron Sorkin (tie)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM – Ruben Santiago-Hudso
BEST ACTOR
Chadwick Boseman, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
BEST ACTRESS
Viola Davis, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Chadwick Boseman, DA 5 BLOODS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Maria Bakalova, BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Donald Graham Burt, MANK
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Joshua James Richards, NOMADLAND
BEST EDITING
Alan Baumgarten, THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
BEST MUSICAL SCORE
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, SOUL
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Speak Now” – ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
Written by Leslie Odom Jr. and Sam Ashworth, Performed by Leslie Odom Jr
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Jonathan Dearing and Dan Oliver, THE INVISIBLE MAN
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Ann Roth, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
BEST MAKEUP
Matiki Anoff, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, and Mia Neal, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
SPECIAL AWARDS
TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Honors the work of an artist who truly pushes the boundaries of the medium in terms of form and content
Steve McQueen
IMPACT AWARD
Given to a person whose work has had a positive impact on society
Chadwick Boseman
