"12 Years a Slave" Best Film of 2013 Sez Chicago Film Critics

by Amos Semien

The film, 12 Years a Slave, owned the 2013 Chicago Film Critics Awards, winning the “Best Picture” award.  This film is based on a true story:  Solomon Northup’s 1853 memoir of being a once-free black man from the North, kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Deep South in the years leading up to Civil War.

The Chicago Film Critics Association gave the film five awards:  Best Director to Steve McQueen, Best Actor to Chiwetel Ejiofor, Best Supporting Actress to newcomer Luptia Nyong'o, Adapted Screenplay to John Ridley, as well as Best Picture.

Director Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity was the runner-up with three awards:  Best Cinematography to Emmanuel Lubezki, Best Art Direction/Production Design to Mark Scruton and Andy Nicholson and Best Editing to Cuaron and Mark Sanger.

The CFCA awards were announced at a ceremony held on Monday, December 16, 2013.

2013 Chicago Film Critics Awards winners:

BEST PICTURE
12 Years A Slave

BEST DIRECTOR
Steve McQueen--12 Years A Slave

BEST ACTOR
Chiwetel Ejiofor--12 Years A Slave

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett--Blue Jasmine

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jared Leto--Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Lupita Nyong'o--12 Years A Slave

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Spike Jonze--Her

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
John Ridley--12 Years A Slave

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Act of Killing

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
The Act of Killing

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Wind Rises

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Her--Arcade Fire

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Gravity--Emmanuel Lubezki

BEST EDITING
Gravity--Alfonso Cuaron & Mark Sanger

BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
Gravity--Mark Scruton/Andy Nicolson

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Adele Exarchopoulos--Blue is the Warmest Color

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Destin Cretton--Short Term 12

http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/

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