The Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) announced the winners of its 16th season, with a three-way tie between “Banshees of Inisherin,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Women Talking” for most wins. Each film won four awards, including best film for “The Banshees of Inisherin” and best director for Sarah Polley (“Women Talking”).
Jennifer Merin, President of the 95 members of AWFJ, said in a statement, “We are particularly proud that this year’s member-determined roster of nominees included a goodly number of female contenders in non-gender specific categories. And that we have female winners in those categories, as well, including Sarah Polley who receives the EDA Award for Best Director for the multi-nominated and awarded ‘Women Talking.’”
“We hope to see similar results at this year’s Oscars and various guild awards as well as with other critics awards groups,” Merin added.
There were also numerous ties across categories, including best cinematography, which went to Claudio Miranda for “Top Gun: Maverick” and Polly Morgan for “The Woman King.” Best supporting actress also saw a tie between Kerry Condon in “The Banshees of Inisherin” and Jamie Lee Curtis in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
In addition to the above awards, the AWFJ also presented EDA Female Focus Awards, which honour women only. Gina Prince-Bythewood won the award for Best Woman Director for “The Woman King,” while Sarah Polley and Miriam Toews won the award for Best Woman Screenwriter for “Women Talking.”
The AWFJ also gave out special mention awards, including the Grand Dame Award for defying ageism, which went to Emma Thompson, and the Most Egregious Lovers’ Age Difference Award, which went to “Crimes of the Future.” The “She Deserves A New Agent Award” was given to Ana de Armas for “Blonde,” and the Most Daring Performance award went to Emma Thompson for “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.”
The Time Waster Remake or Sequel Award was given to “Jurassic World: Dominion” and the AWFJ Hall of Shame Award, which women and men are eligible for, was given to Harvey Weinstein for everything and forever.
Overall, the winners of the AWFJ awards demonstrate the diversity and strength of female-led and female-centric films in the industry. The organization hopes to see this trend continue in the future, not just in their awards but in major industry awards as well.