This year I had the distinct honor of joining the DFW Film Critics Association, something I’m very proud of. The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association is a not-for-profit, unincorporated voluntary organization of print, broadcast and internet film critics based in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area and greater North Texas who meet its membership criteria. Part of my responsibilities include casting votes for specific films and performances in the Oscar race, for which I had to attend tons of advance screenings and watch numerous Academy screeners sent to us by the studios. But, being a lover of film, this was an absolute pleasure through and through. 2011 has been an interesting year for movies, but in the end there’s some solid choices in here. Below you can find the results list of the DFWFCA voting, starting with winning titles and followed by runner-ups in ranking numerical order. Let us know your thoughts on this year’s films in the comments.
I should note, what you see below is not any one ballot, but rather the winners picked by tallying up all of the ballots and pulling the name or title most-voted for. I also find this interesting based on some of my personal choices, which varied a lot from some of what you see below. But that’s the beauty of film – people like different things for different reasons.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DALLAS-FORT WORTH FILM CRITICS NAME “THE DESCENDANTS” BEST PICTURE OF 2011
The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association voted the comedy-drama THE DESCENDANTS as the best film of 2011, according to the results of its 18th annual critics’ poll released today.
Rounding out the composite list of the top 10 films of the year were THE ARTIST (2), EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE (3), MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (4), THE TREE OF LIFE (5), HUGO (6), 50/50 (7), DRIVE (8), SHAME (9) and MONEYBALL (10).
For Best Actor, the association named George Clooney for THE DESCENDANTS. Runners-up included Jean Dujardin for THE ARTIST (2), Michael Fassbender for SHAME (3), Brad Pitt for MONEYBALL (4) and Michael Shannon for TAKE SHELTER (5).
Michelle Williams was voted Best Actress for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. Next in the voting were Tilda Swinton for WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (2), Meryl Streep for THE IRON LADY (3), Charlize Theron for YOUNG ADULT (4) and Kirsten Dunst for MELANCHOLIA (5).
In the Best Supporting Actor category, the winner was Christopher Plummer for BEGINNERS. He was followed by Albert Brooks for DRIVE (2), Max von Sydow for EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE (3), Armie Hammer for J. EDGAR (4) and Kenneth Branagh for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (5).
For Best Supporting Actress, the association named Shailene Woodley for THE DESCENDANTS. Runners-up included Berenice Bejo for THE ARTIST (2), Octavia Spencer for THE HELP (3), Melissa McCarthy for BRIDESMAIDS (4) and Carey Mulligan for SHAME (5).
Alexander Payne was voted Best Director for THE DESCENDANTS. Next in the voting were Michel Hazanavicius for THE ARTIST (2), Terrence Malick for THE TREE OF LIFE (3), Martin Scorsese for HUGO (4) and Woody Allen for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (5).
The association voted A SEPARATION as the best foreign-language film of the year. Runners-up were THE SKIN I LIVE IN (2), INCENDIES (3), 13 ASSASSINS (4) and a tie between OF GODS AND MEN and CERTIFIED COPY (5).
CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS won for Best Documentary over PROJECT NIM (2), THE INTERRUPTERS (3), PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES (4) and BUCK (5).
RANGO was named the best animated film of 2011, with THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN as runner-up.
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash won the Best Screenplay award for THE DESCENDANTS over Woody Allen for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS.
The award for Best Cinematography went to Emmanuel Lubezki for THE TREE OF LIFE, followed byJanusz Kaminski for WAR HORSE.
The association voted WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN as the winner of the Russell Smith Award, named for the late Dallas Morning News film critic. The honor is given annually to the best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association consists of 29 broadcast, print and online journalists from throughout North Texas. For more information, visit www.dfwfilmcritics.com.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
