‘Straight Outta Compton’ tops AAFCA Awards, ‘Creed’ Wins Director

Despite an inevitable dearth of black stories that will make it to the Oscars next month, the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) is always a great breath of fresh air and shows us that there are many stories to be told. That said, there are a few odd choices here and there. Namely, The Danish Girl being in their top 10 films and absolutely no mention of the black trans indie Tangerine. Straight Outta Compton, the surprise box office hit of the summer, won Best Picture, Ensemble and Supporting Actor (Jason Mitchell). The boxing hit Creed won Best Director (Ryan Coogler) and Breakthrough Performance (Michael B. Jordan). Abraham Attah in Beasts of No Nation probably would have been a better fit there as Jordan has been high profile for a while. Beasts did end up with a Top 10 mention.

[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” class=”” width=””]“Our members found an interesting theme in many of the films released this year, giving a voice to communities who have generally been underserved and marginalized in society,” says AAFCA president Gil Robertson. “With movies like ‘Straight Outta Compton,’ ‘Chi-Raq,’ ‘3 1/2 Minutes’ and ‘Dope,’ filmmakers brought to life many storylines that are a reflection of what’s happening in our world today, including the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Pictures like ‘Carol’ and ‘The Danish Girl,’ give voice to another community that is too often ridiculed and ignored by the status-quo. With ‘Creed,’ the members of AAFCA found an opportunity to celebrate a film with a universal message of hope, honor and perseverance – something that everyone can embrace. Overall, it was a transformative year in cinema.” [/box]

Previously announced AAFCA Special Achievement honors:
Codeblack Entertainment CEO, Jeff Clanagan
Director John Singleton
Maverick Carter and LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment
New York Times film critic, Manohla Dargis will receive the organization’s Roger Ebert Award and HBO will receive the group’s Cinema Vanguard Award

The complete list of 2015 AAFCA Awards winners follows below:

Best Picture: “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)
Best Director: Ryan Coogler –“Creed”  (Warner Bros.)
Best Ensemble: “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)
Best Actor: Will Smith “Concussion” (Sony)
Best Actress: Teyonah Parris “Chi-Raq” (Roadside Attractions)
Best Supporting Actor: Jason Mitchell “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)
Best Supporting Actress: Tessa Thompson “Creed” (Warner Bros.)
Best Independent Film: “Chi-Raq” (Roadside Attractions)
Best Screenplay:  Rick Famuyiwa, “Dope” (Open Road Films)
Breakout Performance: Michael B. Jordan “Creed” (Warner Bros.)
Best Animation: “The Peanuts Movie” (20^thCentury Fox)
Best Documentary: “A Ballerina’s Tale” (Sundance Selects)
Best Song: “See You Again” Furious 7 (Atlantic Records)

[divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]

Best TV Comedy: “Black-ish” (ABC)
Best TV Drama: “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
Best Cable/New Media TV Show: “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)

[divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]

AAFCA Top Ten Films of 2015 are as follows in order of distinction:

1. Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures) 
2. Creed (Warner Bros.) 
3. Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros.)
4. Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)  
5. The Martian (20 Century Fox) ^th
6. 3-1/2 Minutes/Dope (HBO/Open Road Films)
7. Chi-Raq (Roadside Attractions)
8. Carol  (Weinstein Co.) 
9. The Big Short (Paramount Pictures) 
10. The Danish Girl (Focus Features)