Yes, we have the Golden Globes, the Oscars and other film awards, but if you want to know the best films and performances of the year, I like to rely on our own critics here in Indiana, the Indiana Film Journalists Association. Originally organized to encourage studios to provide screenings for local critics, the annual awards announcement is one I look forward to each year.
The IFJA announced their nominees recently, and have just revealed the award winners for 2025.
I have dabbled in film criticism in the past, but I’m not as young as I once was so had to cut back on a few of my endeavors. It takes time an effort to screen films and write reviews.
That said, here are the award winners for 2025 from our local Indiana film critics:
Best Picture
Winner: Sinners
Runner-up: One Battle After Another
Other Best Film Finalists / Top 10 Films:
(listed alphabetically)
Bob Trevino Likes It
Hamnet
The Life of Chuck
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Weapons
Best Animated Film
Winner: K-Pop Demon Hunters
Runner-up: The Legend of Hei 2
Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: No Other Choice
Runner-up: Sentimental Value
Best Documentary Film
Winner: The Tenderness Tour
Runner-up: Orwell: 2+2=5
Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”
Runner-up: Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme”
Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
Runner-up: Mike Flanagan, “The Life of Chuck”
Best Director
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
Runner-up: Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”
Best Lead Performance
Winner: Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”
Runner-up: Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet”
Best Supporting Performance
Winner: Benicio del Toro, “One Battle After Another”
Runner-up: Amy Madigan, “Weapons”
Best Vocal / Motion-Capture Performance
Winner: Will Patton, “Train Dreams”
Runner-up: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”
Best Ensemble Acting
Winner: Sinners
Runner-up: One Battle After Another
Best Musical Score
Winner: Ludwig Göransson, “Sinners”
Runner-up: Jonny Greenwood, “One Battle After Another”
Breakout of the Year
Winner: Chase Infiniti (performer), “One Battle After Another”
Runner-up: Miles Caton (performer), “Sinners”
Best Cinematography
Winner: Autumn Donald Arkapaw, “Sinners”
Runner-up: Michael Bauman, “One Battle After Another”
Best Editing
Winner: Michael P. Shawver, “Sinners”
Runner-up: Andy Jurgensen, “One Battle After Another”
Best Stunt / Movement Choreography
Winner: Wade Eastwood (second-unit director / stunt coordinator), “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning”
Runner-up: Brian Machleit (stunt coordinator), “One Battle After Another”
Best Special Effects
Winner: Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess and Ivan Busquets (visual effects supervisors) and José Granell (miniatures / models supervisor), “Frankenstein”
Runner-up: Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl and Guido Wolter (visual effects supervisors) and Donnie Dean (special effects coordinator), “Sinners”
Original Vision Award
Winner: Good Boy
Runner-up: The Testament of Ann Lee
The Edward Johnson-Ott Hoosier Award*
Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another”
*As a special honor, no runner-up is named for the Hoosier Award. It honors founding IFJA member and longtime NUVO Newsweekly critic Edward Johnson-Ott.