RELEASE DATE: JAN. 4, 2021

North Carolina Film Critics Select Minari as Best Narrative Film

Minari and Nomadland Four Honors Each and Soul received two awards

For the third consecutive year, the North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) has awarded the Best Narrative Film to a movie featuring a non-English language and subtitles. Mirani follows Parasite (2019) and Roma (2018), highlighting the increasing diversity of high-caliber films from around the globe making an impact on members of the NCFCA. 

Minari also had wins for Best Supporting Actress (Youn Yuh-jung), Best Original Screenplay, and for Will Patton. Patton attended The North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, and he was recognized with the Ken Hanke Tarheel Memorial Award.  

Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) earned the Best Director Award. Nomadland also gained awards for Best Cinematography, Best Actress (Frances McDormand) and Best Adapted Screenplay.   

Soul was recognized as Best Animated Film and for Best Cinema Music.   

The NCFCA consists of fifty-four film critics/journalists established in North Carolina or those serving North Carolina-based outlets.

Recognition was granted to films and performers in sixteen categories. Below is the full list of winners and nominees:

BEST NARRATIVE FILM
**Minari** — Winner

Da 5 Bloods
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman

The Trial of the Chicago 7

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
**Dick Johnson is Dead** — Winner

All In: The Fight for Democracy
Boys State
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Time

BEST ANIMATED FILM
**Soul** — Winner

The Croods 2: A New Age
Onward
Over the Moon
Wolfwalkers

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
**Another Round** — Winner
Bacurau
Beanpole
La llorona
Night of Kings

BEST DIRECTOR
**Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)** — Winner

Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)
David Fincher (Mank)
Regina King (One Night in Miami)
Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
**Joshua James Richards (Nomadland)** — Winner

Hoyte Van Hoytema (Tenet)
Erik Messerschmidt (Mank)
Newton Thomas Sigel (Da 5 Bloods)
Dariusz Wolski (News of the World)

BEST ACTOR
**Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods)** — Winner

Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)
Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
Anthony Hopkins (The Father)
Steven Yeun (Minari)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
**Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7)** — Winner

Chadwick Boseman (Da 5 Bloods)
Bill Murray (On the Rocks)
Paul Raci (Sound of Metal)
David Strathairn (Nomadland)

BEST ACTRESS
**Frances McDormand (Nomadland)** — Winner

Jessie Buckley (I’m Thinking of Ending Things)
Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man)
Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
**Youn Yuh-jung (Minari)** — Winner

Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)
Toni Colette (I’m Thinking of Ending Things)
Olivia Colman (The Father)
Amanda Seyfried (Mank)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
**Minari (Lee Isaac Chung)** — Winner

Da 5 Bloods (Danny Bilson; Paul De Meo; Kevin Willmott; Spike Lee)
Mank (Jack Fincher)
Promising Young Woman (Emerald Fennell)
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Aaron Sorkin)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
**Nomadland (Chloé Zhao)** — Winner

First Cow (Jon Raymond; Kelly Reichardt)
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Charlie Kaufman)
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Ruben Santiago-Hudson)
One Night in Miami (Kemp Powers)

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
**Tenet** — Winner

The Invisible Man
The Midnight Sky
Mulan
Wonder Woman 1984

BEST MUSIC
**Soul** — Winner

Da 5 Bloods
Mank
Minari
Tenet

KEN HANKE MEMORIAL TAR HEEL AWARD
**Will Patton (Minari) – Attended North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem** — Winner

The Dancin’ Bulldogs – The Gardner-Webb University basketball team’s 2018-2019 season.
Gary Wheeler (Blue Ridge; The Warrant) – North Carolina based film producer; Appalachian State University Alum.

BEST RESTORATION –  A special award to acknowledge a previously released film that was restored and/or re-released theatrically or on DVD.
**Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Warner Bros.)** — Winner

Beau travail (The Criterion Collection)
Mädchen in Uniform (Kino Lorber)
Native Son (Kino Lorber)
Roman Holiday (Paramount Home Entertainment)

Films with Multiple Wins:
Minari — 4
Nomadland — 4 

Soul – 2 

Films with Multiple Nominations 

Da 5 Bloods – 7

Minari — 6
Nomadland — 6

Mank – 5

Promising Young Woman – 4

I’m Thinking of Ending Things -3

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom  – 3

The Trial of the Chicago 7 – 3 

Tenet — 3

The Father –2

The Invisible Man -2

One Night in Miami -2
Soul – 2 

Sound of Metal – 2

Most Nominations Without Wins: 

Mank received five nominations; Promising Young Woman received four nominations; Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom received three nominations.  

Notes:
• For the third year in a row, the NCFCA has voted as Best Narrative Film a film not primarily in English. Parasite won the award in 2019, and Roma won in 2018.

• While Minari won Best Narrative Film, Another Round won Best Foreign Language Film. This split highlights the increasing diversity of successful films and the blurred distinctions between English and Foreign Language productions.

• This was the fourth year that the NCFCA did not award Best Director to the person credited with helming the film that won Best Narrative Film. Previous splits were in 2012 (Film: Silver Linings Playbook/David O. Russel; Director: Ang Lee/The Life of Pi), 2014 (Film: The Grand Budapest Hotel/Wes Anderson; Director: Richard Linklater/Boyhood), and 2015 (Film: Spotlight/Tom McCarthy; Director George Miller/Mad Max: Fury Road).

• Will Patton becomes only the third performer to win the Ken Hanke Memorial Tarheel Award, joining Lucas Hedges (2018: Boy Erased/Ben is Back), and Zach Galifinikas (2014: Birdman). Patton attended the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem before training at The Actors’ Studio in New York City.

• All individual winners were first time NCFCA Award recipients, although Thomas Vinterberg, director of Another Round and Pete Doctor, co-director of Soul, contributed to previous winners in the categories of Best Foreign Language Film (The Hunt, 2013) and Best Animated Film (Monsters University, 2013; Inside Out, 2015).

• Olivia Coleman was a previous acting winner (The Favourite).

• Viola Davis was a previous acting winner (Fences).

• Regina King was a previous acting winner (If Beale Street Could Talk). 

• Spike Lee was nominated previously for director and screenplay (Blackkklansman). This year he picked up his third and fourth nominations in the same categories. 

• This was Aaron Sorkin’s third nomination. He had a previous win for Molly’s Game. 

####

About the NCFCA 

The North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) was formed by Kenneth R. Morefield in 2012 to promote film journalism in North Carolina. Membership consists of film critics/journalists established in North Carolina or those serving North Carolina-based outlets.  

NCFCA members actively engage in cinematic evaluation and critical analysis. Some members also offer journalistic and explorative thoughts on episodic television, streaming series, music, and varied forms of arts and entertainment. 

More information about the NCFCA and lists of past nominees and winners can be found at ncfilmcritics.org.