2011 Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC) Awards - winners

The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC) announced the winners of their 2nd annual BFCC awards.

The main winner was The Help which won five films including Best Film, Best Actress (Viola Davis) and Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer), Best Screenplay and Best Ensemble. This is a surprise since The Help is a problematic and actually racist film. Yet there wasn't a surfeit of alternatives that portrayed the black experience, so this result may have been inevitable.

Pariah fared well also with wins for Best Director (Dee Rees), Best Independent Film and Best Original Screenplay. It was number three on their list of top films for 2009.

The Best Actor award went to Olivier Litondo for The First Grader. Albert Brooks won for Best Supporting Actor with Drive.

Founded in 2010, the Black Film Critics Circle is a membership organization comprised of film critics of color from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines, radio, television and qualifying on-line publications. The organization is dedicated to honoring excellence of professionals in the theatrical motion picture industry in U.S. and World Cinema. Its mission is to celebrate contributions and achievements in film by people of the black Diaspora who work in front of and behind the camera, maintain the integrity of a true Critics organization and advance a collective vision of journalists of the black Diaspora.

BFCC assists in the development of new talent in the field of entertainment journalism through educational opportunities, mentoring and strategic partnerships and raises awareness of the significance of black film and black film history as a critical part of film culture and preservation. The organization meets annually in December to vote on the year’s films. BFCC’s Founding Members are journalists Mike Sargent (WBAI-FM NY/Tor.com), Wilson Morales (Blackfilm.com), and Shawn Edwards (WDAF-TV Fox Affiliate Kansas City, MO).

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Complete list of award winners for the 2011 Black Film Critics Circle Awards

Best Picture
The Help

Best Director
Dee Rees, Pariah

Best Actor
Olivier Litondo, The First Grader

Best Actress
Viola Davis, The Help

Best Supporting Actor
Albert Brooks, The Drive

Best Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Independent Film
Pariah

Best Original Screenplay
Dee Rees, Pariah

Best Adapted Screenplay
Tate Taylor, The Help

Best Documentary
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey

Best Foreign Film
Life, Above All

Best Animated Film
Rango

Best Ensemble
The Help

BFCC Signature Awards

Pioneer
Harry Belafonte

Risig Star
Adepero Oduye

Special Mention
Attack the Block

BFCC'S TOP TEN FILMS OF 2011

1. The Help
2. The Artist
3. Pariah
4. Drive
5. The Descendants
6. Attack the Block
7. Tree of Life
8. Hugo
9. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
10. Warrior