‘1917’ NAMED BEST FILM OF 2019 BY KANSAS CITY FILM CRITICS CIRCLE

“1917,” Sam Mendes’ look at a secret mission during World War I, was named the Best Film of the Year by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle.  The film also took home honors for Mendes’ direction and for its cinematography. “1917” and “Us” were the only films to receive multiple awards, with “Us” star Lupita Nyong’o being named Best Actress, while the film was chosen to receive the Vince Koehler Award for the year’s Best Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror Film.

Each year the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, the second oldest critics organization in the United States, votes on their choices for the group’s James Loutzenhiser Awards.  2019 marks the 54^th time the group has passed out its awards.  The South Korean film “Parasite” was named the year’s Best Foreign Film while “Toy Story 4” joined the first three films in the series by also being named the year’s Best Animated Film, an amazing achievement.

Below is a complete list of the winners of the 54^th Annual James Loutzenhiser Awards:

BEST FILM: “1917”

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes for “1917”

BEST ACTOR: Adam Driver in “Marriage Story”

BEST ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong’o in “Us”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Joe Pesci in ‘The Irishman”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Da’Vine Joy Randolph in “Dolemite is My Name”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Rian Johnson for “Knives Out”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Greta Gerwig for “Little Women”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins for “1917”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: “Toy Story 4”

BEST FOREIGN FILM: “Parasite” – South Korea

BEST DOCUMENTARY: “Amazing Grace” and “Apollo 11” (tie)

VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR THE BEST SCI-FI/FANTASY/HORROR FILM – “Us”

TOM POE AWARD FOR THE BEST LGBT FILM: “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”