2025 Critics Association of Central Florida (CACF) Award Winners

Sinners

WBAM is proud to be a member of the Critics Association of Central Florida, an amazing community of film lovers now ready to announce our picks for the best of 2025. Here are the winners of this year’s awards.

Best Picture
WINNER: Sinners
RUNNER-UP: One Battle After Another

Best Director
WINNER: Ryan Coogler, Sinners
RUNNER-UP: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Best Lead Actor
WINNER: Timothee Chalamet, Marty Supreme
RUNNER-UP: Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another

Best Lead Actress
WINNER: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
RUNNER-UP: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
WINNER: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
RUNNER-UP: Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
WINNER: Amy Madigan, Weapons
RUNNER-UP: (Tie) Ariana Grande, Wicked: For Good & Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another 

Best Hybrid Performance
WINNER: Oona Chaplin, Avatar: Fire and Ash
RUNNER-UP: Zoe Saldana, Avatar: Fire and Ash

Best Youth Performance
WINNER: Jacobi Jupe, Hamnet
RUNNER-UP: Cary Christopher, Weapons

Outstanding Cast
WINNER: Sinners
RUNNER-UP: One Battle After Another

Best Documentary
WINNER: The Perfect Neighbor
RUNNER-UP: Stolen Kingdom

Best International Film
WINNER: No Other Choice
RUNNER-UP: It Was Just An Accident

Best Animated
WINNERS (TIE): KPop Demon Hunters & Zootopia 2 
RUNNER-UP: Elio

Best Screenplay
WINNER: Sinners
RUNNER-UP: One Battle After Another

Best Cinematography
WINNER: Sinners
RUNNER-UP: One Battle After Another

Best First Feature
WINNER: Sorry Baby
RUNNER-UP: Friendship

Best Production Design
WINNER: Frankenstein
RUNNER-UP: Sinners

Best Visual Effects
WINNER: Avatar: Fire and Ash
RUNNER-UP: Superman

Best Costume Design
WINNER: Sinners
RUNNER-UP: Frankenstein

Best Makeup & Hairstyling
WINNER: Frankenstein
RUNNER-UP: Sinners

Best Stunt Coordination
WINNER: Mission Impossible
RUNNER-UP: F1

Best Score
WINNER: Sinners
RUNNER-UP: One Battle After Another

Best Original Song
WINNER: “Golden,” KPOP Demon Hunters
RUNNER-UP: “Lied to You,” Sinners

Best Editing
WINNER: (TIE) One Battle After Another & Marty Supreme 
RUNNER-UP: Sinners

Best Sound Design
WINNER: F1
RUNNER-UP: Sinners


Special Categories

In addition to the traditional lineup of awards, the CACF has several special honors. Returning this year are: “Best Central Florida Film,” a category designed to recognize outstanding achievement by a film with a significant connection to the Central Florida area, “Best Achievement in Diversity,” a category designed to recognize outstanding achievement by a film that showcases inclusion and diversity, both on the screen and behind the scenes, and “The Golden Paw,” designed to recognize a an outstanding animal performance in film. These winners are listed below.

Best Central Florida Film
WINNER: The Perfect Neighbor

Achievement in Diversity
WINNER: Sinners

Golden Paw
WINNER: Indy the Dog, Good Boy

The Critics Association of Central Florida is proud to recognize these amazing achievements in film.


About CACF

The Critics Association of Central Florida is an organization of critics based in or around the Central Florida area and consists of critics and journalists with a wide reach to a diverse and expansive audience.

Our membership represents outlets of all sizes, from independent blogs to major outlets such as FandomWire and Flickering Myth.

Leave a Reply

Discover more from WE BOUGHT A MIC

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading