THE 48TH IRA FILM AWARDS: ENJOYING "GREAT FREEDOM" (WHILE IT LASTS)
Date: March 25, 2023
Location: New York City and far-flung locales via Zoom
The Iras are a mysterious but august Film society launched in 1976 when it proudly named Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon the best film of 1975. Officially known as the New York Independent Film Critics Awards -- but lovingly nicknamed the IRAs -- it is more international and indie focused than the Oscars, more mercurial than the LA Film Critics and even more loyal to their favorites than the Golden Globes. The IRAs are proud to announce its picks for the best movies released commercially on any platform since the last IRAs in March of 2022.
Without further ado, the IRA goes to...
Best Picture: Great Freedom
Runner-up: Petite Maman
Best Director: Sebastian Miese for Great Freedom
Runner-up: Céline Sciamma for Petite Maman
Best Actors: Franz Rogowski for Great Freedom
Aubrey Plaza for Emily The Criminal
Runner-up: Colin Farrell for After Yang and The Banshees Of Inisherin
Best Supporting Actors: Hong Chau for The Menu and The Whale
Barry Keoghan for The Banshees Of Inisherin
Runner-up: Dolly De Leon for Triangle Of Sadness
Best Nonfiction Film: The Fire Within: A Requiem For Katia and Maurice Krafft
Runner-up: The Territory
Best Screenplay: Thomas Reider & Sebastian Miese for Great Freedom
Runner-up: John Patton Ford for Emily The Criminal
Best Cinematography: Hoyte Van Hotema for Nope
Runner-up: Katia and Maurice Krafft for Fire of Love and The Fire Within: A Requiem For Katia and Maurice Krafft
Best Production Design: Michael Randel for Great Freedom
Runner-up: Alexandra Schaller for After Yang
Best Score/Use Of Music: ASKA aka Aska Matsumiya for After Yang
Runner-up: Hildur Guðnadóttir for Tár and Women Talking
Best Editing: Blair McClendon for Aftersun
Runner-up: Joe Murphy for Barbarian
Best Costumes: Shirley Kurata for Everything Everywhere All At Once
Runner-up: Arjun Bhasin for After Yang (tie)
Jenny Beavan for Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (tie)
Sominex Award (The Movie That Put Us To Sleep): All Quiet On The Western Front
Runner-up: Avatar: The Way Of Water (tie)
The Fabelmans (tie)
Dramamine Award (The Movie That Made Us Sick): Tár
Runner-up: Triangle Of Sadness
Mechanical Actors: Tom Hanks for Elvis, A Man Called Otto and Pinocchio
Sadie Sink for The Whale
Runner-up: Tom Cruise for Top Gun: Maverick
This year, the 48th Annual IRA Awards took place on March 25, 2023. Films are eligible based on our newly established standards. Any film that is widely available roughly since our last ceremony qualifies for an IRA. This includes any film you can see in any way: a streamer, a digital download, a rental, a BluRay, a drive-in or -- our favorite option -- an indoor movie theater. Festival play does not qualify on its own.
And now a blow-by-blow description of the night, in order of voting. We begin, as always, with the category of Best Costumes. Instead of our traditional first vote led by the titular Ira (whose presence was greatly missed), we began with M. George reading the ballot of the absent Adam -- who was busy hobnobbing with Ethan Hawke -- and then Greg and so on. The IRA goes to...
BEST COSTUME
1. Shirley Kurata for Everything Everywhere All At Once -- 16 pts. out of a possible 50 pts.
BEST COSTUME
1. Shirley Kurata for Everything Everywhere All At Once -- 16 pts. out of a possible 50 pts.
2. Jenny Beavan for Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (tie) -- 14 pts.
Arjun Bhasin for After Yang (tie) -- 14 pts.
4. Jessica Ray Harrison for Down With The King -- 12 pts.
5. Tanja Hausner and Andrea Hölzl for Great Freedom -- 11 pts.
POINT OF ORDER: This year, about ten ballots were in play throughout the night for most categories. With a top score for each nominee of 5 pts, the maximum any one nominee could achieve in any category was 50 pts. when everyone was voting. Voting begins with each member naming their top pick. If a majority of the ballots name the same winner, this triumph is acknowledged as a win "by acclamation." However a winner is chosen (by acclamation or by a complete tally), this is followed by the automatic vote to rescind.
The Vote To Rescind is offered after every single category. Why? Once the totals are in, members may feel the actual winner doesn't reflect the best choice. Or perhaps they prefer the runner-up. After the winner is announced, members are asked to consider a Vote To Rescind. If a majority of the members actively voting support it, the winner is rescinded and the runner-up is made the official champion. The winner is then named the runner-up. The Vote To Rescind is seen by some as a last minute stop-gap to avoid a bland consensus pick. It is vehemently opposed by Andy, who registers his displeasure over this rule with the dependable consistency of Old Faithful.
Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All At Once triumphs at the IRAs right off the bat. At the Academy Awards, it lost Best Costumes to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. At the IRAs, it beat back close competition from Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris and After Yang (a film that will factor prominently throughout the night). The IRAs and the Oscars rarely overlap: only twice in the 48 year history of the IRAs have both named the same film as the Best Picture of the year. 1977's Annie Hall and 2016's Moonlight each won the top prize from both AMPAS and the IRAs. While the IRAs certainly lean more indie and international, even the Oscar winner for Best International/Foreign Film has never won the top IRA for Best Picture.
In fact, the IRAs overlap very little with any other awards group. The films it honors are acclaimed, well reviewed all over the world and appear on many "best of the year" lists. And yet, its top honor often goes to a film overlooked by the others. Eclectic, thy name is IRA. And that's a great reason to check out our winners.
BEST EDITING
1. Blair McClendon for Aftersun -- 16 pts.
2. Joe Murphy for Barbarian -- 13 pts.
3. Eddie Hamilton for Top Gun: Maverick -- 12pts.
4. Paul Rogers for Everything Everywhere All At Once -- 11 pts.
3. Eddie Hamilton for Top Gun: Maverick -- 12pts.
4. Paul Rogers for Everything Everywhere All At Once -- 11 pts.
5. Géraldine Mangenot for Happening -- 10 pts.
NOTE: When editing was added to the list of categories that the IRAs vote on, some concern arose it might be dominated by nonfiction films. Not so! This year, no documentary made the shortlist. Aftersun is the winner, stoking Michael's hopes for both it and Happening to go the distance.
BEST SCORE/USE OF MUSIC
1. ASKA aka Aska Matsumiya for After Yang -- 18 pts.
2. Hildur Guðnadóttir for Tár and Women Talking -- 15 pts.
3. Carter Burwell for The Banshees Of Inisherin -- 14 pts.
4. Alexandre Desplat for Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio -- 12 pts.
5. Jung Jae-Il for Broker -- 10 pts.
NOTE: The first win for After Yang, a movie touted by Alex that gained momentum in the final days before voting -- and then some! -- thanks to a last-minute wave of viewing by other members. It's never been easier for IRA voters to watch most of the films people are raving about in our group. In the old day, that might have meant trading BluRays by mail or making a quick trip into a major city when a movie played in theaters (or re-opened briefly). Nowadays many films are available at the click of a button (and for less money). Yes, we'd prefer to see every film in a movie theater with an audience. But that's not the choice: it's online or not at all and so we'll gladly take online. Certainly everyone had plenty of time to catch The Banshees Of Inisherin, which ran and ran in movie theaters for months on end, a rare treat these days. For a movie that wouldn't prove a factor in Best Picture or Director, it did very well indeed in multiple categories.
NOTE: The first win for After Yang, a movie touted by Alex that gained momentum in the final days before voting -- and then some! -- thanks to a last-minute wave of viewing by other members. It's never been easier for IRA voters to watch most of the films people are raving about in our group. In the old day, that might have meant trading BluRays by mail or making a quick trip into a major city when a movie played in theaters (or re-opened briefly). Nowadays many films are available at the click of a button (and for less money). Yes, we'd prefer to see every film in a movie theater with an audience. But that's not the choice: it's online or not at all and so we'll gladly take online. Certainly everyone had plenty of time to catch The Banshees Of Inisherin, which ran and ran in movie theaters for months on end, a rare treat these days. For a movie that wouldn't prove a factor in Best Picture or Director, it did very well indeed in multiple categories.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
1. Michael Randel for Great Freedom -- 20 pts.
2. Alexandra Schaller for After Yang -- 19 pts.
3. Ruth De Jong for Nope -- 13 pts.
3. Ruth De Jong for Nope -- 13 pts.
4. Mark Tildesley for The Banshees Of Inisherin and Empire Of Light -- 12 pts.
5. Rossitsa Bakeva for Barbarian -- 10 pts.
NOTE: Great Freedom consistently ranked as one of the most popular films in regular polling during the year at the IRAs. (A new feature to keep members apprised of what movies we've seen and loved, this polling proved very popular. Humble brag!) And here it snags its first IRA. Sometimes, tech awards like Production Design go to films with flashy work that otherwise don't factor in the big awards. "That space station was amazing!" or "Man, I'd love to have a villa on the South Of France" might prompt someone to vote for a film like Downton Abbey: A New Era even though the film itself wasn't very good. Not this year. We honored the decades-spanning work of Michael Randel, who captured life in and out of prison for a gay man in Germany from World War II to the falling of the Berlin Wall with admirable specificity. The subtle near-future vibe of After Yang (dig the plants found inside their car/taxi/self-driving vehicle) was also highly admired, along with Nope (though as Greg wondered, is a camera in the bottom of a well even a thing?) and the rest. Newcomer Robert made his presence felt early on by rallying support for the Airbnb-gone-bad flick Barbarian. While the IRAs embrace genre pics ahead of noble, well-intentioned middlebrow fare, horror is not exactly a strength of the group. Robert would prove successful, enshrining Barbarian on the IRA honor list for the year.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Hoyte Van Hotema for Nope -- 20 pts.
2. Katia and Maurice Krafft for Fire of Love and The Fire Within: A Requiem For Katia and Maurice Krafft -- 19 pts.
3. Roger Deakins for Empire Of Light -- 13 pts.
4. Benjamin Loeb for After Yang (tie)-- 12 pts.
Claire Mathon for Petite Maman (tie) -- 12 pts.
NOTE: Sometimes at the IRAs, you'r3e rooting against a film yuo really don't want to win the top prize just as much as you're rooting for a personal favorite. That was the case with Michael and Nope. He lived in fear that a film Michael just didn't get the fuss over (it was better than Us but not as good as Get Out, which was over-rated anyway) might triumph. He isn't vehemently opposed to Nope; if anything, it makes him shrug. But with Aftersun and After Yang and Great Freedom and Happening among his favorites and seemingly contenders for the top IRA Award, he'd rather say nope to Nope. And here it wins cinematography! Van Hotema is a talent, but Michael did not see that one coming. Production Design? Ok. Screenplay? Sure. Acting? Quite possibly. And of course Picture and Director. But Best Cinematography? That indicates a scary level of support, something more frightening than even whatever is hiding up in the clouds. But the second choice is inspired: two documentaries about the married scientists who died after a lifetime of studying and filming and photographing volcanoes. Both made extensive usage of their work and it was gorgeous, stunning, as George said simply some of the most beautiful images he'd ever seen on film. It's also a very IRA pick: unexpected, clever and spot-on. Now Alex is the king of supporting the Vote To Rescind, but he's also a big fan of Nope, so surely he won't -- wait! Yes, he IS supporting the Vote To Rescind! Michael eagerly chimes in. "What a cool win that would be!" And...nothing. Nope triumphs. Uh-oh.
BEST SCREENPLAY
1. Thomas Reider & Sebastian Miese for Great Freedom -- 27 pts.
2. John Patton Ford for Emily The Criminal -- 19 pts.
3. James Gray for Armageddon Time-- 12 pts.
4. Céline Sciamma for Petite Maman -- 9 pts.
5. Kore-eda Hirokazu for Broker (tie) -- 8 pts.
4. Céline Sciamma for Petite Maman -- 9 pts.
5. Kore-eda Hirokazu for Broker (tie) -- 8 pts.
Martin McDonagh for The Banshees Of Inisherin (tie) -- 8 pts.
NOTE: Here's where Great Freedom began to flex its muscles. Its 27 points for Best Screenplay was tied for the second-highest total of the night, adjusted for inflation (more on that later). Only one other category winner racked up more points -- and that went to Great Freedom as well. Three more films established themselves as players: the widely admired Emily The Criminal, the Korean film Broker (a good double bill with the Belgian film L'Enfant, IRA winner for Best Picture in 2006) and Armageddon Time, quietly supported by the Merchant-Ivory contingent of the IRAs that appreciates solid, classic filmmaking. Insults were quickly lobbed and just as quickly returned.
NOTE: Here's where Great Freedom began to flex its muscles. Its 27 points for Best Screenplay was tied for the second-highest total of the night, adjusted for inflation (more on that later). Only one other category winner racked up more points -- and that went to Great Freedom as well. Three more films established themselves as players: the widely admired Emily The Criminal, the Korean film Broker (a good double bill with the Belgian film L'Enfant, IRA winner for Best Picture in 2006) and Armageddon Time, quietly supported by the Merchant-Ivory contingent of the IRAs that appreciates solid, classic filmmaking. Insults were quickly lobbed and just as quickly returned.
BEST NONFICTION FILM
1. The Fire Within: A Requiem For Katia and Maurice Krafft -- 14 pts.
2. The Territory (tie) -- 12 pts.
The U.S. And The Holocaust (tie) -- 12 pts.
4. Mr. Bachman And His Class (tie) -- 10 pts.
Three Minutes: A Lengthening (tie) -- 10 pts.
4. Mr. Bachman And His Class (tie) -- 10 pts.
Three Minutes: A Lengthening (tie) -- 10 pts.
NOTE: The Best Nonfiction Film is a fairly recent add to the IRAs and not without controversy (of course), since creating a category like this almost ensures a nonfiction film won't win the much-desired top prize for Best Film ever again. (Eyes On The Prize won for 1986 and Decasia won for 2003.) That's a pity since so many great documentaries are being released now. That's why The Fire Within: A Requiem For Katia and Maurice Krafft won with just 14 points and the category included two ties. The appreciation for documentaries is wide and deep.
FOOD BREAK
BEST SUPPORTING ACTORS
1. Hong Chau for The Menu and The Whale -- 54 pts. out of a possible 100 pts.
4. Theo Rossi for Emily The Criminal -- 26 pts.
5. Kerry Condon for The Banshees Of Inisherin --17 pts.
6. Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All At Once -- 16 pts.
Pizza!
BEST SUPPORTING ACTORS
1. Hong Chau for The Menu and The Whale -- 54 pts. out of a possible 100 pts.
Barry Keoghan for The Banshees Of Inisherin -- 39 pts. out of a possible 100 pts.
3. Dolly De Leon for Triangle Of Sadness -- 28 pts.4. Theo Rossi for Emily The Criminal -- 26 pts.
5. Kerry Condon for The Banshees Of Inisherin --17 pts.
6. Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All At Once -- 16 pts.
7. Anna Mouglalis for Happening -- 15 pts.
8. Brendan Gleeson for The Banshees Of Inisherin -- 14 pts.
9. Brian Tyree Henry for Causeway (tie) -- 13 pts.
Judith Ivey for Women Talking (tie) -- 13 pts.
Gabrielle Sanz for Petite Maman (tie) -- 13 pts.
NOTE: This category marks a major change for the IRAs. A modest proposal that we treat the acting categories like every other category and not break it down by gender/body parts/how a person identifies themselves created a firestorm of controversy. We don't include a category for "female production designers" or "people of color screenplays" or "queer cinematographers," so why do that for acting? This follows in the footsteps of other awards groups and was intended as more practical than progressive, given the increase in nonbinary actors and so on. Nonetheless, it opened a can of worms -- the smaller the stakes the greater the passions, after all. Will female actors become invisible? Won't we be honoring fewer people? What happens with the vote to rescind? All valid points and all discussed at length, at least by Michael (who types very fast). Here is the result.
NOTE: This category marks a major change for the IRAs. A modest proposal that we treat the acting categories like every other category and not break it down by gender/body parts/how a person identifies themselves created a firestorm of controversy. We don't include a category for "female production designers" or "people of color screenplays" or "queer cinematographers," so why do that for acting? This follows in the footsteps of other awards groups and was intended as more practical than progressive, given the increase in nonbinary actors and so on. Nonetheless, it opened a can of worms -- the smaller the stakes the greater the passions, after all. Will female actors become invisible? Won't we be honoring fewer people? What happens with the vote to rescind? All valid points and all discussed at length, at least by Michael (who types very fast). Here is the result.
We've added an official runner-up to every category. We've ended gendered acting categories so they reflect our approach to every other area of filmmaking. Voters may nominate up to ten people for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, rather than five. We will declare TWO winners -- they might be two women, two men, or RuPaul and Asia Kate Dillon or any other combination thereof. We'll celebrate the best, honor their talent, worry about how to properly spell their name and not worry about the politics of it all.
Hong Chau and Barry Keoghan are honored here, a man and a woman, as it happens. Chau was arguably the best thing in two movies that had their fans and detractors. Chau's 54 points out of a possible 100 is equal to Great Freedom's Best Screenplay win with 27 points. Keoghan was the tip of the spear for Banshees, which saw all three of its secondary actors included here: Keoghan, Kerry Condon and Brendan Gleeson. This bodes well for fans of Colin Farrell and his chances as Best Actor. Not to mention Banshees for Best Director and Best Picture.
One definite plus with the new voting system? We get to highlight eleven great performances.
One definite plus with the new voting system? We get to highlight eleven great performances.
BEST ACTORS
1. Franz Rogowski for Great Freedom -- 62 pts. out of a possible 100 pts.
5. Frankie Corio for Aftersun -- 28 pts.
6. Maya Vanderbeque for Playground -- 23 pts.
7. Mia Goth for Pearl, X -- 20 pts.
1. Franz Rogowski for Great Freedom -- 62 pts. out of a possible 100 pts.
Aubrey Plaza for Emily The Criminal -- 42 pts. out of a possible 100 pts.
3. Colin Farrell for After Yang and The Banshees Of Inisherin -- 37 pts.
4. Anamaria Vartolomei for Happening -- 36 pts.5. Frankie Corio for Aftersun -- 28 pts.
6. Maya Vanderbeque for Playground -- 23 pts.
7. Mia Goth for Pearl, X -- 20 pts.
8. Paul Mescal for Aftersun -- 18 pts.
9. Josephine Sanz for Petite Maman -- 15 pts.
10. Ralph Fiennes for The Menu (tie) -- 14 pts.
Brendan Fraser for The Whale (tie) -- 14 pts.
NOTE: Again, our two Best Actors are a man and a woman. In both categories, the nominees split almost evenly between men and women. That won't happen every year, but at least this first time we didn't experience a worst-case scenario. And again, we get to highlight eleven great performances.
NOTE: Again, our two Best Actors are a man and a woman. In both categories, the nominees split almost evenly between men and women. That won't happen every year, but at least this first time we didn't experience a worst-case scenario. And again, we get to highlight eleven great performances.
That distracts from the big news: Franz Rogowski won Best Actor with a massive 62 points (31 p-points when comparing to most other categories). That's the biggest win of the night and showed the German film had three IRAs and was the front runner for Best Picture and Director. But here comes Emily The Criminal! Star Aubrey Plaza was a strong second for her turn in the much admired crime flick. Plus, it scored a second place finish in Best Screenplay. The only problem? Both times, it was beaten by Great Freedom.
As expected, Colin Farrell was a favorite for his turn in Banshees and After Yang. Would he carry two films into the Top 5 IRA movies of the year list? Or which one would be the favorite? Don't ask Yang; he'd just turn the question back on you and ask what you think the favorite will be. Michael's hopes for Happening peaked here with the lead's solid placement on the list, though he kept hope alive. His hopes for the widely admired Apples -- which barely made a peep the entire night -- ended long ago.
BEST DIRECTOR
1. Sebastian Miese for Great Freedom -- 22 pts.
2. Céline Sciamma for Petite Maman -- 20 pts.
3. Kogonada for After Yang -- 12 pts.
4. Audrey Diwan for Happening -- 10 pts.
Worth noting are the four child performances in the two acting categories. Heck, Aftersun star Frankie Corio even placed higher than her Oscar-nominated costar Paul Mescal. She was that good. And isn't it interesting that the two child actors of IRA favorite Céline Sciamma's Petite Maman made the list?
1. Sebastian Miese for Great Freedom -- 22 pts.
2. Céline Sciamma for Petite Maman -- 20 pts.
3. Kogonada for After Yang -- 12 pts.
4. Audrey Diwan for Happening -- 10 pts.
5. Jordan Peele for Nope -- 9 pts.
NOTE: Unlike the Oscars, you get to see the level of support for a film all evening long. We've reached Best Director and the votes make clear its down to two films. Great freedom and Petite Maman duked it out with Great Freedom eking out a win by two points. The three other films were way back, reflecting a lot of good movies and strong support for the two on top. Last year, we saw a similar battle between Drive My Car and A Hero. Car steered its way to Best Director...and then A Hero flipped the script and stole Best Picture right from under Drive My Car's nose. Will Petite Maman get larcenous tonight?
BEST PICTURE
1. Great Freedom -- 24 pts.
2. Petite Maman -- 20 pts.
3. After Yang -- 16 pts.
4. Barbarian -- 11 pts.
5. Happening -- 10 pts.
Nope! Great Freedom was strong all night long, winning Best Production Design, Best Screenplay, and dominating in Best Actor. So it's no surprise that one of the best films of the year, a movie passionately loved by many and admired by the rest (no one said a word against it) would also win Best Director and the top prize Best Picture. It's five IRAs make Great Freedom one of the most laureled IRA winners in history. But with nine films winning or sharing a top prize in the nine categories, it certainly didn't feel like a boring sweep or a fait accompli.
FOOD BREAK
Cake!
NOTE: Unlike the Oscars, you get to see the level of support for a film all evening long. We've reached Best Director and the votes make clear its down to two films. Great freedom and Petite Maman duked it out with Great Freedom eking out a win by two points. The three other films were way back, reflecting a lot of good movies and strong support for the two on top. Last year, we saw a similar battle between Drive My Car and A Hero. Car steered its way to Best Director...and then A Hero flipped the script and stole Best Picture right from under Drive My Car's nose. Will Petite Maman get larcenous tonight?
1. Great Freedom -- 24 pts.
2. Petite Maman -- 20 pts.
3. After Yang -- 16 pts.
4. Barbarian -- 11 pts.
5. Happening -- 10 pts.
Nope! Great Freedom was strong all night long, winning Best Production Design, Best Screenplay, and dominating in Best Actor. So it's no surprise that one of the best films of the year, a movie passionately loved by many and admired by the rest (no one said a word against it) would also win Best Director and the top prize Best Picture. It's five IRAs make Great Freedom one of the most laureled IRA winners in history. But with nine films winning or sharing a top prize in the nine categories, it certainly didn't feel like a boring sweep or a fait accompli.
FOOD BREAK
Cake!
SOMINEX (The movie that put us to sleep)
1. All Quiet On The Western Front -- 17 pts.
2. Avatar: The Way Of Water (tie) -- 11 pts.
The Fabelmans (tie) -- 10 pts.
4. Benediction -- 7 pts.
5. Bardo (tie) -- 5 pts.
The Eternal Daughter (tie) -- 5 pts.
The Eternal Daughter (tie) -- 5 pts.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (tie) -- 5 pts.
Pleasure (tie) -- 5 pts.
Tár (tie) -- 5 pts.
Three Thousand Years Of Longing (tie) -- 5 pts.
Top Gun: Maverick (tie) -- 5 pts.
DRAMAMINE (The film that made us sick)
1 1. Tár -- 18 pts.
2. Triangle Of Sadness -- 17 pts.
3. The Whale -- 12 pts.
4. Blonde -- 11 pts.
5. Avatar: The Way Of Water -- 10 pts.
6. Babylon (tie) -- 5 pts.
Don't Worry Darling (tie) -- 5 pts.
Fire Island (tie) -- 5 pts.
To Leslie (tie) -- 5 pts.
10. All Quiet On The Western Front (tie) -- 3 pts.
Bones And All (tie) -- 3 pts.
The Cathedral (tie) -- 3 pts.
Elvis (tie) -- 3 pts.
MECHANICAL ACTOR
1. Tom Hanks for Elvis, A Man Called Otto and Pinocchio -- 32 pts. out of 100 pts.
Sadie Sink for The Whale -- 28 pts. out of possible 100 pts.
3. Tom Cruise for Top Gun: Maverick -- 27 pts.
4. Adam Gopnik for Tár -- 21 pts.
5. Anthony Hopkins for Armageddon Time -- 19 pts.
6. Luma The Cow for Cow -- 17 pts.
5. Anthony Hopkins for Armageddon Time -- 19 pts.
6. Luma The Cow for Cow -- 17 pts.
7. Anya Taylor-Joy for The Menu -- 14 pts.
8. Michelle Williams for The Fabelmans -- 13 pts.
9. Keke Palmer for Nope -- 12 pts.
10. Evelyn Claire for Pleasure (tie) -- 10 pts.
Marc Maron for To Leslie (tie) -- 10 pts.
THE 2021-2022 FILMS HONORED BY THE IRAS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
Aftersun
After Yang
Armageddon Time
The Banshees Of Inisherin
The Banshees Of Inisherin
Barbarian
Broker
Causeway
Emily The Criminal
Empire Of Light
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Fire of Love
The Fire Within: A Requiem For Katia and Maurice Krafft
Great Freedom
Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio
Happening
The Menu
Mr. Bachman And His Class
Nope
Pearl
Petite Maman
Playground
Tár
The Territory
Three Minutes: A Lengthening
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle Of Sadness
The U.S. And The Holocaust
The Whale
Women Talking
X
WHO OR WHAT ARE THE IRAS? A HISTORY
The IRAs are a mysterious but august film society that has voted on the best films of the year since 1976. Officially known as the New York Independent Film Critics Awards -- but lovingly nicknamed the IRAs -- they are more international and indie focused than the Oscars, more mercurial than the LA Film Critics, more loyal to their favorites than the Golden Globes.
The IRAs began when passionate film students and friends complained about the parade of annual awards shows, declaring, "We could do better!" What followed was an all-night, knock-down, drag-out fight to establish the very first winners of the IRAs. (One of the members is named Ira, but how his name became the name of the award is a story lost in the mist of time, alcohol and since it was the 1970s perhaps cannabis.) The IRAs group has been profiled in The New Yorker, so it is officially a New York institution, though no one has ever heard of it. Over the years, its rotating cast of voting members have included Oscar-winning writers, major directors, top studio execs, best-selling and critically acclaimed authors of books on movies, critics, screenwriters, budding playwrights, film scholars, plain old movie buffs and so on.
Every year, the IRAs shine a light on some of the best movies of the year. The secret reason the IRAs flourish is that its members are passionate film lovers. Many have careers involving the arts, but it's not always easy to stay in the swim of things, to keep on top of the flood of new releases every year, especially when the movies favored by IRA members are not always playing at your local multiplex for weeks at a time. The movies they appreciate tend to be harder to catch, playing in theaters only briefly before popping up (hopefully) eventually on some streaming service or DVD. Quite simply, the IRAs force them to stay committed to seeing new movies with the same fervor they felt in their college days when going to see a film was the only purpose in life, before jobs and family made frivolous claims on their time. So if you want to stay on top of great cinema every year or explore its history, there's no better place to start than the award winners of the IRAs.
The IRAs began when passionate film students and friends complained about the parade of annual awards shows, declaring, "We could do better!" What followed was an all-night, knock-down, drag-out fight to establish the very first winners of the IRAs. (One of the members is named Ira, but how his name became the name of the award is a story lost in the mist of time, alcohol and since it was the 1970s perhaps cannabis.) The IRAs group has been profiled in The New Yorker, so it is officially a New York institution, though no one has ever heard of it. Over the years, its rotating cast of voting members have included Oscar-winning writers, major directors, top studio execs, best-selling and critically acclaimed authors of books on movies, critics, screenwriters, budding playwrights, film scholars, plain old movie buffs and so on.
Every year, the IRAs shine a light on some of the best movies of the year. The secret reason the IRAs flourish is that its members are passionate film lovers. Many have careers involving the arts, but it's not always easy to stay in the swim of things, to keep on top of the flood of new releases every year, especially when the movies favored by IRA members are not always playing at your local multiplex for weeks at a time. The movies they appreciate tend to be harder to catch, playing in theaters only briefly before popping up (hopefully) eventually on some streaming service or DVD. Quite simply, the IRAs force them to stay committed to seeing new movies with the same fervor they felt in their college days when going to see a film was the only purpose in life, before jobs and family made frivolous claims on their time. So if you want to stay on top of great cinema every year or explore its history, there's no better place to start than the award winners of the IRAs.
