The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) has named Zero Dark Thirty as the Best Picture of 2012. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the Columbia Pictures release captured a majority vote by the organization, which is comprised of leading African-American media professionals from across the nation. The organization will formally present this year’s honors during a private ceremony on Friday, February 8, 2012 at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, CA.  AAFCA awarded Ben Affleck its Best Director 2012 Award for Argo. Denzel Washington was named Best Actor 2012 for Flight, alongside Emayatzy Corinealdi who earned Best Actress 2012 for Middle of Nowhere. Sally Field received Best Supporting Actress 2012 for her role in Lincoln and Nate Parker earned Best Supporting Actor 2012 for his performance in Arbitrage.

Ava DuVernay‘s Middle of Nowhere was voted Best Screenplay, with the film also honored as Best Independent Film. France’s entry The Intouchables was named Best Foreign Film with newcomer Quvenzhané Wallis awarded Best Breakout Performance for Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Rounding out this year’s selections are Peter Ramsey’s, Rise of the Guardians for Best Animated Feature and a tie for Best Documentary with Eugene Jarecki’s The House I Live In (Charlotte Street Films) & Deborah Riley Draper‘s Versailles ’73 (Coffee Bluff Pictures). Composer Kathryn Bostic & Music Supervisor Morgan Rhodes of Middle of Nowhere were honored for Best Music.

AAFCA’s Special Achievement Awards for career achievement are being awarded to Billy Dee Williams, Cicely Tyson, Clint Culpepper and Rainforest Films.

“The selections made this year reflect the refreshing abundance of both studio and independent work that provided a stellar array of roles for both veteran actors and new faces in front of and behind the camera,” says Gil Robertson IV, AAFCA, President and Founder. The organization’s Top Ten list of films includes Argo, Lincoln, Life of Pi and Django Unchained.

“The film industry has done a great job of investing in real stories that reflect the resiliency of the human spirit and we are thrilled to commend our favorites this year,” says AAFCA’s East Coast V.P. Daryle Lockhart, owner of Black Box Office.com.

The African-American Film Critics Association’s Top Ten Films of 2012 are as follows in order of distinction:
1. Zero Dark Thirty
2. Argo
3. Lincoln
4. Middle of Nowhere
5. Life of Pi
6. Les Miserables
7. Django Unchained
8. Beast of the Southern Wild
9. Moonrise Kingdom
10. Think Like a Man
Best Actor Denzel Washington, Flight (Paramount)
Best Actress Emayatzy Corinealdi, Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM)
Best Supporting Actress Sally Field, Lincoln (Touchstone)
Best Supporting Actor Nate Parker, Arbitrage (Roadside Attractions)
Best Foreign Film Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, The Intouchables (Weinstein Company)
Breakout Performance Quvenzhané Wallis for Beast of the Southern Wild
(Fox Searchlight)
Best Director Ben Affleck, Argo (Warner)
Best Screenplay Ava DuVernay, Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM)
Best Music Kathryn Bostic & Morgan Rhodes, Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM)
Best Independent Film Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM)
Best Animation Rise of the Guardians (Paramount)
Best Documentary tie The House I Live In (Charlotte Street Films) &
Versailles ’73 (Coffee Bluff Pictures)

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