Iowa Film Critics Have Revealed Their Pick for Best Film of 2024

Tis the time of the year when the last batch of movies are seeing a release in theaters and on streaming, and year-end "best" and "worst" lists are being compiled by critics, writers, and associations across the country. The same was just done by the Iowa Film Critics Association (IFCA), who have revealed their picks across a plethora of categories.

Traditionally, I don't make/release my list until early January, for I don't always have the privilege of getting screeners of new movies. I must wait until after the new year to assure I've seen everything I desired before making my list. The Iowa Film Critics Association is comprised of dozens of film critics across various newspaper and online publications. Each one selects their picks for specific categories and a consensus is achieved. Here are the categories on which they vote:

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• Best Film
• Best Director
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Supporting Actor
• Best Supporting Actress
• Best Animated Film
• Best Foreign Language Film
• Best Original Song

The IFCA's pick for "Best Film" was Sean Baker's Anora. With a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it is among the best reviewed films of the year. Baker is a terrific filmmaker, responsible for The Florida Project, Red Rocket, and several other noteworthy indie works. His films generally revolve around the lives of marginalized individuals, such as immigrants and sex workers. He's a gem of a writer/director.

Anora tells the very specific story of a young sex worker from Brooklyn (Mikey Madison, Better Things), who meets and marries the 21-year-old son (Mark Eydelshteyn) of a Russian oligarch. This sets off his family to the point where they travel from Russia to New York to try and annul the marriage.

Madison and Eydelshteyn's performances have been praised in conjunction with the film's writing. Sean Baker was also the IFCA's pick for Best Director; Madison was their pick for Best Actress.

Anora is currently available to rent across multiple platforms for $19.99.

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Below is the complete list of winners from the Iowa Film Critics Association:

Best Film:
Anora

Best Director:
Sean Baker – Anora

Best Actor:
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist

Best Actress:
Mikey Madison – Anora

Best Supporting Actor:
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain

Best Supporting Actress:
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave and Ariana Grande – Wicked (TIE)

Best Animated Film:
The Wild Robot

Best Foreign Language Film:
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig

Best Original Song:
“Kiss The Sky” from The Wild Robot

Read more about the Iowa Film Critics Associations' year-end picks on Next Best Picture's website.