After ballots were finalized in 25 categories, the Chicago Indie Critics announced the winners of their seventh annual and newly-named “Windie” film awards on January 21, 2023. Members, guests, and local nominees gathered for a festive winter evening party at the stylish Music Box Lounge in Chicago. The awards presentation was recorded for the CIC’s YouTube channel.

The big winner of the spirited event was Everything Everywhere All at Once from A24. The film, written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, won six Windies. The Daniels were among the winning producers for Best Independent Film and they shared the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay prizes. Everything Everywhere All at Once also won Windies for Michelle Yeoh as Best Actress, Ke Huy Quan for Best Supporting Actor, and Best Editing. 

The next most awarded film was the international blockbuster RRR with three Windie victories. The adventure spectacle from director S.S. Rajamouli won for Best Studio Film, Best Original Song, and Best Stunts. Elsewhere in the Windie acting categories, Colin Farrell won Best Actor for The Banshees of Insherin, Janelle Monáe was declared the Best Supporting Actress for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and Rian Johnson’s Netflix mystery won for Best Ensemble. In all, 13 different films won Windie awards from the CIC. 

For a special award of local recognition, late Chicago film critic Sergio Mims was the recipient of the 2022 Impact Award. His film festival leadership and long-time advocacy for diversity among films, creators, and journalism was befitting the award’s distinction of groups or individuals who had a positive influence on the Chicagoland film community. 

The CIC offers their congratulations and appreciation to all of this year’s Windie winners. Thank you for a terrific year of film and Happy 2023!

The complete list of 2022 Windie winners from the CIC:

BEST INDEPENDENT FILM (budgets under $25 million)

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Producers: Jonathan Wang, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, and Mike Larocca

BEST STUDIO FILM (budgets over $25 million)

RRR

Producers: D.V.V. Danayya

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

DECISION TO LEAVE

Producers: Park Chan-wook and KO Dae-sok

BEST DOCUMENTARY

FIRE OF LOVE

Producers: Shane Boris, Sara Dosa, and Ina Fichman

BEST ANIMATED FILM

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO

Producers: Guillermo del Toro, Lisa Henson, Gary Ungar, Alex Bulkley, and Corey Campodonico

BEST DIRECTOR

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

WOMEN TALKING

Sarah Polley

BEST ACTOR

Colin Farrell, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

BEST ACTRESS

Michelle Yeoh, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Ke Huy Quan, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Janelle Monáe, GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

Casting directors: Brett Howe and Mary Vernieu

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

TOP GUN: MAVERICK

Claudio Miranda

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, and Vanessa Cole

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

THE WOMAN KING

Gersha Phillips

BEST MAKEUP

THE BATMAN

Naomi Donne, Michael Marino, and Mike Fontaine

BEST EDITING

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Paul Rogers

BEST MUSICAL SCORE

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO

Alexandre Desplat

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Naatu Naatu” - RRR

Music by M.M. Keeravaani and lyrics by Chandrabose

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett

BEST STUNTS

RRR

Nick Powell

BREAKOUT ARTIST

Austin Butler

SIGHT UNSEEN PERFORMANCE

Jenny Slate, MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON 

IMPACT AWARD

Given to a person whose work has had a positive impact on the Chicagoland film community

The late Sergio Mims (film critic) 

2022 WINDIE WINNERS BY THE NUMBERS

FILMS:

6: Everything Everywhere All at Once

3: RRR

2: Avatar: The Way of Water, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

1: The Banshees of Inisherin, The Batman, Decision to Leave, Fire of Love, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, Top Gun: Maverick, The Woman King, Women Talking