Chicago Indie Critics (CIC) Windie Awards 2025: Complete list of nominees explored

The Chicago Indie Critics have officially announced the nominees for their ninth annual Windie Awards. The winners of this year’s Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards will be unveiled at a private members-only event on January 15, 2026, at Blue Bayou Chicago, which is located across the street from the Music Box Theatre.

Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards' 2024 winners were as follows,

• Best independent film: The Substance, producers Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
• Best studio film: Dune: Part Two, producers Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe, Denis Villeneuve
• Best international film: Flow, producers Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, Gregory Zalcman
• Best documentary film: Super Man The Christopher Reeve Story, director and producers Robert Ford, Lizzie Gillett, Ian Bonhôte, Connor Schell, Libby Geist
• Best animated film: The Wild Robot, director and producer Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann
• Best director: Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
• Best original screenplay: The Substance, Coralie Fargeat
• Best adapted screenplay: Nickel Boys, RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes
• Best actor: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
• Best actress: Demi Moore, The Substance
• Best supporting actor tie: Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing, Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
• Best supporting actress: Margaret Qualley, The Substance
• Best ensemble: Sing Sing, casting director Greg Kwedar
• Best breakout performer: Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
• Best breakout artist: Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
• Sight unseen performance: Lupita Nyong’o, The Wild Robot
• Best cinematography: Nosferatu, Jarin Blaschke
• Best production design tie: The Brutalist, Judy Becker, Nosferatu, Craig Lathrop
• Best editing: Challengers, Marco Costa
• Best costume design: Nosferatu, Linda Muir
• Best makeup: The Substance, Pierre Olivier Persin
• Best visual effects: Dune Part Two, Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, Gerd Nefzer
• Best stunts: Monkey Man, stunt coordinator Udeh Nans
• Best sound: Dune Part Two, Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill
• Best original score: The Wild Robot, Kris Bowers
• Best original song: Compress Repress, Challengers, songwriters Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Luca Guadagnino
• The Impact award: Kyle Cubr, programmer at the Music Box Theatre

The upcoming Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards ceremony will recognize films from the 2025 release year. This year's nominees list for the Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards is led by Ryan Coogler's Sinners with 18 nominations. It is followed by One Battle After Another with 12, Frankenstein with 9, and Marty Supreme with 7.

Chicago Indie Critics' official website reads:

"Chicago Indie Critics is a creative and engaging not-for-profit organization composed of unique, dedicated, and diversified film critics. Our members are wide-ranging in experiences, backgrounds, tastes, diversities, and target audiences across both print and online platforms and publications."

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Complete list of nominees at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics (CIC) Windie Awards

Best independent film at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You: Producers Sara Murphy, Ryan Zacarias, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Eli Bush, Conor Hannon, Richie Doyle

It Was Just an Accident: Producers Jafar Panahi, Philippe Martin

The Life of Chuck: Producers Trevor Macy, Mike Flanagan

Sorry, Baby: Producers Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins

Train Dreams: Producers Marissa McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer, Michael Heimler

Best studio film

Hamnet: Producers Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Sam Mendes, Steven Spielberg

Marty Supreme: Producers Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Anthony Katagas, Timothée Chalamet

One Battle After Another: Producers Adam Somner, Sara Murphy, Paul Thomas Anderson

Sinners: Producers Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler

28 Years Later: Producers Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice, Bernie Bellew, Danny Boyle, Alex Garland

Best international film at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards

It Was Just an Accident: Producers Jafar Panahi, Philippe Martin

No Other Choice: Producers Park Chan-wook, Back Jisun, Michèle Ray Gavras, Alexandre Gavras

The Secret Agent: Producers Emilie Lesclaux, Kleber Mendonça Filho

Sentimental Value: Producers Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar

Sirât: Producers Domingo Corral, Oliver Laxe, Xavi Font, Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar, Esther García, Oriol Maymó, Mani Mortazavi, Andrea Queralt

Best documentary at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards

John Candy: I Like Me: Producers Colin Hanks, Johnny Pariseau, George Dewey, Shane Reid, Ryan Reynolds, Sean Stuart, Glen Zipper

Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5: Producers Raoul Peck, Alex Gibney, George Chignell, Nick Shumaker

The Perfect Neighbor: Producers Alisa Payne, Geeta Gandbhir, Nikon Kwantu, Sam Bisbee

Secret Mall Apartment: Producers Jeremy Workman, Jesse Eisenberg

Zodiac Killer Project: Producers Charlie Shackleton, Anthony Ing, Catherine Bray

Best animated film at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards

Elio: Producers Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina, Mary Alice Drumm

KPop Demon Hunters: Producers Maggie Kang, Chris Applehans, Michelle Wong

Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up: Producers Peter Browngardt, Sam Register, Alex Kirwan

Predator: Killer of Killers: Producers John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt

Zootopia 2: Producers Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino

Best director at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards

Paul Thomas Anderson: One Battle After Another

Ryan Coogler: Sinners

Guillermo del Toro: Frankenstein

Jafar Panahi: It Was Just an Accident

Chloé Zhao: Hamnet

Best original screenplay at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards

Eddington: Ari Aster

Marty Supreme: Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie

Sinners: Ryan Coogler

Sorry, Baby: Eva Victor

Weapons: Zach Cregger

Best adapted screenplay at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards

Bugonia: Will Tracy

Frankenstein: Guillermo del Toro

Hamnet: Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell

One Battle After Another: Paul Thomas Anderson

28 Years Later: Alex Garland

Best actor

Timothée Chalamet: Marty Supreme

Leonardo DiCaprio: One Battle After Another

Ethan Hawke: Blue Moon

Michael B. Jordan: Sinners

Jesse Plemons: Bugonia

Best actress at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards

Jessie Buckley: Hamnet

Rose Byrne: If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Amanda Seyfried: The Testament of Ann Lee

Emma Stone: Bugonia

Eva Victor: Sorry, Baby

Best supporting actor at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards

Benicio del Toro: One Battle After Another

Jacob Elordi: Frankenstein

Delroy Lindo: Sinners

Sean Penn: One Battle After Another

Stellan Skarsgård: Sentimental Value

Best supporting actress at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards

Odessa A’zion: Marty Supreme

Amy Madigan: Weapons

Wunmi Mosaku: Sinners

Hailee Steinfeld: Sinners

Teyana Taylor: One Battle After Another

Best ensemble cast at the 2025 Chicago Indie Critics Windie Awards

Black Bag: Casting director Carmen Cuba

It Was Just an Accident: Casting director Jafar Panahi

Marty Supreme: Casting director Jennifer Venditti

One Battle After Another: Casting director Cassandra Kulukundis

Sinners: Casting director Francine Maisler

Breakout performer

Odessa A’zion

Miles Caton

Indy the Dog

Chase Infiniti

Jacobi Jupe

Breakout behind the scenes

Clint Bentley

Harris Dickinson

Scarlett Johansson

James Sweeney

Eva Victor

Sight unseen performance

Jason Bateman: Zootopia 2

Oona Chaplin: Avatar Fire and Ash

Nick Offerman: The Life of Chuck

Will Patton: Train Dreams

Alan Tudyk: Superman

Best cinematography

F1: Claudio Miranda

Frankenstein: Dan Laustsen

One Battle After Another: Michael Bauman

Sinners: Autumn Durald Arkapaw

Train Dreams: Adolpho Veloso

Best production design

The Fantastic Four First Steps: Kasra Farahani, Jille Azis

Frankenstein: Tamara Deverell

Sinners: Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne

28 Years Later: Carson McColl, Gareth Pugh

Wicked For Good: Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales

Best editing

F1: Stephen Mirrione

Marty Supreme: Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie

One Battle After Another: Andy Jurgensen

Sinners: Michael P Shawver

Weapons: Joe Murphy

Best costume design

The Fantastic Four First Steps: Alexandra Byrne

Frankenstein: Kate Hawley

Hedda: Lindsay Pugh

Sinners: Ruth E Carter

Wicked For Good: Paul Tazewell

Best makeup

Frankenstein: Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey

Sinners: Mike Fontaine, Ken Diaz, Shunika Terry

The Smashing Machine: Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, Mia Neal

28 Years Later: Flora Moody, John Nolan

Weapons: Leo Satkovich, Melizah Wheat, Jason Collins

Best visual effects

Avatar Fire and Ash: Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett

F1: Ryan Tudhope, Keith Alfred Dawson, Nicholas Chevallier, Robert Harrington

Frankenstein: Dennis Berardi

Sinners: Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean

Superman: Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stephane Naze, Guy Williams

Best stunts

Ballerina: Jackson Spidell, Stephen Dunlevy

F1: Gary Powell, Luciano Bacheta

Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning: Wade Eastwood

One Battle After Another: Brian Machleit

Superman: Wayne Dalglish

Best sound

Avatar Fire and Ash: Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Brent Burge, Gary Summers, Michael Hedges, Alexis Feodoroff, Julian Howarth

F1: Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A Rizzo, Juan Peralta, Gareth John

Sinners: Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Felipe Pacheco

28 Years Later: Johnnie Burn

Warfare: Mitch Low, Glenn Freemantle, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff, Richard Spooner

Best original score

Frankenstein: Alexandre Desplat

Hamnet: Max Richter

Marty Supreme: Daniel Lopatin

One Battle After Another: Jonny Greenwood

Sinners: Ludwig Göransson

Best original song

Clothed by the Sun: The Testament of Ann Lee, written by Daniel Blumberg, Mona Fastvold, performed by David Cale, Lewis Pullman, Matthew Beard

Golden: KPop Demon Hunters, written by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, IDO, 24, Teddy, performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami

Highest 2 Lowest: Highest 2 Lowest, written and performed by Aiyana Lee

I Lied to You: Sinners, written by Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson, performed by Miles Caton

Pale, Pale Moon: Sinners, written by Brittany Howard, Ludwig Göransson, performed by Jayme Lawson

The impact award

Elizabeth Arnott: Programmer of Sapphopalooza

Tyler Michael Baletine: Programmer of Life Within the Lens Juneteenth Edition

Matthew C Hoffman: Programmer and host at the Pickwick Theatre

Anna Pattinson: Editor in chief of Cinema Femme

Michael Phillips: Former film critic of The Chicago Tribune

For further updates on the upcoming ceremony, fans can keep an eye on the official Chicago Indie Critics pages.

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