The Columbus Film Critics Association (COFCA), consisting of critics from the Central Ohio area, recently released its picks for the best of 2021. The list is below:
Best Film
- The Power of the Dog
- Licorice Pizza
- West Side Story
- Belfast
- Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
- Pig
- C’mon C’mon
- The Tragedy of Macbeth
- tick, tick…BOOM!
- Dune
Best Director
- Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
- Runner-up: Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

Best Actor
- Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
- Runner-up: Nicolas Cage, Pig
Best Actress
- Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza
- Runner-up: Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
Best Supporting Actor
- Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
- Runner-up: Troy Kotsur, CODA
Best Supporting Actress
- Ruth Negga, Passing
- Runner-up: Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
Best Ensemble
- The Power of the Dog
- Runner-up: The Harder They Fall
Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work)
- Benedict Cumberbatch (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, The Mauritanian, The Power of the Dog, and Spider-Man: No Way Home)
- Runner-up: Andrew Garfield (The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and tick,
tick…BOOM!)
Breakthrough Film Artist
- Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza – (for acting)
- Runner-up: Jude Hill, Belfast – (for acting)
Best Cinematography
- Bruno Delbonnel, The Tragedy of Macbeth
- Runner-up: Ari Wegner, The Power of the Dog
Best Film Editing
- Sarah Broshar and Michael Kahn, West Side Story
- Runner-up: Peter Sciberras, The Power of the Dog
Best Adapted Screenplay
- Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
- Runner-up: Tony Kushner, West Side Story
Best Original Screenplay
- Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
- Runner-up: Kenneth Branagh, Belfast
Best Score
- Jonny Greenwood, The Power of the Dog
- Runner-up: Jonny Greenwood, Spencer
Best Documentary
- Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
- Runner-up: Flee
Best Foreign Language Film
- Drive My Car (Doraibu mai kâ)
- Runner-up: Flee
Best Animated Film
- The Mitchells vs. the Machines
- Runner-up: Flee
Best Overlooked Film
- Riders of Justice (Retfærdighedens ryttere)
- Runner-up: Nine Days