As summer winds down, it’s time to start thinking about fall at the movies and the upcoming award season.
To guide Michigan movie lovers through the end of the cinematic year, the Michigan Movie Critics Guild (MMCG) recently announced its membership for the 2024-25 season. This year’s lineup includes 15 critics who cover films for a variety of outlets from across the state; five new critics joined the MMCG for its sophomore season.
“The first year of the Michigan Movie Critics Guild was a great opportunity to broaden the film conversation across the state,” said MMCG member Chris Williams, who publishes the Chrisicisms newsletter. “We’re excited to see that the word has gotten out, and we’re happy to welcome several new, talented critics to our group.”
In its inaugural year, the MMCG voted Greta Gerwig’s Barbie as the best picture; Gerwig was also selected as the year’s best director. Recognition in other categories was spread across a diverse array of films, including Poor Things, American Fiction, The Holdovers and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
“One of the biggest strengths of our critics group is the variety of voices we have within it,” said Becky Fixel, owner and editor of Week99er. “Our members have a wide range of interests in film and different genres. It’s not only a reflection of the demographics within the state of Michigan, but also the different types of media out there. It is probably one of our group’s strongest assets that help contribute to sometimes surprising award picks.”
This year’s lineup includes:
- Nate Adams, TheOnlyCritic and The Clinton Local
- Mark Eaton, Movie Reelist
- Becky Fixel, Week99er
- Christopher George, Spoiler Free Movie Sleuth
- Seth Hay, Cat With Monocle
- Michelle Kisner, Spoiler Free Movie Sleuth
- Megan Loucks, Wonder Watchlist
- Cheryl Murray, Cat With Monocle
- Joshua Polanski, Midwest Film Journal
- Perry Seibert, WLBY and the “We’re Watching Here” podcast
- John Serba, Decider
- MontiLee Stormer, MovieReelist
- Mike Tyrkus, CinemaNerdz
- Carl Wheeler, The Reel Godfather
- Chris Williams, Chrisicisms and the “We’re Watching Here” podcast
“The goal of the Michigan Movie Critics Guild has always been to build a coalition of professional film critics who love and champion cinema from across the mitten state. In our second year, we saw a considerable amount of new applicants and couldn’t be more thrilled with our recent inductees. We look forward to their collaboration and input into celebrating films as well as bringing their unique voices and perspectives to the MMCG,” said MMCG member Nate Adams, who writes TheOnlyCritic and for The Clinton Local.
The MMCG is a collective of film critics who are committed to enhancing and furthering the conversation about cinema and further establishing the state’s reputation as a film-loving community. The season will culminate this fall with the announcement of the guild’s selections for the best of the year in movies in a variety of categories, including a Michigan-specific award. The group also hopes to host panels, screenings, and other events to commemorate awards season and generate enthusiasm for film across the state.
This year’s award categories will include:
- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Actress
- Best Actor
- Best Supporting Actress
- Best Supporting Actor
- Best Animated Film
- Best Documentary
- Best Ensemble
- Best Screenplay (Adapted or Original)
- Breakthrough Award
- Best stunts
The MMCG Award for Film Excellence (presented to a filmmaker, writer, actor, crew member etc. who has Michigan ties or to a film made in Michigan)
This year’s voting deadlines, which are subject to change, are:
Deadline for screening to be eligible: Dec. 3
Voting:
- Ballots due by 7 p.m. Dec. 4
- Nominations announced Dec. 6
- Ballots for winners due by 5 p.m. Dec. 9
Winners will be announced on the guild’s social media channels and with a press release at noon on Dec. 10.
“Every critic is a fan of movies. We have our favorite genres, our favorite movies, and we love the conversations that surround films. We’re also able to view movies outside of our favorites objectively, meaning even a horror-lover can give solid props to a well-written drama. You won’t find livelier, more comprehensive conversation outside of MMCG,” states MontiLee Stormer writer for MovieReelist.
Information about the MMCG and its members is available at its website. For further information, email michiganmoviecritics@gmail.com.
