SFCS to Include Best Action Choreography Award Beginning in 2019

By Brent McKnight, Seattle Film Critics Society member, on behalf of the Seattle Film Critics Society.

Seattle Film Critics Society to Introduce Best Action Choreography Award Beginning in 2019

SEATTLE, WA., August 30, 2019 – The Seattle Film Critics Society (“SFCS”) is excited to announce that, beginning in 2019, we will introduce a Best Action Choreography category in our annual awards voting, recognizing the work of stunt ensembles in the movie industry.

If stunt performers do their job well, the audience doesn’t even know they exist. They are an integral part of so many movies – action, comedy, drama – yet they are one of the most historically overlooked parts of filmmaking, despite the fact that so many films depend on their work to be successful.

Actors so often get all of the credit for a performance, even though many others contribute to what we see on screen. These elaborate, thrilling, dangerous parts of movies could not leave an impact on viewers without the work of hundreds of dedicated, highly skilled professionals, who put themselves in harm’s way for our entertainment.

Over the past few years, there has been an increasing push to include stunt performers in the Academy Awards, among other honors. Though recognized by the Screen Actors Guild since 2007, the Stunt Ensemble award has been left out of the ceremony’s televised broadcast, which is seen by millions of viewers each year.

As a critics group, the SFCS hopes to contribute to an increase in awareness and appreciation of stunt ensembles. We want to honor the best stunt work a particular year in film has to offer, as well as celebrate the dedicated people who help bring excitement to life. Hopefully, this recognition becomes a small part of a larger movement to provide long overdue recognition to so many unsung heroes across the film world and community.

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