Chicago Film Critics Association Award / Most Promising Filmmaker
Winner of the Chicago Film Critics Association - Awards in the category Vielversprechendster filmmaker (Most Promising Filmmaker). The American Film Critics Association has been awarding the prize since 2001 to the best director whose career is still in its infancy. Every year in mid-December, the prize is announced for the best film productions and filmmakers of the current calendar year. As in the case of the Oscar or Golden Globe awards, these were selected from five nominees.
| year | Award winners | Movie title | German title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Todd Field | In the bedroom | In the bedroom |
| 2002 | Dylan Kidd | Roger Dodger | Sex for beginners |
| 2003 | Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini | American Splendor | American Splendor |
| 2004 | Zach Braff | Garden State | Garden State |
| 2005 | Bennett Miller | Capote | Capote |
| 2006 | Rian Johnson | Brick | Brick |
| 2007 | Ben Affleck | Gone Baby Gone | Gone Baby Gone - Not child's play |
| 2008 | Tomas Alfredson | Låt the advice comma in | So dark the night |
| 2009 | Neill Blomkamp | District 9 | District 9 |
| 2010 | Derek Cianfrance | Blue Valentine | Blue Valentine |
| 2011 | Sean Durkin | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Martha Marcy May Marlene |
| 2012 | Benh Zeitlin | Beasts of the Southern Wild | Beasts of the Southern Wild |
| 2013 | Destin Cretton | Short term 12 | Short Term 12 - Silent Heroes |
| 2014 | Damien Chazelle | Whiplash | Whiplash |
| 2015 | Alex Garland | Ex machina | Ex machina |