Russell Smith Award

The Russell Smith Award is an annual award presented by the Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association to "the best low-budget and cutting-edge independent film" since its inception in 2008. The award is named in honor of late Dallas Morning News film critic Russell Smith.

Winners

2008: Wendy and Lucy - Kelly Reichardt
2009: Precious - Lee Daniels
2010: Winter's Bone - Debra Granik
2011: We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lynne Ramsay
2012: Beasts of the Southern Wild - Benh Zeitlin
2013: Fruitvale Station - Ryan Coogler
2014: Boyhood - Richard Linklater
2015: Tangerine - Sean Baker
2016: Moonlight - Barry Jenkins
2017: The Florida Project - Sean Baker
2018: The Rider - Chloe Zhao
2019: The Lighthouse - Robert Eggers
2020: Minari - Lee Isaac Chung
2021: Flee - Jonas Poher Rasmussen
2022: EO - Jerzy Skolimowski
2023: The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer
2024: The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Mohammad Rasoulof
2025: It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi

Multiple wins

Sean Baker - 2