The Hurt Locker ceremony, it won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Bigelow (the first woman to win this award), and Best Original Screenplay for Boal. "The Hurt Locker" is based on accounts of Mark Boal, a freelance journalist who was embedded with an American bomb squad in the war in Iraq for two weeks in 2004. The director Kathryn Bigelow was familiar with Boal's work before his experiences, having adapted one of his "Playboy" articles as the short-lived television series "The Inside" in 2002. When Boal was embedded with the squad, he accompanied its members 10 to 15 times a
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2009 "An Education" Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2009 The 22nd Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, given by the CFCA on December 21, 2009, honored the best in film for 2009. Jeremy Renner – "The Hurt Locker" Carey Mulligan – "An Education" Up "The Hurt Locker" – Barry Ackroyd Kathryn Bigelow – "The Hurt Locker" Anvil! The Story of Anvil The Hurt Locker "The White Ribbon", Germany "Up" – Michael Giacchino "Up in the Air" – Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner "The Hurt Locker" – Mark Boal Christoph Waltz – "Inglourious Basterds" Mo'Nique – "Precious" Neill Blomkamp – "District 9" Carey