12th Annual Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards

The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) announced their awards on December 9th, 2013 with giving away the Best Film award to Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave. Best Director award went to Alfonso Cuarón for his exceptional work in Gravity. It is now clear that Gravity and 12 Years a Slave have dominated the critics circle and the effect will last longer than anyone could anticipate. It should also be noted that critics are loving Spike Jonze's Her (can't wait to watch the movie) since it's been winning screenplay, direction and film awards at various circles. One thing that surprised me the most is the bold decision of choosing the Broken Circle Breakdown as the Best Foreign Language Film.

Last year only 4 WAFCA winners won the Oscars, i.e. Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Actor, Anne Hathaway for Best Supporting Actress, Amour for Best Foreign Language Film and Claudio Miranda for Best Cinematography. Let's see what happens this year!

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Film: 12 Years a Slave

Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)

Best Acting Ensemble: 12 Years a Slave

Best Youth Performance: Tye Sheridan (Mud)

Best Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley (12 Years a Slave)

Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze (Her)

Best Animated Feature: Frozen

Best Documentary: Blackfish

Best Foreign Language Film: The Broken Circle Breakdown

Best Art Direction: Production Designer: Catherine Martin, Set Decorator: Beverley Dunn (The Great Gatsby)

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, A.M.C. (Gravity)

Best Editing: Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger (Gravity)

Best Original Score: Hans Zimmer (12 Years a Slave)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC: Lee Daniels’ The Butler

14th Annual American Film Institute Awards

The American Film Institute (AFI) announced on December 9th, 2013, the official selections of AFI AWARDS 2013 – 10 outstanding films and 10 outstanding television programs deemed culturally and artistically representative of the year's most significant achievements in the art of the moving image.

Although the list is too mainstream, there are a few films about which I feel like they shouldn't have been there. The biggest snubs are Rush, Prisoners, Frances Ha, Upstream Color, Mud and all the Oscar shortlisted documentaries. All of them are amazing movies and any one of them could have easily replaced Saving Mr. Banks (I haven't seen the movie yet but I don't think I'm going to like it that much either)

Talking about the TV programs, then I don't know what were they smoking when they included Veep, the Americans and the Good Wife on the list. They're good shows, no doubts, but American Horror Story: Coven? Hannibal? On the other hand, thank God, they didn't include Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on the list.

Here is the full list of top films and TV programs of the year:

MOVIES OF THE YEAR

• 12 YEARS A SLAVE


• AMERICAN HUSTLE


• CAPTAIN PHILLIPS


• FRUITVALE STATION


• GRAVITY


• HER


• INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS


• NEBRASKA


• SAVING MR. BANKS


• THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR

• THE AMERICANS


• BREAKING BAD


• GAME OF THRONES


• THE GOOD WIFE


• HOUSE OF CARDS


• MAD MEN


• MASTERS OF SEX


• ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK


• SCANDAL


• VEEP

39th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) announced their awards on December 8th, 2013 with giving away the Best Picture award to Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity and Spike Jonze's Her. (Yes, it's a tie and it's really nice of the critics to choose these films) Best Director award went to Cuarón for his exceptional work in Gravity. This should be noted that this is Gravity's FIRST Best Picture critic award and hopefully not the last one.

LA Film Critics have made some amazing choices this year except for James Franco's win in Best Supporting Actor. I didn't like his acting in Spring Breakers at all and I don't understand why he thinks he can win an Oscar for that joke of a performance.

Last year, only 2 LAFCA winners won at the Oscars, i.e. Jennifer Lawrence for Best Actress and Chris Terrio for Best Screenplay. Whereas, 4 runner-ups won the Oscar, i.e. Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor, Anne Hathaway for Best Supporting Actress, William Goldenberg for Best Editing and Searching for Sugar Man for Best Documentary. Let's see what future has in store for us this year!

Here is the complete list of winners along with runner-ups:

Best Picture (tie):

• Gravity


• Her

Best Director:

• Winner: Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)


• Runner-up: Spike Jonze (Her)

Best Actor:

• Winner: Bruce Dern (Nebraska)


• Runner-up: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)

Best Actress (tie):

• Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)


• Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue Is the Warmest Color)

Best Supporting Actor (tie):

• James Franco (Spring Breakers)


• Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress:

• Winner: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)


• Runner-up: June Squibb (Nebraska)

Best Screenplay:

• Winner: Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke (Before Midnight)


• Runner-up: Spike Jonze (Her)

Best Animated Feature:

• Winner: Ernest & Celestine


• Runner-up: The Wind Rises

Best Documentary:

• Winner: Stories We Tell


• Runner-up: The Act of Killing

Best Foreign Language Film:

• Winner: Blue Is the Warmest Color (France)


• Runner-up: The Great Beauty (Italy)

Best Music Score:

• Winner: T Bone Burnett (Inside Llewyn Davis)


• Runner-up: Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett (Her)

Best Cinematography:

• Winner: Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity)


• Runner-up: Bruno Delbonnel (Inside Llewyn Davis)

Best Editing:

• Winner: Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger (Gravity)


• Runner-up: Shane Carruth and David Lowery (Upstream Color)

Best Production Design:

• Winner: K.K. Barrett (Her)


• Runner-up: Jess Gonchor (Inside Llewyn Davis)

New Generation Award: Megan Ellison

Douglas Edwards Independent/Experimental Film/Video Award: Charlotte Pryce – Cabinets Of Wonder: Films and a Performance by Charlotte Pryce

16th Annual British Independent Film Awards

The 16th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards were held on December 8th, 2013 with giving away the Best Film award to Metro Manila, co-written, co-produced and directed by Sean Ellis who also won the Best Director award.

Here is the complete list of winners:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM: Metro Manila

BEST DIRECTOR: Sean Ellis – Metro Manila

BEST ACTRESS: Lindsay Duncan – Le Week-End

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]: Paul Wright – For Those In Peril

BEST SCREENPLAY: Steven Knight – Locke

BEST ACTOR James McAvoy – Filth

BEST DOCUMENTARY Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION Metro Manila

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Imogen Poots – The Look Of Love

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT: Amy Hubbard – Casting – The Selfish Giant

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: Sixteen Films & Friends (aka Team Loach)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Ben Mendelsohn – Starred Up

BEST BRITISH SHORT: Z1

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER: Chloe Pirrie – Shell

THE RAINDANCE AWARD: The Machine

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM: Blue Is the Warmest Color

VARIETY AWARD: Paul Greengrass

RICHARD HARRIS AWARD: Julie Walters

13th Annual New York Film Critics Online Awards

The New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) announced their awards on December, 8th, 2013 with giving away the Best Picture award to 12 Years a Slave, directed and co-produced by Steve McQueen. I think it’s now safe to say that 12 Years a Slave is this year’s Zero Dark Thirty because it also got almost the same appreciation from critics at the beginning of the awards season last year. But still, it’s impossible to say which film is going to win big at the end of the day. Alfonso Cuarón won the Best Director award for his brilliant piece of filmmaking Gravity. (FINALLY!) Cuarón also won the Best Director award at Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.

Last year, only 4 NYFCO winners won at the Oscars, i.e. Best Actor for Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Supporting Actress for Anne Hathaway, Best Cinematography for Claudio Miranda and Best Foreign Language Film for Amour. Hoping for the best this year!

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave

Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)

Best Debut Director: Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station)

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave)

Best Ensemble: American Hustle

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years A Slave)

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Foreign Language Film: Blue Is the Warmest Color

Best Documentary: The Act of Killing

Best Animated Feature: The Wind Rises

Best Use Of Music: Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Screenplay: Spike Jonze (Her)

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity)

Best Breakthrough Performance: Adele Exarchopoulos (Blue Is the Warmest Color)

34th Annual Boston Society of Film Critics Awards

The Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) announced their awards on December 8th, 2013 with giving away the Best Picture award to 12 Years a Slave, directed and co-produced by Steve McQueen who won the Best Director award making 12 Years a Slave the biggest winner of the night, also winning Best Actor and coming on 2nd place in Best Supporting Actress category. It's almost like what happened at the Boston Online Film Critics Association Awards.

The amazing things that happened are:

1) Enough Said won its first critics awards but the most important one is Best Supporting Actor for James Gandolfini. He was a great actor. Would never forget his Tony Soprano.
2) The Wolf of the Wall Street is a runner-up in 5 categories including the big 3, i.e. Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. This is a good sign for the Wolf and it might win something in future.
3) Emmanuel Lubezki's win for his cinematography in Gravity. Brilliant, exceptional piece of photography. He deserves every award.

Last year, only 2 BSFC winners won the Oscar, i.e. Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Actor and Amour for Best Foreign Language Film, whereas only 3 runner-ups won the respective Oscars, i.e. Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor, William Goldenberg for Best Editing and Claudio Miranda for Best Cinematography. Let's see what happens this year!

Here is the complete list of winners along with runner-ups:

Best Picture:

• Winner: 12 Years a Slave


• Runner-up: The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Director:

• Winner: Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)


• Runner-up: Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Best Actor:

• Winner: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)


• Runner-up: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Best Actress:

• Winner: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)


• Runner-up: Judi Dench (Philomena)

Best Supporting Actor:

• Winner: James Gandolfini (Enough Said)


• Runner-up (tie): Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) and Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress:

• Winner: June Squibb (Nebraska)


• Runner-up: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)

Best Screenplay:

• Winner: Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said)


• Runner-up: Terence Winter (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Best Cinematography:

• Winner: Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity)


• Runner-up: Philippe Le Sourd (The Grandmaster)

Best Documentary:

• Winner: The Act of Killing


• Runner-up: Blackfish

Best Foreign Language Film: 

• Winner: Wadjda (Saudi Arabia)


• Runner-up: Blue Is the Warmest Color (France)

Best Animated Film:

• Winner: The Wind Rises


• Runner-up: Frozen

Best Film Editing (awarded in memory of Karen Schmeer):

• Winner: Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill (Rush)


• Runner-up: Thelma Schoonmaker (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Best New Filmmaker (awarded in memory of David Brudnoy):

• Winner: Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station)


• Runner-up: Josh Oppenheimer (Act Of Killing)

Best Use of Music in a Film:

• Winner: Inside Llewyn Davis


• Runner-up: Nebraska

2nd Annual Boston Online Film Critics Association Awards

The Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) announced their awards today, on December 7th, 2013, with giving away the Best Picture award to Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave which was the biggest winner of the night, also winning Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Editing and Best Original Score awards. This is such a remarkable achievement for 12 Years a Slave because it's finally starting to get some critics love which will probably continue until the Oscars.

Other great winner includes Jared Leto for Best Supporting Actress for his role in Dallas Buyers Club. Leto is my most favorite Oscar front-runner at the moment, because whatever he does, he does with extreme passion.

One thing that I completely disliked about the BOFCA awards this year is that instead of Spike Jonze's Her, the stupid Spring Breakers is in the list of top 10 films. Utterly ridiculous!

Last year, only 2 BOFCA winners eventually won the Oscar, i.e. Best Actor for Daniel Day-Lewis and Best Supporting Actress for Anne Hathaway. Let's see what happens this time.

Here is the complete list of winners:

BEST PICTURE: 12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen (12 YEARS A SLAVE)

BEST ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 YEARS A SLAVE)

BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett (BLUE JASMINE)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o (12 YEARS A SLAVE)

BEST SCREENPLAY: Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, and Richard Linklater (BEFORE MIDNIGHT)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR

BEST DOCUMENTARY: THE ACT OF KILLING

BEST ANIMATED FILM (tie): THE WIND RISES and FROZEN

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Bruno Delbonnel (INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS)

BEST EDITING: Joe Walker (12 YEARS A SLAVE)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Hans Zimmer (12 YEARS A SLAVE)

TOP 10 FILMS OF THE YEAR:

1. 12 YEARS A SLAVE


2. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS


3. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET


4. GRAVITY


5. BEFORE MIDNIGHT


6. THE SPECTACULAR NOW


7. BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR


8. SPRING BREAKERS


9. THE WORLD’S END


10. FRUITVALE STATION