‘Anora’ Nabs Best Picture at L.A. Film Critics Awards, Marianne Jean-Baptiste Makes History With Lead Win (Full Winners List)
Oscar-winning indie studio Neon emerged as the big winner at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s 50th annual selections of the best films and performances, clinching top honors for two of its major contenders: the poignant dramedy “Anora” and the politically-charged thriller “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”
“Anora” took home the best picture prize, following in the footsteps of past LAFCA winners turned Oscar darlings such as “The Hurt Locker” (2009), “Moonlight” (2016) and “Parasite” (2019). It seems like smooth sailing to the Dolby Theatre (at least for a nomination) for the Sean Baker dramedy that won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
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Mohammad Rasoulof directed, co-wrote and produced “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” under immense political pressure, resulting in the filmmaker being forced to flee Iran after facing an eight-year prison sentence and demands from authorities to withdraw the film from its Cannes premiere. His win for director is a testament to the resilience of artists in the face of oppression, something the Academy’s Directors Branch could recognize.
LAFCA’s history with its director selections has often intersected with the Oscars, with six winners since 2009 going on to claim the Academy Award, which includes Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker”), Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”) and Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”).
Marking its third year of gender-neutral acting categories, LAFCA celebrated a landmark moment with women dominating the lead [erformance category. Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”) and Mikey Madison (“Anora”) were named winners, with Demi Moore (“The Substance”) and Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”) as runner-ups.
Jean-Baptiste’s powerful turn in Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths” has earned her both LAFCA and New York Film Critics Circle honors, a rare achievement that boosts her Oscar prospects. She becomes the first Black woman in LAFCA’s history to win in the lead performance category (or when they were awarding best actress), marking a significant moment. Her journey back to Oscar contention comes nearly three decades after her nomination for “Secrets and Lies” (1996), which was nominated for supporting actress.
Meanwhile, Mikey Madison, at just 25, became the second-youngest recipient of the award, following Sandrine Bonnaire’s win for “Vagabond” in 1986 when she was 19. Madison’s deeply fierce portrayal in “Anora” cements her status as one of the category’s top contenders.
In the supporting performance category, that’s where the men dominated with Yura Borisov (“Anora”) and Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”) sharing the honor, with Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”) and Adam Pearson (“A Different Man”) as the runner-ups. When it comes to supporting actor-Oscar translation since 2009, you’ll find five Academy winners among them: Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds”), Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”), Jared Leto (“Dallas Buyers Club”), J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”) and Mahershala Ali (“Moonlight”). That could bode well for Borisov or Culkin.
Jesse Eisenberg’s screenplay for “A Real Pain” was paired with Culkin’s win, adding to the film’s growing momentum after its debut at Sundance, where it was picked up by Searchlight Pictures. Historically, LAFCA’s screenplay picks have been a strong indicator of Oscar recognition, with five winners in the past decade going on to claim Academy Awards, including “Get Out” and “Promising Young Woman.” Only one of the LAFCA screenplay winners since 2009 failed to nab an Oscar nom — last year’s “All of Us Strangers.”
In a surprise tie for best editing, the group honored both Nicholas Monsour (“Nickel Boys”) and Hansjörg Weißbrich (“September 5”), showcasing the diversity of their approaches to storytelling. “Nickel Boys” also took home the cinematography prize for Jomo Fray, who also won NYFCC.
Judy Becker’s production design for A24’s “The Brutalist” was lauded, while Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross received accolades for their score for Amazon MGM’s “Challengers.”
The harrowing “No Other Land,” which examines the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, continued its winning streak with the documentary prize. Despite lacking a U.S. distributor, it’s another big win for the indie project.
The annual banquet, set for January, will honor all recipients in what promises to be a celebratory culmination of LAFCA’s landmark year. As these films and artists head into the Oscars race, the impact of LAFCA’s choices will undoubtedly ripple through Hollywood’s most prestigious night.
Founded in 1975, and celebrating its 50th year, LAFCA has built a reputation for championing bold voices in filmmaking, often steering the conversation toward films and artists that challenge conventions. The organization has already announced legendary director John Carpenter will be the recipient of this year’s Career Achievement Award.
The annual banquet to honor all of this year’s winners will take place in January.
The complete list of winners is below. In addition, the Boston Society of Film Critics and Washington D.C. Area Film Critics are also announcing.
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Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Best Picture: “Anora” (Neon)
Runner-up: “The Brutalist”
Director: Mohammad Rasoulof, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Neon)
Runner-up: Sean Baker, “Anora”
Leading Performances: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, “Hard Truths” (Bleecker Street); Mikey Madison, “Anora” (Neon)
Runners-up: Demi Moore, “The Substance” and Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”
Supporting Performances: Yura Borisov, “Anora” (Neon); Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures)
Runners-up: Clarence Maclin, “Sing Sing” and Adam Pearson, “A Different Man”
Screenplay: “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures) — Jesse Eisenberg
Runner up: Sean Baker, “Anora”
Animation: “Flow” (Janus Films/Sideshow)
Runner-up: “Chicken for Linda”
Cinematography: “Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Runner-up: “The Brutalist”
Editing: (TIE) “Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Nicholas Monsour; “September 5” (Paramount Pictures) — Hansjörg Weißbrich
Runner-up: None
Production Design: Judy Becker, “The Brutalist” (A24)
Runner-up: Adam Stockhausen, “Blitz”
Music Score: “Challengers” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Runner-up: Eiko Ishibashi, “Evil Does Not Exist”
Foreign Language: “All We Imagine as Light” (Janus Films/Sideshow)
Runner-up: “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
Documentary/Non-Fiction Film: “No Other Land”
Runner-up: “Dahomey”
New Generation Award: Vera Drew, “The People’s Joker” (Altered Innocence)
Douglas Edwards Experimental Film Prize: “The Human Surge 3” by Eduardo Williams
Career Achievement Award: John Carpenter
Boston Society of Film Critics
Best Picture: “Anora”
Director: Sean Baker, “Anora”
Actor: Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”
Actress: Mikey Madison, “Anora”
Supporting Actor: Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”
Supporting Actress: Danielle Deadwyler, “The Piano Lesson”
Adapted Screenplay: “Nickel Boys”
Original Screenplay: “Anora”
Ensemble: “Sing Sing”
New Filmmaker: Annie Baker, “Janet Planet”
Documentary: “No Other Land”
Animated Film: “Flow”
Cinematography: “The Brutalist” (Lol Crawley)
Editing: “Challengers” (Marco Costa)
Score: “The Brutalist” (Daniel Blumberg)
Non-English Language Film: “Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World”
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association
Best Feature:
Director:
Actor:
Actress:
Supporting Actor:
Supporting Actress:
Original Screenplay:
Adapted Screenplay:
Animated Feature:
Production Design:
Cinematography:
Editing:
Original Score:
Documentary:
International Film:
Youth Performance:
Voice Performance:
Acting Ensemble:
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