The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), one of the most important critics groups in the awards season, is announcing their favorites films and performances, following Boston and New York last week.
Notorious for embracing foreign films and performances, the west coast group chose Neon’s “Parasite” and its director Bong Joon-ho last year, which went on to win the Academy Award for best picture and director.
The last time a LAFCA winner for best film failed to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars was in 2008 when the group chose the animated film “Wall-E” for their top prize. It should be noted that it was the final year of five available slots for the Academy’s top category. Since the expansion to ten best picture nominees, and then later to a “sliding scale” system, four of the LAFCA winners have gone on to win the best picture prize, including surprises like “Spotlight” and “Moonlight.”
Handing out awards since 1975, and like their NYFCC counterparts, their selection for the best film has never failed to be nominated for any major Oscar category, including directing, acting and screenplay. To add, you have to go back to 2003’s “American Splendor” to find a LAFCA winner that did not win any category it was nominated in on Oscar night.
The deliberation begins at 10 a.m. PT.
See the full winners list below (updated as they’re announced):
Best Picture:
Best Director:
Best Actor:
Best Actress:
Best Supporting Actor:
Best Supporting Actress:
Best Animated Film:
Best Documentary:
Best Foreign Language Film:
Best Screenplay:
Best Cinematography: “Small Axe” (Prime Video) – Shabier Kirchner
Runner up: “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures) – Joshua James Richards
Best Editing:
Best Music/Score: “Soul” (Pixar) – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Runner up: “Lovers Rock” (Prime Video) – Mica Levi
Best Production Design:
New Generation Prize:
Douglas Edwards Experimental Film Award:
Career Achievement: Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Harry Belafonte
Legacy Award: Norman Lloyd