Alliance of Women Film Journalists Winners: Moonlight and Ava DuVernay’s 13TH are big winners

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The Alliance of Women Film Journalists is pleased to announce the winners of the tenth annual AWFJ EDA Awards. This year AWFJ presents EDA Awards in 25 categories, divided into three sections: the standard ‘Best Of’ section, the Female Focus awards and the irreverent EDA Special Mention awards—including Actress Most in Need of a New Agent and the AWFJ Hall of Shame Award.

In the ‘Best Of’ section, this year’s big winner is “Moonlight”, garnering EDA Awards in seven categories, including Best Film, Best Director for Barry Jenkins, Best Screenplay (Adapted) for Jenkins, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Mahershala Ali, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay won three EDAs for Best Documentary for “13th,” Best Female Director for “13th” and Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in the Film Industry for 13th and for raising awareness about the need for diversity and gender equality in Hollywood

“Manchester By the Sea” won two EDA Awards for Best Actor for Casey Affleck and Best Screenplay (Original) for Kenneth Longergan.

In the EDA Special Mention Categories, Annette Bening and Isabelle Huppert tied for the Actress Defying Age and Ageism Award, while Huppert was honored the Bravest Performance Award for “Elle.” Jennifer Aniston won the Actress Most in Need of a New Agent for “Mother’s Day” and “Office Christmas Party.“

“This year has brought heightened awareness of the impact movies and cinema culture have on setting our social norms,” states EDA AWARDS and AWFJ founder and film critic Jennifer Merin. “The need for gender parity and greater diversity in the movie industry is patently clear. These goals are fundamental to AWFJ’s mission and core values. I’m thrilled that in our 10th anniversary awards season AWFJ members voted to honor such a diverse array of talent representing such a broad spectrum of perspectives, making the 2016 EDA Awards particularly relevant at a time when art — and film, in particular — must be the vanguard of social progress.” 

Here’s the entire list of this year’s winners: 

AWFJ  BEST OF AWARDS

These awards are presented to women and/or men without gender consideration.

Best Film: Moonlight

Best Director: Barry Jenkins – Moonlight 

Best Screenplay, Original: Manchester by the Sea – Kenneth Lonergan

Best Screenplay, Adapted: Moonlight – Barry Jenkins   

Best Documentary: 13TH – Ava DuVernay 

Best Animated Film: Zootopia – Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush

Best Actress: Ruth Negga – Loving 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Viola Davis – Fences 

Best Actor: Casey Affleck – Manchester By The Sea  

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali – Moonlight

Best Ensemble Cast – Casting Director: Moonlight – Yesi Ramirez  

Best Cinematography: Moonlight – James Laxton 

Best Editing: Moonlight – Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders 

Best Non-English-Language Film: The Handmaiden – Park Chan-Wook

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EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS

These awards honor WOMEN only.

Best Woman Director: Ava DuVernay – 13TH

Best Woman Screenwriter: Kelly Reichardt – Certain Women 

Best Animated Female (tie):

Judy in Zootopia – Ginnifer Goodwin 

Moana in Moana – Auli’i Cravalho 

Best Breakthrough Performance: Ruth Negga – Loving 

Outstanding Achievement by A Woman in The Film Industry:

Ava DuVernay – For 13TH and raising awareness about the need for diversity and gender equality in Hollywood

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EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS

Actress Defying Age and Ageism (tie):

Annette Bening – 20th Century Women 

Isabelle Huppert – Elle and Things to Come 

Most Egregious Age Difference Between The Lead and The Love Interest Award: Rules Don’t Apply – Warren Beatty (b. 1937) and Lily Collins (b. 1989) 

Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent: Jennifer Aniston – Mother’s Day and Office Christmas Party  

Bravest Performance: Isabelle Huppert – Elle 

Remake or Sequel That Shouldn’t have been Made: Ben Hur

AWFJ Hall of Shame Award: Sharon Maguire and Renee Zellweger for Bridget Jones’s Baby  

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS:  AWFJ, a not-for-profit corporation, is an international association of professional female movie critics, reporters and feature writers working in print, broadcast and online media, dedicated to raising the volume on women’s voices in the film community by broadening opportunities for women who write about film and supporting films by and about women – both in front of and behind the cameras – through intra-group promotional activities, outreach programs and by presenting EDA awards in recognition of outstanding accomplishments (the best and worst) by and about women in the movies. More information about AWFJ, including the membership list, can be accessed at www.awfj.org or sending inquiries to awfjinc@gmail.com.

ABOUT THE EDA AWARDS:  The AWFJ presents EDA Awards to honor women’s achievements in front of and behind the cameras.  In addition to the annual end of the year awards, AWFJ presents EDA Awards for Best Female-Directed Films at select film festivals, including IDFA, Whistler Film Festival, DOXA. Edinburgh Film Festival. St. Louis International Film Festival and others. The EDAs are named in honor of AWFJ founder Jennifer Merin’s mother, Eda Reiss Merin, a stage, film and screen actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. A dedicated foot soldier in the industry, Eda was one of the founders of AFTRA and a long standing member of AMPAS.