Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) Choose Moonlight for Best Picture

Erik Anderson December 13, 2016

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The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association voted the intimate drama MOONLIGHT as the best film of 2016, according to the results of its 23rd annual critics’ poll released today.

Rounding out the composite list of the top 10 films of the year were MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (2), LA LA LAND (3), HELL OR HIGH WATER (4), ARRIVAL (5), JACKIE (6), LOVING (7), 20TH CENTURY WOMEN (8), HACKSAW RIDGE (9) and SILENCE (10).

For Best Actor, the association named Casey Affleck for MANCHESTER BY THE SEA. Runners-up included Denzel Washington for FENCES (2), Joel Edgerton for LOVING (3), Ryan Gosling for LA LA LAND (4) and Tom Hanks for SULLY (5).

Natalie Portman was voted Best Actress for JACKIE. Next in the voting were Emma Stone for LA LA LAND (2), Ruth Negga for LOVING (3), Amy Adams for ARRIVAL (4) and Annette Bening for 20TH CENTURY WOMEN (5).

In the Best Supporting Actor category, the winner was Mahershala Ali for MOONLIGHT. He was followed by Jeff Bridges for HELL OR HIGH WATER (2), Michael Shannon for NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (3), Lucas Hedges for MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (4) and Ben Foster for HELL OR HIGH WATER (5).

For Best Supporting Actress, the association named Viola Davis for FENCES. Runners-up were Naomie Harris for MOONLIGHT (2), Michelle Williams for MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (3), Greta Gerwig for 20TH CENTURY WOMEN (4) and Judy Davis for THE DRESSMAKER (5).

Barry Jenkins was voted Best Director for MOONLIGHT. Next in the voting were Damien Chazelle for LA LA LAND (2), Kenneth Lonergan for MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (3), David Mackenzie for HELL OR HIGH WATER (4) and Denis Villeneuve for ARRIVAL (5).

The association voted THE HANDMAIDEN as the best foreign-language film of the year. Runners-up included TONI ERDMANN (2), ELLE (3), NERUDA (4) and THE SALESMAN (5).

TOWER won for Best Documentary over 13TH (2), GLEASON (3), I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (4) and WEINER (5).

ZOOTOPIA was named the best animated film of 2016, with KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS and MOANA as runners-up. Kenneth Lonergan won the Best Screenplay award for MANCHESTER BY THE SEA over Barry Jenkins for MOONLIGHT.

The award for Best Cinematography went to Linus Sandgren for LA LA LAND, followed by Rodrigo Prieto for SILENCE. The association gave its award for Best Musical Score to Justin Hurwitz for LA LA LAND, beating out Mica Levi for JACKIE.

The association also voted MOONLIGHT as the winner of the Russell Smith Award, named for the late Dallas Morning News film critic. The honor is given annually to the best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association consists of 33 broadcast, print and online journalists from throughout North Texas. For more information, visit www.dfwcritics.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @dfwfilmcritics.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact Todd Jorgenson at dfwfilmcritics@gmail.com.

SUMMARY OF AWARD WINNERS

2016 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

(Choices listed in order of votes received)

BEST PICTURE

Winner: MOONLIGHT
Runners-up: MANCHESTER BY THE SEA; LA LA LAND; HELL OR HIGH WATER; ARRIVAL; JACKIE; LOVING; 20TH CENTURY WOMEN; HACKSAW RIDGE; SILENCE

BEST ACTOR

Winner: Casey Affleck, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Runners-up: Denzel Washington, FENCES; Joel Edgerton, LOVING; Ryan Gosling, LA LA LAND; Tom Hanks, SULLY

BEST ACTRESS

Winner: Natalie Portman, JACKIE
Runners-up: Emma Stone, LA LA LAND; Ruth Negga, LOVING; Amy Adams, ARRIVAL; Annette Bening, 20TH CENTURY WOMEN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Winner: Mahershala Ali, MOONLIGHT
Runners-up: Jeff Bridges, HELL OR HIGH WATER; Michael Shannon, NOCTURNAL ANIMALS; Lucas Hedges, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA; Ben Foster, HELL OR HIGH WATER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Winner: Viola Davis, FENCES
Runners-up: Naomie Harris, MOONLIGHT; Michelle Williams, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA; Greta Gerwig, 20TH CENTURY WOMEN; Judy Davis, THE DRESSMAKER

BEST DIRECTOR

Winner: Barry Jenkins, MOONLIGHT
Runners-up: Damien Chazelle, LA LA LAND; Kenneth Lonergan, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA; David Mackenzie, HELL OR HIGH WATER; Denis Villeneuve, ARRIVAL

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Winner: THE HANDMAIDEN
Runners-up: TONI ERDMANN; ELLE; NERUDA; THE SALESMAN

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Winner: TOWER
Runners-up: 13TH; GLEASON; I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO; WEINER

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Winner: ZOOTOPIA
Runners-up: KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS; MOANA

BEST SCREENPLAY

Winner: Kenneth Lonergan, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Runner-up: Barry Jenkins, MOONLIGHT

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Winner: Linus Sandgren, LA LA LAND
Runner-up: Rodrigo Prieto, SILENCE

BEST MUSICAL SCORE

Winner: Justin Hurwitz, LA LA LAND
Runner-up: Mica Levi, JACKIE

RUSSELL SMITH AWARD (best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film)

Winner: MOONLIGHT

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.