VIMooZ

The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) this morning announced their 2011 winners, and the winner of Best Film went to the black-and-white, silent film homage “The Artist.” Splitting Best Film and Best Director, Martin Scorsese won top directing honors for “Hugo.”

Best Actor and Best Actress went to two former television stars, George Clooney (for his role as a grieving husband in “The Descendants”) and Michelle Williams (for channeling film icon Marilyn Monroe in “My Week with Marilyn”), respectively. Albert Brooks won Best Supporting Actor for his role as a cutthroat mobster in “Drive,” and Octavia Spencer won Best Supporting Actress for her role as an outspoken maid in “The Help.” The Best Acting Ensemble award went to the cast of the ribald comedy, “Bridesmaids.”

“The Descendants,” about a man who discovers his comatose wife had been cheating on him, also won Best Adapted Screenplay, while “50/50,” about a young man’s challenge to overcome cancer, secured Best Original Screenplay.

Best Animated Feature went to special effects juggernaut Industrial Light and Magic’s first animated film, “Rango;” Best Documentary went to Werner Herzog’s “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” about the discovery of 30,000-year-old cave paintings in France; and Pedro Almod—var’s “The Skin I Live In” took home Best Foreign Language Film.

Best Art Direction went to Production Designer icon Dante Ferretti and Set Decorator Francesca Lo Schiavo for “Hugo.” Emmanuel Lubezki won Best Cinematography for his work on Terrence Malick’s contemplative “The Tree of Life.” Ludovic Bource won Best Score for his omnipresent work in “The Artist.”

The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association is comprised of 43 DC-VA-MD-based film critics from television, radio, print and the Internet. Voting was conducted from December 2-4, 2011.

THE 2011 WAFCA AWARD WINNERS:  {jathumbnail off}

The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood announced the nominations and award recipients for the 39th Annual Annie Awards. Chico & Rita will compete along with A Cat in Paris, Arrugas,  Arthur Christmas, Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss In Boots, Rango, Rio, and Tintin for Best Animated Feature Film of 2011. Awards will be handed out at the 39th Annual Annie Awards scheduled for Saturday, February 4, 2012 at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California. {jathumbnail off}

Melancholia was awarded the Best Film Prize at the 24th European Film Awards. The film also picked up the Carlo Di Palma European Cinematographer Award and the European Production Designer.  Director Lars von Trier did not attend but his wife Bente Froge accepted the award on his behalf.  He has taken a “vow of silence” after his Nazi remarks controversy at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Many of the films from last year’s Oscar continued their winning streak, including Susanne Bier which won Best Foreign film at last  year’s Oscars won best director for “In a Better World,” and “The King’s Speech,” which won the Oscar for Best Film picked up the Best Actor prize for Colin Firth. Tilda Swinton received the Best Actress prize for her performance in“We Need to Talk About Kevin.” {jathumbnail off}

The winners of the 14th Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced at the star-studded ceremony, held at Old Billingsgate in London, which was hosted by actor and comedian Chris O’Dowd.

Best British Independent Film was won by Tyrannosaur with Lynne Ramsay picking up Best Director for We Need to Talk About Kevin, Olivia Colman Best Actress for Tyrannosaur and Michael Fassbender Best Actor for Shame. Vanessa Redgrave won Best Supporting Actress for Coriolanus and Michael Smiley Best Supporting Actor for Kill List

Tyrannosaur won the most awards on the night, picking up three trophies for Best British Independent Film, Best Actress and Paddy Considine was awarded The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director. Weekend won two awards for Best Achievement in Production and Most Promising Newcomer for Tom Cullen

The Moët British Independent Film Awards winners for 2011:{jathumbnail off}