The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) announced their honorees for 2015, and “Mad Max: Fury Road” was the big winner, taking home three awards. The organization’s choice for Best Film, however, went to the hard-hitting investigative journalist drama “Spotlight.”
“Spotlight,” (pictured above) about The Boston Globe’s discovery of a cover-up involving child molestation within the local Catholic Archdiocese, also won for Best Ensemble. The film’s top-notch cast includes Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery and Stanley Tucci.
WAFCA awarded Best Actress to Saoirse Ronan for “Brooklyn,” about a young Irish woman’s experiences immigrating to the U.S. in the 1950s.
“Amy,” about the whirlwind rise and untimely fall of late musician Amy Winehouse, won for Best Documentary.
Hungarian Holocaust drama “Son of Saul” took top honors for Best Foreign Language Film.
Best Adapted Screenplay went to Emma Donoghue, the author and screenwriter of emotionally stirring mother-and-son abduction drama “Room.” For his heartbreaking turn in the film, 9-year-old Jacob Tremblay won Best Youth Performance.
This year’s awards are dedicated to the memory of late film critic and WAFCA member Joe Barber.
The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association comprises 52 DC-VA-MD-based film critics from television, radio, print and the Internet. Voting was conducted from December 4-6, 2015.
THE 2015 WAFCA AWARD WINNERS:
Best Film:
Spotlight
Best Director:
George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Best Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Best Actress:
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
Best Supporting Actor:
Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation)
Best Supporting Actress:
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)
Best Acting Ensemble:
Spotlight
Best Youth Performance:
Jacob Tremblay (Room)
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Emma Donoghue (Room)
Best Original Screenplay:
Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley (Original Story by Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen) (Inside Out)
Best Animated Feature:
Inside Out
Best Documentary:
Amy
Best Foreign Language Film:
Son of Saul
Best Production Design:
Production Designer: Colin Gibson, Set Decorator: Lisa Thompson (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC (The Revenant)
Best Editing:
Margaret Sixel (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Best Original Score:
Johann Johannsson (Sicario)