The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) announced its top picks for the year, and “Boyhood”  won the coveted “Best Film” spot.  “Boyhood” also won for Best Director (Richard Linklater), Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette), and Best Youth Performance by Ellar Coltrane, the young boy who literally becomes a man before audiences’ eyes. However, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” was the big winner with five awards. “Birdman,” directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and marking the explosive return of ’80s star Michael Keaton (winner of this year’s Best Actor award), also snatched Best Acting Ensemble, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing. 

“Life Itself,” about the life and career of the late dean of film criticism, Roger Ebertwon for Best Documentary. “Force Majeure,” a Swedish film about a family confronting their relationship demons while on a skiing holiday, won for Best Foreign Language Film.

THE 2014 WAFCA AWARD WINNERS:

Best Film:
Boyhood

Best Director:
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)

Best Actor:
Michael Keaton (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))

Best Actress:
Julianne Moore (Still Alice)

Best Supporting Actor:
J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)

Best Acting Ensemble:
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Youth Performance:
Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl)

Best Original Screenplay:
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., Armando Bo (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))

Best Animated Feature:
The LEGO Movie

Best Documentary:
Life Itself

Best Foreign Language Film:
Force Majeure

Best Art Direction:
Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decorator: Anna Pinnock (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))

Best Editing:
Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione, ACE (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))

Best Original Score:
Mica Levi (Under the Skin)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier