Central Ohio Film Critics Announce Top 10 Films of 2016

A movie that puts a smile on your face for two solid hours made enough Columbus-area film critics happy to honor it with five awards on Thursday. La La Land was the Central Ohio Film Critics Association big winner, claiming top honors for picture, director (Damien Chazelle), cinematography (Linus Sandgren), film editing (Tom Cross) and score (Justin Hurwitz).

According to Mark Pfeiffer, COFCA co-founder, the only film to have won more awards in the group’s history is 2007’s No Country for Old Men.

COFCA’s 15th annual awards celebration honored filmmaker Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight with nearly as many awards, however. The runner up for best film garnered notice for supporting actor (Mahershala Ali) and ensemble, while Jenkins himself was honored for the year’s best adapted screenplay, and as 2016’s breakthrough film artist.

“It was clear the membership was partial to La La Land and Moonlight,” says COFCA member George Wolf. “But at the same time wasn’t afraid to step out and recognize some more surprising winners – Lily Gladstone and Rebecca Hall, for instance.”

The performers won the association’s prize for supporting actress and actress, respectively.

The complete list of awards, announced January 5:

Best Film

1. La La Land
2. Moonlight
3. Hell or High Water
4. Manchester by the Sea
5. Sing Street
6. Arrival
7. The Lobster
8. Hacksaw Ridge
9. The Witch: A New-England Folktale
10. The Nice Guys

Best Director

• Damien Chazelle, La La Land
• Runner-up: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

Best Actor

• Denzel Washington, Fences
• Runner-up: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Best Actress

• Rebecca Hall, Christine
• Runner-up: Viola Davis, Fences

Best Supporting Actor

• Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
• Runner-up: Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

Best Supporting Actress

• Lily Gladstone, Certain Women
• Runner-up: Naomie Harris, Moonlight

Best Ensemble

• Moonlight
• Runner-up: Hell or High Water

Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work)

• Michael Shannon (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Complete Unknown, Elvis & Nixon, Frank & Lola, Loving, Midnight Special, and Nocturnal Animals)
• Runner-up: Ryan Gosling, La La Land and The Nice Guys

Breakthrough Film Artist

• Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (for directing and screenwriting)
• Runner-up: Robert Eggers, The Witch: A New-England Folktale (for directing and screenwriting)

Best Cinematography

• Linus Sandgren, La La Land
• Runner-up: Chung Chung-hoon, The Handmaiden (Ah-ga-ssi)

Best Film Editing

• Tom Cross, La La Land
• Runner-up: Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders, Moonlight

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
• Runner-up: Eric Heisserer, Arrival

Best Original Screenplay

• Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water
• Runner-up: Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Best Score

• Justin Hurwitz, La La Land
• Runner-up: Andy Hull and Robert McDowell, Swiss Army Man

Best Documentary

• O.J.: Made in America
• Runner-up: 13th

Best Foreign Language Film

• Toni Erdmann
• Runner-up: The Handmaiden (Ah-ga-ssi)

Best Animated Film

• Kubo and the Two Strings
• Runner-up: Zootopia

Best Overlooked Film

• 10 Cloverfield Lane
• Runner-up: Christine

Full disclosure: Hope Madden is a proud, longtime member of COFCA and is pretty pleased with the outcome of this year’s vote – especially Best Screenplay.

Read more from Hope at MADDWOLF and listen to her bi-weekly horror movie podcast, FRIGHT CLUB.