St. Louis Film Critics Name "La La Land" Best Film of 2016

The St. Louis Film Critics is an association of professional film critics operating in metropolitan St. Louis and adjoining areas of Missouri and Illinois.  Founded in late 2004, the group’s goals (according to the website) are to serve the interests of local film critics, and to promote an appreciation for cinema both as an art form and for its societal, cultural and historical context and impact.

The eligibility requirements for a SLFC Award, according to the group’s website:  a film must have been shown in the greater St. Louis area in a theater or at a film festival or series, or made available to SLFC members by screening or screener during the past year. Films opening in limited run elsewhere for Oscar qualification but which will open in the St. Louis area early in the next year are eligible.

2016 StLFCA Annual Award winners:

BEST FILM
Winner: La La Land
Runners-up: Hell or High Water and Manchester by the Sea (tie)

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Damien Chazelle – La La Land
Runners-up: Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea andDenis Villeneuve – Arrival (tie)

BEST ACTOR
Winner: Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea
Runner-up: Joel Edgerton – Loving

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Isabelle Huppert – Elle
Runner-up: Natalie Portman – Jackie

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Mahershala Ali – Moonlight
Runner-up: Lucas Hedges – Manchester by the Sea

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Viola Davis – Fences
Runner-up: Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner: Hell or High Water – Taylor Sheridan
Runner-up: Manchester by the Sea – Kenneth Lonergan

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner: Love and Friendship – Whit Stillman (Screenplay); Jane Austen (Novel)
Runner-up: Arrival – Eric Heisserer (Screenplay); Ted Chiang (Short Story)

BEST EDITING
Winner: Jackie – Sebastián Sepúlveda
Runners-up: Hacksaw Ridge – John Gilbert and La La Land – Tom Cross

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: La La Land – Linus Sandgren
Runner-up: Moonlight – James Laxton

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Winner: The Handmaiden – Seong-hie Ryu
Runners-up: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Stuart Craig and James Hambidge; Jackie – Jean Rabasse and La La Land – David Wasco (three-way tie)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Winner: The Jungle Book
Runner-up: Doctor Strange

BEST MUSIC SCORE
Winner: La La Land – Justin Herwitz
Runner-up: Jackie – Mica Levi

BEST SOUNDTRACK
Winner: Sing Street
Runner-up: La La Land

BEST SONG
Winner: “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” – La La Land
Runner-up: “City of Stars” – La La Land

BEST ACTION FILM
Winner: Captain America: Civil War
Runner-up: Doctor Strange

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Winner: Zootopia
Runner-up: Kubo and the Two Strings

BEST COMEDY
Winner: Hail, Caesar!
Runner-up: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Winner: I Am Not Your Negro
Runner-up: Weiner

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Winner: Elle
Runner-up: The Handmaiden

BEST HORROR / SCIENCE-FICTION FILM
Winner: The Witch
Runner-up: Arrival

BEST SCENE
Winner: La La Land – Opening dance number, “Another Day of Sun”
Runner-up: Hail, Caesar! – “Would that it were so simple.”

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