The Critics have spoken! The Toronto Film Critics Association last night gathered to determine Winners of their annual Awards, one of the earlier Pre-Cursors to the thick of Awards Season. Winning top honours this year is The Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, set deep within New York City’s Folk Music Scene during the early ’60s. Its Star Oscar Isaac also nabbed Best Actor and although he was set to walk the Red Carpet at the Film’s Canadian Premiere here in Toronto last week, alas his scheduling didn’t permit the visit. The Brothers in 2007 had won Best Picture at the Awards also with No Country for Old Men, before going-on to sweep the Academy Awards. Inside Llewyn Davis is released by Mongrel Media in Canada, in theatres Friday.
Taking Best Actress is a well-deserving Cate Blanchett for her mesmerizing performance in Woody Allen‘s Blue Jasmine, playing a former Socialite on a downward spiral.
Warner Bros.’ Her also received warm recognition, garnering Runner-Up in the Best Picture category and ultimately winning Best Screenplay for Director/Writer Spike Jonze. The Film opens in Toronto this weekend.
Despite being expected to be a Favourite this Awards Season, Fox Searchlight‘s 12 Years a Slave which won People’s Choice Award at TIFF ’13, performed respectably with Runner-Up placings for Best Picture, Best Actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Best Supporting Actor (Michael Fassbender) and Best Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong’o).
The actual Awards Gala will be held at The Carlu in Toronto on Tuesday, January 7, 2014, where the Winner of the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award will be announced, receiving a $100k Cash Prize.
Winners as follows:
BEST PICTURE
Inside Llewyn Davis (Mongrel Media)
Runners-up
Her (Warner Bros.)
12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight)
BEST ACTOR
Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
Runners-up
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Runners-up
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Runners-up
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
James Franco, Spring Breakers
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Runners-up
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
June Squibb, Nebraska
BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Runners-up
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED OR ORIGINAL
Spike Jonze, Her
Runners-up
Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Neighboring Sounds, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho
Runners-up
Fruitvale Station, directed by Ryan Coogler
In a World …, directed by Lake Bell
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Wind Rises (Touchstone Pictures)
Runners-up
The Croods (20th Century Fox)
Frozen (Walt Disney Pictures)
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
A Touch of Sin (Films We Like)
Runners-up
Blue Is the Warmest Color (Mongrel Media)
The Hunt (Mongrel Media)
BMO ALLAN KING DOCUMENTARY AWARD
The Act of Killing (Films We Like)
Runners-up
Leviathan (Films We Like)
Tim’s Vermeer (Mongrel Media)
ROGERS BEST CANADIAN FILM AWARD FINALISTS
The Dirties (Phase 4 Films)
Gabrielle (Entertainment One)
Watermark (Mongrel Media)
(Photo credit: Mongrel Media)
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