45th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

Yesterday the so-called "most powerful" group of American voted their 2019 awards and unlike their east coast counterparts their top award went to Parasite which also collected best director and supporting actor plus was runner-up in two categories: screenplay and production design.

This marks the second year in a row that L.A. critics have named a film not in the English language as their year's best, and the fifth time in their 45-year history with all of those wins happening in the last 20 years: Roma in 2018, Amour in 2012, Letters From Iwo Jima in 2006, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000.

Last year LAFCA and NYFCC coincided in naming their best film of 2018, which has happen only 13 times in 45 years), both named Roma; but, this year they didn't and the only categories they coincide is Best Actor to Antonio Banderas and Best Cinematography to Portrait of a Lady in Fire.

What started with what many -including me- said was an unconventional choice it has become the biggest surprise of the season so far; yes, Lupita Nyong'o seems could be a contender for Oscars Best Actress category.  What is surprising are not her acting skills (we know she's an outstanding performer) but the fact that AMPAS (and many others) do not like to honor performances in horror films.  So what I believed could be a "sure-thing" now could be an open race to Best Actress Oscar.  Surely LAFCA's choice in this category is unconventional but now I say it with a grain of salt as who knows what other critics' groups and industry awards could do this season.

Winners will be feted at the awards gala on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City where Elaine May will be honored as this year's recipient of the LAFCA's Career Achievement Award.

The 2019 Winners

Best Picture:  Parasite
Runner-up: The Irishman

Best Foreign-Language film: Pain and Glory
Runner-up: Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film: American Factory
Runner-up: Apollo 11

Best Animation: I Lost My Body
Runner-up: Toy Story 4

Best Director: Bong Joon-ho for Parasite
Runner-up: Martin Scorsese for The Irishman

Best Actress: Mary Kay Place in Diane
Runner-up: Lupita Nyong'o in Us

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers
Runner-up: Zhao Szhuzhen in The Farewell

Best Actor: Antonio Banderas in Pain and Glory
Runner-up: Adam Driver in Marriage Story

Best Supporting Actor: Song Kang Ho in Parasite
Runner-up: Joe Pesci in The Irishman

Best Screenplay: Noah Baumbach for Marriage Story
Runner-up: Bong Joon-ho and Jin Won-han for Parasite

Best Cinematography: Clarie Mathon for Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Atlantics
Runner-up: Roger Deakins for 1917

Best Editing: Todd Douglas Miller for Apollo 11
Runner-up: Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie for Uncut Gems

Best Production Design: Barbara Ling for Once Upon a Time ... In Hollywood
Runner-up: Lee Ha-jun for Parasite

Best Music Score: Dan Levy for I Lost My Body
Runner-up: Thomas Newman for 1917

Career Achievement Award: Elaine May

Douglas Edwards Independent/Experimental Film: Ja'Tovia Gary for The Giverny Document

New Generation: Joe Talbot, Jimmie Fails and Jonathan Majors for The Last Black Man in San Francisco

To check winners at official site go here.