LA LA LAND WINS FIVE BAFTAS

...so not a sweep. 5/11. That's less than The Artist, actually. Up to a point, La La Land had actually tied several other films as the runners-up in awards count, as non-Best Film nominee Lion was, for most of the evening, the only film to have claimed more than one prize. But Damien Chazelle's musical took four top awards to bring its tally to five - less than most had predicted, though far more than any other film this year from BAFTA, given their eagerness to spread the wealth. Check out BAFTA's 2016 nominees here, and their winners below:

Best Film

La La Land (Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt)

Best Director

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Best Leading Actress

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Best Leading Actor

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis (Fences)

Best Supporting Actor

Dev Patel (Lion)

Best Original Screenplay

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Luke Davies (Lion)

Best Cinematography

Linus Sandgren (La La Land)

Best Editing

John Gilbert (Hacksaw Ridge)

Best Production Design

Stuart Craig and Anna Pinnock (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)

Best Costume Design

Madeline Fontaine (Jackie)

Best Sound

Sylvain Bellemare, Bernard Gariepy Strobl and Claude la Haye (Arrival)

Best Special Visual Effects

Andrew R. Jones, Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon and Adam Valdez (The Jungle Book)

Best Makeup & Hair

J. Roy Helland and Daniel Phillips (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Best Original Music

Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)

Best Animated Film

Kubo and the Two Strings (Travis Knight)

Best Documentary

13th (Ava DuVernay)

Best Film Not in the English Language
Son of Saul (Nemes Laszlo and Sipos Gabor)

Outstanding British Film

I, Daniel Blake (Paul Laverty, Ken Loach and Rebecca O'Brien)

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

Babak Anvari, Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill and Lucan Toh (Under the Shadow)

Best British Short Film

Home (Shpat Deda, Afolabi Kuti, Daniel Mulloy and Scott O'Donnell)

Best British Short Animation

A Love Story (Khaled Gad, Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara and Elena Ruscombe-King)

Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema
Curzon Cinemas

BAFTA Fellowship
Mel Brooks

EE Rising Star Award

Tom Holland

DAMIEN CHAZELLE WINS DGA FOR LA LA LAND

A busy weekend on the awards scene, but a busy(-ish) weekend for me, so this is all old news to you. Damien Chazelle wins the top award from the Directors Guild of America for La La Land, and nobody is surprised. Check out the DGA nominations here, and all the film-related winners below.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made in America)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director
Garth Davis (Lion)

2016 CENTRAL OHIO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS

Moonlight certainly tries it, but La La Land takes it. The Central Ohio Film Critics Association has rung in at last with its 2016 awards, and Damien Chazelle's original musical takes top honours. This is an interesting selection, with a very unique lineup on the whole; despite their poor taste in Best Film, this is a very pleasing slate. Nominees at this link.

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

10. The Nice Guys

Best Director

1. Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

2. Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Best Actress

1. Rebecca Hall (Christine)

2. Viola Davis (Fences)

Best Actor

1. Denzel Washington (Fences)

2. Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Supporting Actress

1. Lily Gladstone (Certain Women)

2. Naomie Harris (Moonlight)

Best Supporting Actor

1. Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

2. Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)

Best Original Screenplay

1. Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water)

2. Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Adapted Screenplay

1. Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

2. Eric Heisserer (Arrival)

Best Cinematography

1. Linus Sandgren (La La Land)

2. Chung Chung Hoon (The Handmaiden)

Best Film Editing

1. Tom Cross (La La Land)

2. Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders (Moonlight)

Best Score

1. Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)

2. Andy Hull and Robert McDowell (Swiss Army Man)

Best Ensemble

1. Moonlight

2. Hell or High Water

Best Animated Film

1. Kubo and the Two Strings

2. Zootopia

Best Documentary

1. O.J.: Made in America

2. 13th

Best Foreign Language Film

1. Toni Erdmann

2. The Handmaiden

Best Overlooked Film

1. 10 Cloverfield Lane

2. Christine

Breakthrough Film Artist

1. Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) - directing and screenwriting

2. Robert Eggers (The Witch) - directing and screenwriting

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

1. Michael Shannon (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice / Complete Unknown / Elvis & Nixon / Frank & Lola / Loving / Midnight Special / Nocturnal Animals)

2. Ryan Gosling (La La Land / The Nice Guys)

LA LA LAND WINS FOUR AWARDS FROM DETROIT FILM CRITICS SOCIETY

Just another critics group, and just another triumph for Damien Chazelle's original musical La La Land. Four wins this time, from the Detroit Film Critics Society, including that most bizarrely elusive of prizes - a Best Actress win for Emma Stone! She's pretty damn good in a pretty damn bad film, so that's one win that I cannot begrudge the film. These awards are mostly business as usual, though a tie in Best Supporting Actress sees a surprise victory for Greta Gerwig in 20th Century Women. Peruse the DFCS' nominations here.

Best Picture

La La Land

Best Director

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Best Actress

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Best Actor

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis (Fences)

Greta Gerwig (20th Century Women)

Best Supporting Actor

Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)

Best Screenplay

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Best Ensemble

20th Century Women

Best Documentary

O.J.: Made in America

Best Breakthrough

Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen) - director / writer

BOSTON SOCIETY OF FILM CRITICS AWARDS: LA LA LAND WINS TOP AWARDS

Few saw this coming, and that wasn't even prior to announcement - that was during announcement! La La Land looked like it might rank a clear second to Manchester by the Sea for the BSFC's top prizes, but it was Kenneth Lonergan's drama that came in second three times, and Damien Chazelle's musical that won biggest of all. These awards are all over the shop, and that's precisely what I like to see from awards bodies. First and second placings in full below.t

Best Film

1. La La Land

2. Manchester by the Sea

Best Director

1. Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

2. Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Actress

1. Isabelle Huppert (Elle / Things to Come)

2. Natalie Portman (Jackie)

Best Actor

1. Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

2. Joel Edgerton (Loving)

Best Supporting Actress

1. Lily Gladstone (Certain Women)

2. Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Supporting Actor

1. Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

2. Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)

Best Screenplay

1. Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

2. Jim Jarmusch (Paterson)

Best Cinematography

1. Chung Chung Hoon (The Handmaiden)

2. James Laxton (Moonlight)

Karen Schmeer Award for Best Editing

1. Tom Cross (La La Land)

2. Nels Bangerter (Cameraperson)

=  John Gilbert (Hacksaw Ridge)

Best Score

1. Mica Levi (Jackie)

2. Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)

Best Ensemble

1. Moonlight

2. Certain Women

Best Animated Film

1. Tower

2. Kubo and the Two Strings

Best Documentary

1. O.J.: Made in America

2. Cameraperson

Best Foreign Film

1. The Handmaiden

2. Things to Come

David Brudnoy Award for Best New Filmmaker

1. Robert Eggers (The Witch)

2. Kirsten Johnson (Cameraperson)

MOONLIGHT WINS BOSTON ONLINE FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS

In a reversal of the mini-trend that has begun to form over the early part of awards season 2016-17, the Boston Online Film Critics Association has given its Best Picture prize to Moonlight, and its Best Director prize to Damien Chazelle for La La Land. Otherwise, BOFCA's 2016 awards throw up a few surprises elsewhere, and Moonlight leads all films with three mentions. Check out all the details below.

Best Picture
1. Moonlight
2. Manchester by the Sea
3. La La Land
4. Paterson
5. Hell or High Water
6. Green Room
7. Silence
8. Certain Women
9. The Handmaiden
10. Elle

Best Director
Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Best Actress
Isabelle Huppert (Elle)

Best Actor
Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Supporting Actress
Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Best Screenplay
Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Cinematography
Natasha Braier (The Neon Demon)

Best Editing
Nels Bangerter (Cameraperson)

Best Original Score
Mica Levi (Jackie)

Best Ensemble
Moonlight

Best Animated Film
Kubo and the Two Strings

Best Documentary
Cameraperson

Best Foreign Language Film
The Handmaiden

LFF 2016 REVIEW - LA LA LAND (DAMIEN CHAZELLE)

Another day of sun, and another vacuous hipster expression of 'artistic integrity,' or, more accurately, the comical indecision of exactly what that entails. La La Land posits an argument about traditionalism vs. progression, though never seeks to resolve it, rather decorating each side of the discussion with hollow, borrowed devices and displays of flash and froth. This skin-deep approach may be sumptuous, but it's as vapid and as shallow as the culture it mistakenly mocks, while lifting one idea after another from it. Damien Chazelle is a forceful, decisive filmmaker, but there's little force to what he creates here, primarily due to the lack of actual creation. It's apparent from the very first image of a suited Ryan Gosling twiddling the radio knob in his vintage car, searching for some satisfactory jazz - this is nostalgia for its own sake, and indeed a false nostalgia, since it pines for times it knew not. La La Land intends to elicit joy in its audience, but what joy is there in such a strained, manufactured rehash of other artists' ideas? The inauthenticity is the sour aftertaste of the sweetness that pours out of the film, in sequences of real beauty and charm, and in Emma Stone's remarkable eyes. Aside from Chazelle's hypocrisy in the tributes his film purports to pay to fading art forms, there's an even more galling ignorance to La La Land, in its grand homage to a culture built upon the white identity, indeed at the expense of all else. The film unwittingly exposes a regressive attitude to its embrace of its various artistic influences, and places the white artist's desperate ennui at the futility of their obnoxious endeavours above all other concerns. Chazelle's land of dreams, city of stars, is as distant and ephemeral as those both, and uglier by far.

LFF 2016 PREVIEW: LA LA LAND

'An intimate masterpiece'

Diana Dabrowska, Cinema Scope

'You won't be able to stop yourself from falling helplessly in love with this over-the-top rom-com'

Tina Hassannia, Movie Mezzanine

'Both a love letter to a confounding and magical city and an ode to the idea of the might-have-been romance, in all its piercing sweetness'

Stephanie Zacharek, Time

Who'd have thought that Damien Chazelle's La La Land would turn up on the schedule for my London Film Festival visit this year. Not only this year, but this week: I fly over tomorrow, and Film #2 on Day #1 will be this original musical. Critics, especially the mainstream ones, have been knocked for six by the Whiplash director's new film starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, ever since its Venice premiere in August. Alongside winning Stone a Best Actress award there, it has since been to both Telluride and Toronto, where it won the Grolsch People's Choice award. Pundits are tipping this as the film to beat at the Oscars in February. Despite feeling a little cold on La La Land, based on any number of factors, attending the UK premiere of one of the year's most talked-about films was too good an opportunity to turn down! Out in limited release in the US on the 9th of December, with a wide expansion planned for the 16th, and in the UK on the 13th of January.

TIFF 2016 PEOPLE'S CHOICE, FIPRESCI & PLATFORM PRIZES PLUS MORE!

The key to winning the coveted Grolsch People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival? Please everybody! Funnily enough, that's a pretty good key to winning that other big award at the end of February that we can't seem to stop obsessing over - it's no wonder that seven of the last eight TIFF People's Choice picks went on to claim Oscar nominations for Best Picture, three of them winning the actual award. This year's winner is the beloved musical La La Land from Whiplash director Damien Chazelle, though it's not the only award that has been bestowed upon one of the many titles screening at the festival this year. The official Platform jury declared Pablo Larrain's Jackie Kennedy biopic Jackie their top pick from their selection, while a handful of other juries also chimed in. Check out all of their choices below:

Grolsch People's Choice Awards

Grolsch People's Choice Award

La La Land (Damien Chazelle)

Grolsch People's Choice Award - First Runner-Up

Lion (Garth Davis)

Grolsch People's Choice Award - Second Runner-Up

Queen of Katwe (Mira Nair)

Grolsch People's Choice Documentary Award

I Am Not Your Negro (Raoul Peck)

Grolsch People's Choice Documentary Award - First Runner-Up

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (Steve James)

Grolsch People's Choice Documentary Award - Second Runner-Up

Before the Flood (Fisher Stevens)

Grolsch People's Choice Midnight Madness Award

Free Fire (Ben Wheatley)

Grolsch People's Choice Midnight Madness Award - First Runner-Up

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (Andre Ovredal)

Grolsch People's Choice Midnight Madness Award - Second Runner-Up

Raw (Julia Ducournau)

Platform Awards

Toronto Platform Prize

Jackie (Pablo Larrain)

Toronto Platform Prize - Special Mention

Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait (Khyentse Norbu)

Canadian Awards

Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film

Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves (Mathieu Denis and Simon Lavoie)

City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film

Old Stone (Johnny Ma)

FIPRESCI Awards

FIPRESCI Prize - Special Presentations

I Am Not Madame Bovary (Feng Xiao Gang)

FIPRESCI Prize - Discovery

Kati Kati (Mbithi Masya)

Other Awards

NETPAC Award for World or International Asian Film Premiere

In Between (Maysaloun Hamoud)

Dropbox Discovery Programme Filmmakers Award

Jeffrey (Yanillys Perez)