The Alliance of Women Film Journalists announced the winners of their 2015 EDA awards, which are divided into three categories. The EDA “Best Of” Awards honor the work of both genders in the film community, while the EDA Female Focus Awards shine a spotlight on the achievements of women. There is also a third category called Special Mentions which including such honors as “Actress Defying Age and Ageism,” which went this year to Charlotte Rampling and Lily Tomlin. It also includes awards for “Movies You Wanted To Love, But Just Couldn’t (“The Danish Girl”), and “Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent” (Emma Stone for “Aloha.”).
Tom McCarthy‘s ode to the power of investigative journalism, “Spotlight,” scored four nods including Best Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, while tying with F. Gary Gray’s NWA biopic “Straight Outta Compton” for Best Ensemble. Todd Haynes’s romantic drama, “Carol,” garnered prizes for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography, while tying with Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson’s stop-motion marvel, “Anomalisa,” for Best Depiction of Nudity, Sexuality or Seduction. George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” scored accolades for Best Editing and Best Female Action Star (Charlize Theron).
Other big winners include “Amy,” Asif Kapadia‘s profile of Amy Winehouse, which was named Best Documentary; Pete Docter & Ronnie Del Carmen’s amazing Pixar feature, “Inside Out,” which won Best Animated Film, and Laszlo Nemes’s Holocaust drama, “Son of Saul,” which received the award for Best Non-English-Language Film. The Best Actress prize went to Charlotte Rampling for Andrew Haigh’s “45 Years,” while Leonardo DiCaprio won Best Actor for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “The Revenant” just days after receiving the same award at the Golden Globes.
Kristen Stewart won Best Supporting Actress for Olivier Assayas’s “Clouds of Sils Maria,” and Paul Dano won Best Supporting Actor for portraying “Beach Boys” star Brian Williams in Bill Pohlad’s “Love & Mercy.” Marielle Heller was named Best Woman Director for her bold feature debut, “The Diary of a Teenage Girl.” Emma Donoghue won Best Woman Screenwriter for adapting her own novel, “Room.” Alicia Vikander received the Best Breakthrough Performance prize for her luminous work in three separate films: “Ex Machina,” “Testament of Youth” and “The Danish Girl.”
Chantal Akerman, the trailblazing filmmaker who passed away last October, was named Female Icon of the Year.
The acronym “EDA” stands for “Excellent Dynamic Activism” and is a tribute to AWFJ founder Jennifer Merin’s mother, actress Eda Reiss Merin.
Here is the full list of winners in all three categories:
AWFJ EDA ‘BEST OF’ AWARDS
Best Film
SPOTLIGHT
Best Director (Female or Male)
Tom McCarthy for SPOTLIGHT
Best Screenplay, Original
SPOTLIGHT – Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy
Best Screenplay, Adapted
CAROL – Phyllis Nagy
Best Documentary
AMY – Asif Kapadia
Best Animated Film
INSIDE OUT – Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen
Best Actress
Charlotte Rampling in 45 YEARS
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Kristen Stewart in CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA
Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio in THE REVENANT
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Paul Dano in LOVE & MERCY
Best Ensemble Cast (tie)
SPOTLIGHT
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
Best Editing
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD – Margaret Sixel
Best Cinematography
CAROL – Edward Lachman
Best Film Music Or Score
THE HATEFUL EIGHT – Ennio Morricone
Best Non-English-Language Film
Son of Saul – Laszlo Nemes (Hungary)
EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS
Best Woman Director
Marielle Heller for DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL
Best Woman Screenwriter
Emma Donoghue for ROOM
Best Female Action Star
Charlize Theron for MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Best Breakthrough Performance
Alicia Vikander for EX MACHINA, TESTAMENT OF YOUTH and THE DANISH GIRL
Female Icon of the Year (presented to a woman whose work in film and/or in life made a difference)
Chantal Ackerman – In Memoriam, for being a great filmmaker and an inspiration.
EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS
Best Depiction Of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction (Tie)
ANOMALISA
CAROL
Actress Defying Age and Ageism (Tie)
Charlotte Rampling
Lily Tomlin
Most Egregious Age Difference Between The Lead Character and The Love Interest
DANNY COLLINS – Al Pacino (born 1940) and Katarina Cas (born 1976)
Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent
Emma Stone for ALOHA
Movie You Wanted To Love, But Just Couldn’t
THE DANISH GIRL
For more information on the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, visit their official site.