Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Jane Campion wins Best Director; Penélope Cruz, Best Actress

by KM, Movie Lightbox

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has selected the films for their annual awards honoring excellence on both sides of the camera. Drive My Car, the Japanese drama film by Ryusuke Hamaguchi based on the short story by Haruki Murakami has been named Best Picture of 2021.

The Power of the Dog leads the awards tally with three prizes: Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Cinematography. The lead acting awards went to Penélope Cruz for Parallel Mothers and Simon Rex for Red Rocket. Petite Maman by Celine Sciamma took home the prize for Best Film Not in the English Language.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association is comprised of LA based professional critics working in print and electronic media. Each December, members vote on the year’s achievement awards. In 2020, Best Picture went to Steve McQueen’s five-film anthology Small Axe.

Below is the full list of 2021 LAFCA Winners:

Best Picture: Drive My Car

Best Director: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Best Actor: Simon Rex, Red Rocket

Best Actress: Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers

Best Supporting Actor: Vincent Lindon, Titane and Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Debose, West Side Story

Best Screenplay: Drive My Car

Best Cinematography: The Power of the Dog

Best Production Design: Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar

Best Editing: Summer of Soul

Best Music/Score: Parallel Mothers

Best Film Not in the English Language: Petite Maman

Best Documentary: Summer of Soul

Best Animation: Flee

New Generation Award: Shatara Michelle Ford, Test Pattern and Tatiana Huezo, Prayers for the Stolen

Career Achievement: Mel Brooks

Douglas Edwards Experimental Film Prize: The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojori in the Shiotani Basin)

Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics