The deeply personal coming-of-age drama Moonlight is the big winner in the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association’s reckoning of the best films of 2016. The film was also given the Russell Smith Award, named for the late Dallas Morning News critic and given to the year’s best “low-budget or cutting edge independent film,” while director Barry Jenkins and Mahershala Ali — brilliant playing a morally conflicted drug dealer in the movie’s first act — won their respective categories.
Casey Affleck was named best actor for his role in Manchester by the Sea, which also won for best screenplay. The 33 North Texas journalists in the association chose Natalie Portman as best actress for her portrayal of the former First Lady in Jackie.
The full list of winners and runners-up, listed in order of votes received, is below. (The “best picture” hyperlinks will take you to our reviews of each movie.)
BEST PICTURE
Winner: MOONLIGHT
Runners-up: MANCHESTER BY THE SEA; LA LA LAND; HELL OR HIGH WATER; ARRIVAL; JACKIE; LOVING; 20TH CENTURY WOMEN; HACKSAW RIDGE; SILENCE
BEST ACTOR
Winner: Casey Affleck, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Runners-up: Denzel Washington, FENCES; Joel Edgerton, LOVING; Ryan Gosling, LA LA LAND; Tom Hanks, SULLY
BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Natalie Portman, JACKIE
Runners-up: Emma Stone, LA LA LAND; Ruth Negga, LOVING; Amy Adams, ARRIVAL; Annette Bening, 20TH CENTURY WOMEN
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Mahershala Ali, MOONLIGHT
Runners-up: Jeff Bridges, HELL OR HIGH WATER; Michael Shannon, NOCTURNAL ANIMALS; Lucas Hedges, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA; Ben Foster, HELL OR HIGH WATER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Viola Davis, FENCES
Runners-up: Naomie Harris, MOONLIGHT; Michelle Williams, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA; Greta Gerwig, 20TH CENTURY WOMEN; Judy Davis, THE DRESSMAKER
BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Barry Jenkins, MOONLIGHT
Runners-up: Damien Chazelle, LA LA LAND; Kenneth Lonergan, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA; David Mackenzie, HELL OR HIGH WATER; Denis Villeneuve, ARRIVAL
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Winner: THE HANDMAIDEN
Runners-up: TONI ERDMANN; ELLE; NERUDA; THE SALESMAN
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: TOWER
Runners-up: 13TH; GLEASON; I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO; WEINER
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Winner: ZOOTOPIA
Runners-up: KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS; MOANA
BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: Kenneth Lonergan, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Runner-up: Barry Jenkins, MOONLIGHT
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Linus Sandgren, LA LA LAND
Runner-up: Rodrigo Prieto, SILENCE
BEST MUSICAL SCORE
Winner: Justin Hurwitz, LA LA LAND
Runner-up: Mica Levi, JACKIE
RUSSELL SMITH AWARD (best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film)
Winner: MOONLIGHT
