Alliance of Women Film Journalists Announces the 2011 AWFJ EDA Awards

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2011 AWFJ EDA Awards. The winners will be announced on January 10, 2012.

As in years past, the awards categories include all of the standard bests that are presented by other critics groups. But, in addition, AWFJ has our unique Female Focus Awards and Special Mention awards.

Check out this year's nominees for Best Film and Best Direction, and for Best Nudity, Actress Most In Need of A New Agent and Most Memorable Moment, and all the other distinctive categories that have attracted special attention for the Alliance of Women Film Journalists' annual EDA Awards.

The complete list follows:

AWFJ BEST OF AWARDS
Best Film:

The Artist
The Descendants
Hugo
Melancholia
Midnight in Paris

Best Director:

Woody Allen - Midnight In Paris
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Terrence Malick - Tree of Life
Alexander Payne - The Descendants
Martin Scorsese - Hugo

Best Screenplay, Original

The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius
Beginners - Mike Mills
Bridesmaids - Kristin Wiig and Annie Mumolo
Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen
Win Win - Thomas McCarthy

Best Screenplay, Adapted

The Descendants - Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon
Hugo - John Logan
Moneyball - Steven Zallian and Aaron Sorkin
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan
We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lynne Ramsey and Rory Kinnear

Best Documentary

Bill Cunningham New York
Buck
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
The Interrupters
Pina
Project Nim

Best Animated Film

Arthur Christmas
Kung Fu Panda
Puss in Boots
Rango
Tintin

Best Actress

Viola Davis - Abileen Clark in The Help
Kirsten Dunst - Justine in Melancholia
Meryl Streep - Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton - Eva Khatchadourian in We Need To Talk About Kevin
Michelle Williams - Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Bernice Bejo - Peppy Miller in The Artist
Jessica Chastain - Celia Foote in The Help
Janet McTeer - Hubert Page in Albert Nobbs
Carey Mulligan - Sissy Sullivan in Shame
Octavia Spencer - Minny Jackson in The Help

Best Actor

George Clooney - Matt King in The Descendants
Jean Dujardin - George Valentin in The Artist
Michael Fassbinder - Brandon Sullivan in Shame
Brad Pitt - Billy Beane in Moneyball
Michael Shannon - Curtis in Take Shelter

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Brannagh - Sir Laurence Olivier in My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks - Bernie Rose in Drive
Christopher Plummer - Hal Fields in Beginnings
Alan Rickman - Professor Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II
Andy Serkis - in Planet of the Apes

Best Ensemble Cast

Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
Margin call
Midnight In Paris

Best Editing:

The Artist - Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Hugo - Thelma Schoonmaker
Tree of Life - Hank Corwin, Jay Rabinowitz, Daniel Rezende, Billy Weber, Mark Yoshikawa
Warhorse - Michael Kahn

Best Cinematography:

The Artist - Guillaume Schiffman
Hugo - Robert Richardson
Melancholia - Manuel Alberto Claro
Tree of Life - Emmanuel Lubezki
Warhorse - Janusz Kaminski

Best Film Music Or Score:

The Artist - Ludovic Bource, Original Score
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Original Score
Hannah - The Chemical Brothers, Original Score

Best Non-English-Language Film:

Le Havre - Aki Kaurismaki, Finland/France
Pina - Wim Wenders, Germany
A Separation - Ashgar FarhadI, Iran
The Skin I Live In - Pedro Almodovar, Spain
Trollhunter - André Øvredal, Norway

EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS

Best Woman Director

Lynne Ramsey - We Need To Talk About Kevin
Dee Rees - Pariah
Vera Farmiga - Higher Ground
Kelly Reichardt - Meek’s Cutoff
Jennifer Yuh - Kung Fu Panda

Best Woman Screenwriter

Diablo Cody - Young Adult
Abi Morgan - The Iron Lady
Lynne Ramsey and Rory Kinnear - We Need To Talk About Kevin
Dee Rees - Pariah
Kristin Wiig and Annie Mumolo - Bridesmaids

Kick Ass Award For Best Female Action Star

Rooney Mara — Lisbeth Salander in Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Helen Mirren - Rachel Singer in The Debt
Paula Patton - Jane in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Saoirse Ronan - Hanna in Hanna
Zoe Saldana - Cataleya in Colombiana

Best Animated Female

Emily Blunt as Juliet in Gnomeo and Juliet
Isla Fisher as Beans in Rango
Anne Hathaway as Jewel in Rio
Salma Hayak as Kitty Softpaws in Puss in Boots
Angelina Jolie - Tigress in Kung Fu Panda

Best Breakthrough Performance

Jessica Chastain as Mrs. O’Brien in Tree of Life
Elizabeth Olsen as Martha, Marcy May and Marlene in Martha Marcy May Marlene
Adepero Oduye as Alike in Pariah
Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Shailene Woodley as Alexandra King in The Descendants

Female Icon Award

Glenn Close as Albert Nobbs in Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis as Abileen Clark in The Help
Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady

Actress Defying Age and Ageism

Glenn Close as Albert Nobbs in Albert Nobbs
Judi Dench as Anna Marie Hoover in J. Edgar Hoover
Helen Mirren as Rachel Singer in The Debt
Vanessa Redgrave as Volumnia in Coriolanus
Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady

This Year’s Outstanding Achievement By A Woman In The Film Industry:

Jessica Chastain for performances in four highly acclaimed films
Thelma Schoonmaker for editing Hugo
Stacey Snider for helming Dreamworks
Kristin Wiig for Bridesmaids

AWFJ Award Humanitarian Activism

Sandra Bullock for tsunami relief
Elaine Hendrix for Animal Rescue Corps and In Defense of Animals
Angelina Jolie for UN work and making In The Land of Milk and Blood to raise awareness about genocide.
Elizabeth Taylor for her work with AIDS
Olivia Wilde for relief work in Haiti

EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS

AWFJ Hall Of Shame Award

The Hollywood Reporter for failing to invite any women to join the Directors Roundtable
I Melt With You, production and cast
Jack and Jill, production and cast
Something Borrowed, production and cast
Sucker Punch, production and cast

Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent

Jennifer Aniston
Kate Hudson
Sarah Jessica Parker
Amanda Seyfried
All actresses in New Year’s Eve

Movie You Wanted To Love But Just Couldn’t:

Drive
The Future
Sucker Punch
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Young Adult

Unforgettable Moment Award:

The Artist - The sound of glass clinking on the table
Drive - The elevator scene
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Lisbeth’s revenge
The Help - The pie scene
Shame - Carey Mulligan singing New York, New York

Best Depiction Of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction:

A Dangerous Method - Carl Jung spanks Sabina Speilrein
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo — Lisbeth mounts Mikael
Melancholia - Justine in the moonlight
Shame - Opening sequence on the subway train
Shame - Brendan with co-worker

Sequel or Remake That Shouldn’t Have Been Made Award:

Arthur
Cars 2
Hangover Part II
Hoodwinked 2
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon

Most Egregious Age Difference:

Albert Nobbs - Glenn Close (64) and Mia Wasikowska (22)
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Daniel Craig (43) and Rooney Mara (26)
Midnight in Paris - Owen Wilson (43) and Léa Seydoux (26)
Sleeping Beauty - Emily Browning (23) and Man 1 (Peter Carroll, 1968), Man 2 (Chris Haywood, 63) and Man 3 (Hugh Keays-Byrne, 64)
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 - Bella (18) and Edward (over 100)