The 50th Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) Awards kicked off with voting on Sunday, celebrating the best films and talent of 2024. The awards will culminate in a ceremony on January 11, 2025, at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
Among the big winners was Anora, the latest film from director Sean Baker, which took home the prestigious Best Picture honor. Baker also earned runner-up spots in both Best Director and Best Screenplay categories. The film’s lead, Mikey Madison, was awarded Best Leading Performance, alongside Marianne Jean-Baptiste of Hard Truths. In the Best Supporting Performance category, Yura Borisov of Anora shared the win with Kieran Culkin of A Real Pain.
The LAFCA also honored John Carpenter with the Career Achievement Award for his significant impact on filmmaking.
Other notable winners included Mohammad Rasoulof, who took home Best Director for The Seed of the Sacred Fig, and Jesse Eisenberg, whose screenplay for A Real Pain was recognized as the best of the year.
The LAFCA is a group of Los Angeles-based professional critics that has been recognizing cinematic excellence since 1975. The winners were selected from a pool of films and performances released in 2024.
Complete List of Winners:
Best Picture: Anora
Best Director: Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Best Leading Performance: Mikey Madison, Anora & Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Best Supporting Performance: Yura Borisov, Anora & Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Best Screenplay: Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain
Best Cinematography: Jomo Fray, Nickel Boys
Best Editing: Nicholas Monsour, Nickel Boys & Hansjörg Weißbrich, September 5
Best Production Design: Judy Becker, The Brutalist
Best Music Score: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Challengers
Best Animation: Flow
Best Film Not in English: All We Imagine as Light
Best Documentary: No Other Land
New Generation Award: Vera Drew, The People’s Joker
Douglas Edwards Experimental Film Prize: Eduardo Williams, The Human Surge 3
Career Achievement Award: John Carpenter
The 50th LAFCA Awards continue the tradition of honoring cinematic excellence across genres and categories, with a nod to both emerging talents and industry legends.