Top Chicago Critics Circle awards go to ‘Moonlight,’ ‘La La Land’

Three weeks after the Chicago Film Critics Association chose “Moonlight” as the best film of 2016, an alternative group of local critics made the same selection — sort of.

In its first awards reception Sunday night, the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle divided its top prize into two categories, naming Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” the best independent film but choosing as the best studio film another awards season favorite: Damien Chazelle’s musical “La La Land.”

Chazelle also won the group’s best director prize.

The Film Critics Circle aims to emphasize diversity within the film industry and includes reviewers showcased in print as well as less traditional formats.

In a nod to their hometown, the 28 members included a category honoring the best Chicago film. Richard Tanne’s locally made “Southside With You,” a dramatization of the first date of Barack and Michelle Obama, was the winner over nominees “Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party” and “Pause of the Clock.”

The voting ended in a tie in two categories meant to single out unique talents. The Trailblazer Award, honoring the work of an artist who pushed the boundaries of the medium in terms of form and content, was shared by directors Yorgos Lanthimos of “The Lobster” and Anna Biller of “The Love Witch.””

And the Impact Award, celebrating a person whose work has had a positive impact on society, went to both director Ava DuVernay for her documentary “13th” and Jacqueline Stewart and Charles Musser, curators of the DVD set “Pioneers of African-American Cinema.”

Here are the winners in the other categories:

BEST FOREIGN FILM

“The Handmaiden”

BEST DOCUMENTARY

“O.J.: Made in America”

BEST MICRO-BUDGET FILM

“The Fits”

BEST ANIMATED FILM

“Kubo and the Two Strings”

BEST ACTOR

Casey Affleck (“Manchester by the Sea”)

BEST ACTRESS

Natalie Portman (“Jackie”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Mahershala Ali (“Moonlight”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Viola Davis (“Fences”)

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

“Moonlight” (Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Janelle Monae, Andre Holland, Jharrel Jerome, Jaden Piner, Patrick Decile)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Kenneth Lonergan (“Manchester by the Sea”)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Barry Jenkins and Tarell McCraney (“Moonlight”)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Linus Sandgren (“La La Land”)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

David Wasco (“La La Land”)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

TIE: Madeline Fontaine (“Jackie”) and Anna Biller (“The Love Witch”)

BEST EDITING

Tom Cross (“La La Land”)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Justin Hurwitz (“La La Land”)

BEST MAKEUP

Jason Hamer (“Swiss Army Man”)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould,Richard Bluff, and Vince Cirelli (“Doctor Strange”)

BEST SHORT FILM

“Piper”

BEST UNDISTRIBUTED FILM

“Atmo Horrox”