Film award season begins: The run-up to Oscar

So here we go again. The film award season is underway. And our annual Oscar Odyssey will begin. Today The New York Film Critics Circle announced its awards.

Best Film: "The Artist"
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Best Actor: Brad Pitt, "Moneyball" and "The Tree of Life"
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, "Drive"
Best Supporting Actress, Jessica Chastain, "Take Shelter" and "The Tree of Life"
Best Screenplay: Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, "Moneyball"
Best Cinamatography: Emmanuel Lubezki, "The Tree of Life"
Best Foreign Language Film: "A Separation" directed by Asghar Farhadi
Best Non-Fiction Film: "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" directed by Werner Herzog
Best First Film: "Margin Call" directed by J.C. Chandor
A Special Award will be given posthumously to filmmaker Raoul Ruiz

New York Film Critics Circle Film Awards, 2008

The second major critics film awards have been announced.

The New York Film Critics Circle has selected:

Best Picture: Milk

Best Actress: Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)

Best Actor: Sean Penn (Milk)

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)

Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin (Milk)

Best Director: Mike Leigh {Happy-Go-Lucky)

Best Screenplay: Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)

Best Cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle (Slumdog MillionaireO)

Best Foreign Film: (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days)

Best Animated Film: WALL-E

Best First Film: Courtney Hunt (Frozen River)

Best Non-Fiction Film (Documentary): Man on Wire

(The awards will be presented Jan. 5 in New York.)