Alliance of Women Film Journalists Announce 2015 EDA Winners

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists announced the winners of their 2015 EDA awards, which are divided into three categories. The EDA "Best Of" Awards honor the work of both genders in the film community, while the EDA Female Focus Awards shine a spotlight on the achievements of women. There is also a third category called Special Mentions which including such honors as "Actress Defying Age and Ageism," which went this year to Charlotte Rampling and Lily Tomlin. It also includes awards for "Movies You Wanted To Love, But Just Couldn't ("The Danish Girl"), and "Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent" (Emma Stone for "Aloha."). 

Tom McCarthy's ode to the power of investigative journalism, "Spotlight," scored four nods including Best Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, while tying with F. Gary Gray's NWA biopic "Straight Outta Compton" for Best Ensemble. Todd Haynes's romantic drama, "Carol," garnered prizes for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography, while tying with Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson's stop-motion marvel, "Anomalisa," for Best Depiction of Nudity, Sexuality or Seduction. George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road" scored accolades for Best Editing and Best Female Action Star (Charlize Theron). 

Other big winners include "Amy," Asif Kapadia's profile of Amy Winehouse, which was named Best Documentary;  Pete Docter & Ronnie Del Carmen's amazing Pixar feature, "Inside Out," which won Best Animated Film, and Laszlo Nemes's Holocaust drama, "Son of Saul," which received the award for Best Non-English-Language Film. The Best Actress prize went to Charlotte Rampling for Andrew Haigh's "45 Years," while Leonardo DiCaprio won Best Actor for Alejandro González Iñárritu's "The Revenant" just days after receiving the same award at the Golden Globes.

Kristen Stewart won Best Supporting Actress for Olivier Assayas's "Clouds of Sils Maria," and Paul Dano won Best Supporting Actor for portraying "Beach Boys" star Brian Williams in Bill Pohlad's "Love & Mercy." Marielle Heller was named Best Woman Director for her bold feature debut, "The Diary of a Teenage Girl." Emma Donoghue won Best Woman Screenwriter for adapting her own novel, "Room." Alicia Vikander received the Best Breakthrough Performance prize for her luminous work in three separate films: "Ex Machina," "Testament of Youth" and "The Danish Girl." 

Chantal Akerman, the trailblazing filmmaker who passed away last October, was named Female Icon of the Year. 

The acronym "EDA" stands for "Excellent Dynamic Activism" and is a tribute to AWFJ founder Jennifer Merin's mother, actress Eda Reiss Merin.

Here is the full list of winners in all three categories:

AWFJ EDA ‘BEST OF’ AWARDS

Best Film
SPOTLIGHT

Best Director (Female or Male)
Tom McCarthy for SPOTLIGHT

Best Screenplay, Original
SPOTLIGHT – Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy

Best Screenplay, Adapted
CAROL – Phyllis Nagy

Best Documentary
AMY – Asif Kapadia 

Best Animated Film
INSIDE OUT – Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen

Best Actress
Charlotte Rampling in 45 YEARS

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Kristen Stewart in CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio in THE REVENANT

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Paul Dano in LOVE & MERCY

Best Ensemble Cast (tie)
SPOTLIGHT
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

Best Editing
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD – Margaret Sixel

Best Cinematography
CAROL – Edward Lachman

Best Film Music Or Score
THE HATEFUL EIGHT – Ennio Morricone

Best Non-English-Language Film
Son of Saul – Laszlo Nemes (Hungary)

EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS

Best Woman Director
Marielle Heller for DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL

Best Woman Screenwriter
Emma Donoghue for ROOM 

Best Female Action Star
Charlize Theron for MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 

Best Breakthrough Performance
Alicia Vikander for EX MACHINA, TESTAMENT OF YOUTH and THE DANISH GIRL

Female Icon of the Year (presented to a woman whose work in film and/or in life made a difference)
Chantal Ackerman – In Memoriam, for being a great filmmaker and an inspiration.