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2009 WAFCA Awards
December 7, 2009 - 8:00AM EST

Up in the Air Flies High with D.C. Film Critics

George Clooney and Carey Mulligan Named Best Actors

Christoph Waltz and Mo'Nique Honored as Best Supporting Actors

Kathryn Bigelow is WAFCA's First Female Best Director Winner

Washington DC — The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) today announced their 2009 winners, awarding Best Film to Up in the Air. The film's star, George Clooney, took home the Best Actor award, his second win (Michael Clayton, 2007). In a WAFCA first, Kathryn Bigelow took home the prize for Best Director for the Iraq War film, The Hurt Locker, the first woman to do so.

Relative newcomer Carey Mulligan took home the Best Actress award for An Education, while what many considered the only locks of the season — the Best Supporting Actor and Actress categories — went to Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) and Mo'Nique (Precious), respectively. Precious also walked away with the Best Breakthrough Performance for first-time actress Gabourey Sidibe.

"We are thrilled with these results," said Tim Gordon, president of WAFCA. "As with every year, there were consensus favorites as well as surprises that both stunned and delighted us. In a year full of as many great films as this one, things are always...up in the air!"

In other categories, Sheldon Turner and two-time winner Jason Reitman (2006's Thank You for Smoking) won Best Adapted Screenplay for Up in the Air. Reitman also won the same award in 2006 for Thank You For Smoking. Quentin Tarantino won Best Original Screenplay for his heavily lauded Inglourious Basterds. Up snagged the Best Animated Film award, the fourth WAFCA win for the Disney/Pixar juggernaut. Best foreign film went to the immigration drama Sin Nombre, and Best Documentary went to Food, Inc.

The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association is comprised of 48 DC-VA-MD-based film critics from television, radio, print and the Internet. Voting was conducted from December 4 - 5, 2009.

    Best Film:
    Up in the Air | Paramount

    Best Director:
    Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)

    Best Actor:
    George Clooney (Up in the Air)

    Best Actress:
    Carey Mulligan (An Education)

    Best Supporting Actor:
    Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

    Best Supporting Actress:
    Mo'Nique (Precious)

    Best Ensemble:
    The Hurt Locker | Summit Entertainment

    Best Breakthrough Performance:
    Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)

    Best Screenplay, Adapted:
    Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner (Up in the Air)

    Best Screenplay, Original:
    Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)

    Best Animated Film:
    Up | Walt Disney & Pixar

    Best Foreign Film:
    Sin Nombre | Focus Features

    Best Documentary:
    Food, Inc. | Magnolia

    Best Art Direction:
    Nine | The Weinstein Company

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The 2009 WAFCA Award Nominees Were:

Best Actor
George Clooney | Up in the Air
Colin Firth | A Single Man
Morgan Freeman | Invictus
Viggo Mortensen | The Road
Jeremy Renner | The Hurt Locker

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock | The Blind Side
Carey Mulligan | An Education
Maya Rudolph | Away We Go
Gabourey Sidibe | Precious
Meryl Streep | Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor
Woody Harrelson | The Messenger
Anthony Mackie | The Hurt Locker
Alfred Molina | An Education
Stanley Tucci | The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz | Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress
Vera Farmiga | Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick | Up in the Air
Mo'Nique | Precious
Julianne Moore | A Single Man
Samantha Morton | The Messenger

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow | The Hurt Locker
Lee Daniels | Precious
Clint Eastwood | Invictus
Jason Reitman | Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino | Inglourious Basterds

Best Screenplay, Adapted
The Blind Side | Warner Bros.
An Education | Sony Picture Classics
Precious | Lionsgate
The Road | Dimension
Up in the Air | Paramount

Best Screenplay, Original
(500) Days of Summer | Fox Searchlight
The Hurt Locker | Summit Entertainment
Inglourious Basterds | Weinstein Company
A Serious Man | Focus Features
Up | Walt Disney

Best Film
The Hurt Locker | Summit Entertainment
Inglourious Basterds | Weinstein Company
Precious | Lionsgate
Up | Walt Disney
Up in the Air | Paramount

Best Breakthrough Performance
Anna Kendrick | Up in The Air
Christian McKay | Me and Orson Welles
Carey Mulligan | An Education
Jeremy Renner | The Hurt Locker
Gabourey Sidibe | Precious

Best Ensemble
The Hurt Locker | Summit Entertainment
Nine | The Weinstein Company
Precious | Lionsgate
Star Trek | Paramount
Up in the Air | Paramount

Best Animated Film
Coraline | Focus Features
Fantastic Mr. Fox | Fox Searchlight
9 | Focus Features
Ponyo | Walt Disney
Up | Walt Disney

Best Foreign Film
Broken Embraces | Sony Picture Classics
Red Cliff | Magnet / Magnolia
Sin Nombre | Focus Features
Summer Hours | IFC Features
The White Ribbon | Sony Picture Classics

Best Art Direction
The Lovely Bones | Paramount
Nine | The Weinstein Company
Star Trek | Paramount
Where the Wild Things Are | Warner Bros.
The Young Victoria | Apparition

Best Documentary
Anvil! The Story of Anvil | Abramorama
Capitalism: A Love Story | Overture
The Cove | Lionsgate
Food, Inc. | Magnolia
Good Hair | Roadside Attractions

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