.This time of year is always a great time to be a movie fan. It’s traditionally a time when studios release their high profile prestige pictures. Films they anticipate might have a chance to be honored at Hollywood’s top popularity contest, the Academy Awards. While the outcome of the Academy Awards probably has little impact on your tastes as a discerning moviegoer, the kudos season, as Variety so awfully puts it, can be a fun thing to watch. Particularly, when all the local and regional critics associations start revealing their picks for best of the year. Plus, for the most part there truly can be some special work released around this time. Although there has been no scarcity of great films this calendar year, one film has almost single handedly wiped out the competition, Sideways.

The problem is there has to be a backlash for all this one sided love. I really feel that at this point I can say that Sideways is my favorite film of the year but I have still not seen The Aviator or Hotel Rwanda or Kinsey. This has turned out to be a great year for films but an odd one. The Aviator is the only film that really jumps out and demands Oscars.

Below is simply a run down of all the local critics awards that have already been announced compiled in an easy to read format. It really doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things but enjoy. I’ll add more to the list as they happen.

Best Picture:
Sideways: South Eastern, San Francisco, Toronto, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Florida
The Aviator: Phoenix
Finding Neverland: National Board of Review
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Washington DC
Vera Drake: San Diego

Best Director:
Alexander Payne (Sideways): South Eastern, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Florida
Martin Scorsese (The Aviator): Phoenix, New York
Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind): Toronto, Washington DC
Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers): Boston
Michael Mann (Collateral): National Board of Review
Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby): Chicago, San Diego

Best Actor:
Jamie Foxx (Ray): South Eastern, Phoenix, New York, Boston, National Board of Review, Washington DC, Florida
Paul Giamatti (Sideways): San Francisco, Toronto, Chicago
Liam Neeson (Kinsey): Los Angeles
Jim Carrey (A Series of Unfortunate Events): San Diego

Best Supporting Actor:
Thomas Haden Church (Sideways): San Francisco, Phoenix, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, National Board of Review, Chicago, Florida
Clive Owen (Closer): Toronto
Jamie Foxx (Collateral): Washington DC
Phil Davis (Vera Drake): San Diego

Best Actress:
Annette Bening (Being Julia): South Eastern, National Board of Review
Julia Delpy (Before Sunset): San Francisco
Hillary Swank (Million Dollar Baby): Phoenix, Boston, Florida
Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake): Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, San Diego

Best Supporting Actress:
Virginia Madsen (Sideways): San Francisco, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago
Laura Linney (Kinsey): Phoenix, National Board of Review, Florida
Cate Blanchett (The Aviator): Washington DC
Natalie Portman (Closer): San Diego

Best Original Screenplay:
Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind): South Eastern, Phoenix, Toronto, New York, National Board of Review, Washington DC
Mike Leigh (Vera Drake): San Diego

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor (Sideways): San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, National Board of Review, Washington DC, Chicago, San Diego, Florida

Best Foreign Language Film:
Maria Full of Grace: South Eastern, San Francisco, Washington DC
House of Flying Daggers: Boston, Los Angeles
The Sea Inside: National Board of Review, San Diego
A Very Long Engagement: Chicago, Florida

Best Documentary:
Fahrenheit 9/11: South Eastern, San Francisco, New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Florida
Control Room: Boston
Born Into Brothels: Los Angeles, National Board of Review
Tarnation: San Diego

Special thanks to Brian Lacosta.

(Note from Nick: My TOP 15 list will be up sometime in the next day or so, with Dave and Devin's to follow. Keep an eye out.)