AFI, L.A. Crits Toast "Sideways"

At this pace, Sideways is heading straight for Oscar contention.

The wine-happy indie comedy scored a leading five awards Saturday from the Los Angeles Film Association, including the top prize of Best Picture.

Sideways mastermind Alexander Payne picked up props for Best Director and shared the screenwriting prize with writing partner Jim Taylor. Virginia Madsen was named Supporting Actress nomination and Thomas Haden Church reeled in Best Supporting Actor.

Additionally, the film's star, Paul Giamatti, was runner-up to Liam Neeson in the Best Actor race. Neeson won for his buzzed-about turn as the titular sex researcher in the biopic Kinsey.

Imelda Staunton's performance in the 1950s abortion drama Vera Drake edged out Julie Delpy in Before Sunset for Best Actress.

The Incredibles picked up two awards, for Best Animation and for Best Music/Score.

Key runners-up included Clint Eastwood's estrogen boxing flick Million Dollar Baby for Best Picture; Martin Scorsese for Best Director for helming The Aviator; Cate Blanchett for Supporting Actress for her roles in The Aviator and Coffee & Cigarettes; Morgan Freeman for Supporting Actor for Million Dollar Baby; and Charlie Kaufman for Best Screenplay for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

The L.A. critics, whose awards tend to celebrate more esoteric fare than the Oscars, are traditionally the second major group of critics to announce their picks for the year's top films, following the National Board of Review, which earlier this month named Finding Neverland Best Picture. (Sideways finished as one of the NBR's top 10 films and also picked up trophies for Screenplay and Supporting Actor.)

All told, Sideways is shaping up to be a key player this award season. Aside from its wins from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and National Board of Review, the film is up for a field-best six Independent Spirit Awards and was named top film by the New York Film Online Critics. (The latter group, which unveiled its awards Sunday, also named Church and Madsen the top supporting actors. Staunton was also named Best Actress and Jamie Foxx Best Actor for Ray. Scorsese picked up the prize for Best Director.)

Also on Sunday, the American Film Institute named Sideways one of the top 10 films of the year. The AFI doesn't rank the movies or single out individual achievement, instead honoring the entire creative team behind a film. Joining Sideways on the AFI best-of list: The Aviator, Collateral, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Friday Night Lights, The Incredibles, Kinsey, Maria Full of Grace, Million Dollar Baby and Spider-Man 2.

We'll see if Sideways' momentum continues Monday, when the Golden Globe nominations are announced, as well as the New York Film Critics Circle.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association's award ceremony will be held Jan. 13. Here's a complete rundown of the winners.

Picture: Sideways; runner-up: Million Dollar Baby
Director: Alexander Payne, Sideways; runner-up: Martin Scorsese, The Aviator
Actress: Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake; runner-up: Julie Delpy, Before Sunset
Actor: Liam Neeson, Kinsey; runner-up: Paul Giamatti, Sideways
Screenplay: Sideways by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor; runner-up: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Charlie Kaufman
Supporting Actress: Virginia Madsen, Sideways; runner-up: Cate Blanchett, The Aviator and Coffee & Cigarettes
Supporting Actor: Thomas Haden Church, Sideways; runner-up: Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby
Foreign-Language Film: House of Flying Daggers; runner-up: The Motorcycle Diaries
Documentary/Nonfiction Film: Born into Brothels; Fahrenheit 9/11 directed by Michael Moore
Production Design: Dante Ferretti, The Aviator; runner-up: Huo Tingxiao, House of Flying Dagggers
Music/Score: Michael Giacchino, The Incredibles; runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, Birth
Cinematography: Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron, Collateral; runner-up: Xiaoding Zhao, House of Flying Daggers
Animation: Brad Bird, The Incredibles
The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award: Star-Spangled to Death by Ken Jacobs
New Generation: Joshua Marston, writer-director, Maria Full of Grace and Catalina Sandino Moreno, actress, Maria Full of Grace
Career Achievement: Jerry Lewis
Special Citation: Brian Jamieson and Richard Schickel for the reconstruction of The Big Red One

AFI Movies of the Year (listed alphabetically): The Aviator Collateral Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Friday Night Lights The Incredibles Kinsey Maria Full of Grace Million Dollar Baby Sideways Spider-Man 2