In a year wrought with political and social turmoil, the Canadian Association of Online Film Critics (CAOFC) announced that its members have celebrated diversity in their picks for Best Picture and Best International Picture in the Association’s first annual awards.

For Best Picture members selected the NFB animated feature film Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming from writer/director Ann Marie Fleming.

Window Horses tells the story of Rosie Ming, a young Canadian poet, who goes on a transformational journey when she is invited to the Poetry Festival in Shiraz, Iran. Forced to confront her past, and the Iranian father she believed abandoned her, Rosie begins to discover the true nature of her poetry.

“Window Horses has major themes of reconciliation, forgiveness, and cultural identity that speak to who Canadians are as a people, especially in such trying political times.” said CAOFC President Trista DeVries.

The film, which won the Best Canadian Feature Film Award at Reel Asian International Film Festival, Best BC Film and Best Canadian Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival, and the AnimaFICX Award for Best Animated Film at the Gijón International Film Festival in Spain, features the voice talents of Ellen Page, Sandra Oh, Don McKellar, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Kristen Thomson, and Nancy Kwan.

In the Best International Picture category, CAOFC members selected Moonlight as their top pick of 2016.

“We are proud to join the ranks of many organizations who have already given Moonlight well- deserved awards,” said DeVries. “It is a singular and necessary film, and I am pleased our membership chose to honour it.”

Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man as he struggles to find his place in a rough neighbourhood in Miami. Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, and starring Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris, the film won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama and has received eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.

“The poetic qualities of cinema have been acknowledged in these choices and we’re grateful to our membership for overwhelmingly reflecting these cherished attributes,” added CAOFC vice- president/vice-chair Greg Klymkiw.