Aside from honoring each year’s outstanding cinematic achievements, LAFCA has also made it a point to look back and pay tribute to distinguished industry veterans with its annual Career Achievement Award, which is announced in October, as well as to look forward by spotlighting fresh, promising talent with its annual New Generation Award. In addition, over the past three decades, LAFCA has sponsored and hosted numerous film panels and events and donated funds to various Los Angeles film organizations, especially where film preservation was concerned. LAFCA members have also collectively been vocal about taking up causes they have felt passionate about, from drafting formal protests against censorship and colorization to lending their support to controversial films.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. proved a bloodthirsty lot on Sunday, giving Paul Thomas Anderson's 'There Will Be Blood' four awards, including picture and director.

Daniel Day-Lewis won the actor prize (his third from the group, having previously been honored for 'Gangs of New York' and 'My Left Foot') for playing an early 20th century California oilman in the intense drama, which was also cited for Jack Fisk's production design. Produced by Anderson, JoAnne Sellar and Daniel Lupi, the 158-minute Paramount Vantage release, which Miramax is handling overseas, doesn't open until Dec. 26.

Romanian import and Cannes Palme d'Or winner '4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days' also proved popular with the L.A. critics, winning foreign-language film and, in a surprise victory for the IFC release, supporting actor for Vlad Ivanov's performance as an illegal abortionist.

Marion Cotillard took the actress laurels for her turn as French chanteuse Edith Piaf in Picturehouse's biopic 'La Vie en rose,' while Amy Ryan was named supporting actress for her work in two crime dramas: Miramax's 'Gone Baby Gone' and ThinkFilm's 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.'Tamara Jenkins received the group's screenplay award for her tart comedy-drama 'The Savages,' from Fox Searchlight, while Charles Ferguson's 'No End in Sight,' a sharp critique of the Bush administration's handling of the aftermath of the Iraq War campaign, was named top documentary. Magnolia is releasing the film, which preemed at the Sundance Film Festival last January.

In the tightest race of the afternoon, Brad Bird's 'Ratatouille,' from Disney/Pixar, tied with Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's French-language toon 'Persepolis,' distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, for the animation prize.

Julian Schnabel's 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,' based on the memoir of paralyzed Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, was recognized for Janusz Kaminski's cinematography. The Miramax release was also named runner-up in picture, directing and foreign-language film. Although only the winner and runner-up are identified in each category, it was notable that, after 'There Will Be Blood,' the subsequent four vote-getters for picture all premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Sarah Polley received the group's New Generation award for her directing debut 'Away From Her,' while Portuguese helmer Pedro Costa's 'Colossal Youth' received the Douglas E. Edwards award for independent/experimental film.

Fox Searchlight's 'Once' received the music award for its songs by thesps Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova; the runner-up in the category was Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood for his 'There Will Be Blood' score.

Other runners-up included Frank Langella ('Starting Out in the Evening'), actor; Anamaria Marinca ('4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days'), actress; Hal Holbrook ('Into the Wild'), supporting actor; Cate Blanchett ('I'm Not There'), supporting actress; Anderson's 'There Will Be Blood,' screenplay; Robert Elswit ('There Will Be Blood'), cinematography; and Michael Moore's 'Sicko,' documentary.

The group also awarded a special citation to artistic director Peter Sellars and producers Simon Field and Keith Griffiths for their New Crowned Hope project honoring Mozart's 250th birthday, which included such films as 'Syndromes and a Century' and 'I Don't Want to Sleep Alone.'

Org also created a new prize, the Legacy of Cinema Award, recognizing Milestone Film & Video and the Outfest Legacy Project for their restoration efforts.

As previously announced, director Sidney Lumet will receive LAFCA's career achievement award. This year's kudos will be dedicated to the memory of Robert Altman, Michelangelo Antonioni, Ingmar Bergman, Ousmane Sembene and Edward Yang.

Awards will be presented at a dinner Jan. 12 at the Hotel Intercontinental in Century City.

VIVE LE CINEMA! & Persepolis! ;0)

Complete list of winners:

PICTURE: 'There Will Be Blood'

RUNNER-UP: 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'

DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson, 'There Will Be Blood'

RUNNER-UP: Julian Schnabel, 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'