Last night the winners of the first-ever Boston Online Film Critics Association Awards landed via press release, and I left it for a moment. I’m weighing the pros and cons of posting every single one of these things this year because it begins to be a giant, unvetted clutter of opinion. Who are these folks and why did they decide to form their own group rather than let the Boston Society of Film Critics speak for the area and/or push for membership therein?

I imagine the latter has happened — I don’t know these guys and I’m not passing judgment — and all politics are local. And I don’t say this next thing by way of insult to them (or even as a comparative statement because it’s not), but if a bunch of people with Live Journals in Los Angeles up and decide there needs to be an LA Online group, do we just pass their picks along with the rest? Is the job just providing safe passage or should some curation be in order? I don’t know, but find the Boston online crowd’s winners below, in any case.

Best Picture: “Zero Dark Thirty”

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty”

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”

Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Les Misérables”

Best Screenplay: “Lincoln”

Best Foreign Language Film: “Oslo, August 31st”

Best Documentary: “How to Survive a Plague”

Best Animated Film: “ParaNorman”

Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins, “Skyfall”

Best Editing: “Zero Dark Thirty”

Best Original Score: “The Master”

Best Ensemble Cast: “Moonrise Kingdom”

The 10 Best Films of the year
1. “Zero Dark Thirty”
2. “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
3. “Lincoln”
4. “Moonrise Kingdom”
5. “Django Unchained”
6. “Oslo, August 31st”
7. “Holy Motors”
8. “The Master”
9. “Argo”
10. “Cloud Atlas”

And just to note, this crowd has been diligent enough to offer the following by way of introduction and explanation:

“During the following week, BOFCA will publish their membership”s individual ballots at www.bofca.com for readers interested in how final decisions were made.

“Founded in May 2012, BOFCA fosters a community of web-based film critics and provides them with a supportive group of colleagues and a professional platform for their voices to be heard. They collect and link to their reviews every week at a website that also features original content by members, including filmmaker interviews and spotlights on Boston”s vital repertory film scene.

“By widening professional membership to writers working in new media, BOFCA aims to encourage more diverse opinions in the field. The Boston Online Film Critics Association has gathered together critics writing for publications that collectively receive over 15 million impressions/page views per month. BOFCA is present on social media year-round with members” film articles and essays.”

As always, keep track of all the ups and downs of the 2012-2013 film awards season via The Circuit.