The Oscar Narrative: SAG Shakeups the Oscar Race

So, the night was clicking along as expected. The television side of things had few surprises, with the exception of the Stranger Things upset. Viola and Mahershala won as expected, and despite some confusion among the precursors, Emma Stone solidified her front runner status in the Best Actress race (with a BAFTA win she will seal her fate). Everything was clicking along as planned. Then within about ten minutes SAG voters delivered two major upsets that has potentially changed the outcome of both Best Picture and Best Actor. First, let's clarify something. Yes the two wins (which I will get to) were upsets, but they were not that shocking. Denzel was definitely in the running, and the only win that would have really dropped my jaw was Captain Fantastic. But both of these wins were definitely upsets to the previous held Oscar narrative.

Denzel Washington is one of those actors that will eventually win three Oscars. I am as sure of this as I am that eventually Meryl Streep will tie Katherine Hepburn with four. Casey Affleck had been winning all season, but SAG is where the contenders really come out. Affleck will still probably win BAFTA, as Washington is not nominated. This makes for a much more competitive race than the precursors have suggested, and proves the hunches of a lot of us watching this race that Denzel was in the mix. Plus, he is much better at this game than Affleck is, who seems to be wholly uncomfortable with the idea of campaigning, making speeches, and working the room. This race will continue to be interesting through BAFTA. But if anyone other than Casey Affleck wins BAFTA, then Denzel has this in the bag.

Then came the SAG Ensemble, I knew that both Fences and Hidden Figures were a threat, and I even predicted that Fences would triumph (and was feeling good about my prediction when Denzel won). But in the end, I honestly expected Moonlight to win, setting it up as the potential film to challenge La La Land at the Oscars. Well then Hidden Figures won. Hidden Figures is a film to watch for. With the preferential ballot, the broad sweep of categories that was once required doesn't matter as much anymore. If on Oscar night it upsets in Best Adapted Screenplay, then watch out, because I smell an upset coming. This is a film that people really love. It's only major criticism are that it is a bit conventional. But in the year that we have had, I think a lot of voters might find the idea of an uplifting story about minority women who triumph over stereotypes and become American heroes a nice way for Hollywood to take a stand. And Taraji's speech last night certainly struck a chord with a lot of people.

While this certainly throws Hidden Figures into the thick of things, this might also end up boosting La La Land in an unexpected way. When Moonlight, with its eight nominations across a broad array of branches was the clear number two, it made it a horse race. If voters are now splitting between Moonlight, Hidden Figures, and possibly Arrival and Fences (both of whom had a good weekend with the ACE Eddies and SAG), it sort of muddies the water. Now you have all these different films trying to vie for a chance to take down the La La Land juggernaut. And while the Academy certainly has made strides in diversity, Moonlight, Hidden Figures, and Fences might end up having too many like voters for any one of them to emerge ahead of the other. All of these different possibilities only help La La Land, which will most likely win the DGA and sweep the BAFTA's in the next two weeks. Also, if Hidden Figures was truly beloved by a wide range of voters, how did Taraji P. Henson miss out, and what about the score, or the costumes, or the production design? Its low number of nominations doesn't mean that it can't win anymore (as previously noted), but it does show a lack of broad support across the various branches of the Academy. Ultimately, without a clear number two, the voters have no option but to keep on the La La Land train all the way to the Oscar ceremony. Or of course, we just witnessed the first big step taken by the real threat to La La Land's impending Oscar sweep. Either way, this race has become a lot more interesting...

23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards

I will update the winners live!:

Film
Best Ensemble - Hidden Figures
Best Actor - Denzel Washington "Fences"
Best Actress - Emma Stone "La La Land"
Best Supporting Actor - Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"
Best Supporting Actress - Viola Davis "Fences"
Best Stunt Ensemble - Hacksaw Ridge

Television
Best Ensemble in a Drama Series - Stanger Things
Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Orange is the New Black
Best Actor in a Drama Series - John Lithgow "The Crown"
Best Actress in a Drama Series - Claire Foy "The Crown"
Best Actor in a Comedy Series - William H. Macy "Shameless"
Best Actress in a Comedy Series - Julia Louis-Dreyfus "Veep"
Best Actor in a TV Movie/Limited Series - Bryan Cranston "All the Way"
Best Actress in a TV Movie/Limited Series - Sarah Paulson "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story"
Best Stunt Ensemble - Game of Thrones

Lifetime Achievement Award - Lily Tomlin

Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Predictions

Best Film Ensemble
Will Win - Fences
Could Win - Moonlight or Hidden Figures or Manchester By the Sea
Should Win - Any of the four above
Commentary - Moonlight needs to win here if it has any chance of upsetting La La Land, which it really does, make no mistake. But the actors have four choices (sorry Captain Fantastic), and they are all led by incredible casts, and all four could win. Without La La Land in this category, it becomes a real battle. SAG could cement a La La Land opponent with a win for Moonlight or Manchester By the Sea. Or SAG could reward Fences or Hidden Figures, films that are lifted by their performances. Fences is one of those plays, and now films, that actors watch and read, and understand to be tour de force. I think that actors will take the chance to reward a film that probably won't go anywhere else. It is this years' The Help or Inglourious Basterds. It is probably an out of bounds pick, but like I said, the La La Land vacuum is leaving an interesting hole. Also watch out for Hidden Figures. Most folks are predicting Moonlight, and that is probably the best bet. But both Fences and Hidden Figures are dark horses that should not be discounted.

Best Actor
Will Win - Casey Affleck "Manchester By the Sea"
Could Win - Denzel Washington "Fences"
Should Win - Washington or Affleck
Commentary - This is the night that this race is decided. Washington has never won a SAG Award, and this is a powerhouse of acting that I think actors will appreciate. But Affleck has won everything so far, and I think he is on the train to Oscar. He has the momentum, and he is an actor's actor, and I think they will want to reward Manchester By the Sea somewhere. This is the category to do so.

Best Actress
Will Win - Emma Stone "La La Land"
Could Win - Natalie Portman "Jackie" or Meryl Streep "Florence Foster Jenkins"
Should Win - Stone
Commentary - La La Land missing the SAG ensemble nod was big, but I don't think it will go away empty-handed. Stone has some competition with Portman and Streep, and this will be the real test to see who wins of the three at the Oscars. Still Stone's character is something that these actors can identify with, and she has the momentum as La La Land continues to bulldoze its way through awards season.

Best Supporting Actor
Will Win - Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"
Could Win - Jeff Bridges "Hell or High Water" or Lucas Hedges "Manchester By the Sea"
Should Win - Ali or Hedges
Commentary - After the Globes threw a wrench into this category, we are all kind of hanging on to see if anything else dramatic happens. I think that Mahershala Ali (who is also in Hidden Figures which definitely helps) gets back on track tonight, and continues his journey to an Oscar

Best Supporting Actress
Will Win - Viola Davis "Fences"
Could Win - Any of the other four
Should Win - Davis
Commentary - Davis is beloved by this group, and is the clear Oscar front runner. She also happens to be in a good spot because I can't even think of who is in second place. This is an incredible category of actresses top to bottom, so it is not a commentary on quality. It's just that I could make a case for all four being the potential second place, which means it will be hard for someone to beat Davis.

Television Predictions
Best Ensemble in a Drama Series - Downton Abbey
Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Orange is the New Black
Best Actor in a Drama Series - John Lithgow "The Crown"
Best Actress in a Drama Series - Claire Foy "The Crown"
Best Actor in a Comedy Series - Jeffrey Tambor "Transparent"
Best Actress in a Comedy Series - Uzo Aduba "Orange is the New Black"
Best Actor in a TV Movie/Miniseries - Courtney B. Vance "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story"
Best Actress in a TV Movie/Miniseries - Sarah Paulson "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story"

Stunt Predictions
Best Stunt Ensemble (Film) - Hacksaw Ridge
Best Stunt Ensemble (Television) - Game of Thrones

Producers Guild of America (PGA) Award Winners

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
La La Land

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
Zootopia

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures
O.J.: Made in America

The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (Season 1)

The Award for Outstanding Sports Program
VICE World of Sports (Season 1)

The Award for Outstanding Digital Series
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (Season 7, Season 8)

The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
Stranger Things (Season 1)

The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy
Atlanta (Season 1)

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
Making a Murderer (Season 1)

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television
The Voice (Season 9-11)

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Season 3)

The Award for Outstanding Children’s Program
Sesame Street (Season 46)

2017 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners

U.S. DRAMATIC

Grand Jury Prize
I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore
Dir: Macon Blair

Directing Award
Eliza Hittman, Beach Rats

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award
Ingrid Goes West
Writers: Matt Spicer, David Branson Smith

Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Director
Maggie Betts, Novitiate

Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance
Chanté Adams, Roxanne Roxanne

Special Jury Award for Cinematography
Yellow Birds
DP: Daniel Landin

U.S. DOCUMENTARY

Grand Jury Prize
Dina
Dir: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini

Directing Award
Peter Nicks, The Force

The Orwell Award
Icarus
Dir: Bryan Fogel

Special Jury Award for Storytelling
Strong Island
Dir: Yance Ford

Special Jury Award for Editing
Unrest
Editors: Kim Roberts, Emiliano Battista

Special Jury Award for Inspirational Filmmaking
Step
Dir: Amanda Lipitz

U.S. Dramatic Audience Award
Crown Heights
Dir: Matt Ruskin

U.S. Documentary Audience Award
Chasing Coral
Dir: Jeff Orlowski

World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award
Sueño en Otro Idioma (I Dream In Another Language)
Mexico/Netherlands (Dir: Ernesto Contreras)

World Cinema Documentary Audience Award
Joshua: Teenager Vs Superpower
U.S.A. (Dir: Joe Piscatella)

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC

Grand Jury Prize
The Nile Hilton Incident
Sweden/Germany/Denmark (Dir: Tarik Saleh)

Special Jury Award For Directing
God’s Own Country
United Kingdom (Director-writer: Francis Lee)

Special Jury Award for Screenwriting
Pop Aye
Singapore/Thailand (Dir: Kirsten Tan)

Special Jury Award for Cinematic Vision
Free And Easy
Hong Kong (Dir: Jun Geng)

Special Jury Award for Cinematography
Axolotl Overkill
Germany (DP: Manu Dacosse)

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY

Grand Jury Prize
Last Men In Aleppo
Denmark/Syria (Dir: Feras Fayyad)

Directing Award
Winnie
France/Netherlands/South Africa (Dir: Pascale Lamche)

Special Jury Award for Masterful Storytelling
Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World
Canada (Co-directors: Catherine Bainbridge and Alfonso Maiorana)

Special Jury Award for Commanding Vision
Motherland
U.S.A./Philippines (Ramona S. Diaz)

Special Jury Award for Cinematography
Machines
India/Germany/Finland (DP: Rodrigo Trejo Villanueva)

NEXT Audience Award
Gook
U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Justin Chon)

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE GLOBAL FILMMAKING AWARDS

Yalda (Iran)
Massoud Bakhshi

Mignonnes (France)
Maimouna Doucoure

The Hanged (Brazil)
Fernando Coimbra

Untitled Rock Opera (Poland)
Agnieszka Smoczynska

Sundance Institute/NHK Award
I Came By (United Kingdom)
Babak Anvari

American Cinema Editors (ACE) Eddie Award Winners

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (DRAMATIC):
Arrival

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (COMEDY):
La La Land

BEST EDITED ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
Zootopia

BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE):
O.J.: Made in America

BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY (TELEVISION):
Everything Is Copy – Nora Ephron: Scripted & Unscripted

BEST EDITED HALF-HOUR SERIES FOR TELEVISION:
Veep: “Morning After”

BEST EDITED ONE-HOUR SERIES FOR COMMERCIAL TELEVISION:
This is Us: “Pilot”

BEST EDITED ONE-HOUR SERIES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL TELEVISION:
Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards"

BEST EDITED MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE FOR TELEVISION:
All the Way

BEST EDITED NON-SCRIPTED SERIES:
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown: “Senegal”

STUDENT COMPETITION:
Tommy Wakefield  – University of North Carolina, School of the Arts

Producers Guild (PGA) and ACE Eddie Predictions

Tonight are the ACE Eddies, tomorrow are the PGA Award, Sunday are the SAG Awards, and next Saturday are the DGA Awards. So within the next nine days we will probably find out who is going to win the Best Picture Oscar. Or we could end up like last year, where in nine days, we are royally confused.

ACE Eddie Predictions
Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic) - Moonlight
Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy) - La La Land
Best Edited Animated Feature Film - Zootopia
Best Edited Documentary Feature - O.J.: Made in America
Best Edited Documentary (Television) - The Choice 2016
Best Edited Half-Hour Series - Veep - Mother
Best Edited One-Hour Series (Commercial) - This is Us - Pilot
Best Edited One-Hour Series (Non-Commercial) - Game of Thrones - Battle of the Bastards
Best Edited Miniseries or TV Movie - The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story - Marcia, Marcia, Marcia
Best Edited Non-Scripted Series - Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown - Manila, Philippines

Producers Guild (PGA) Predictions
Best Picture - La La Land
Best Animated Feature - Zootopia
Best Documentary - O.J. Made in America
Best Long Form Television - The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Best Sports Program - Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Best Digital Series - Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Best Drama Series - Game of Thrones
Best Comedy Series - Atlanta
Best Nonfiction Television - Making a Murderer
Best Competition  - The Voice
Best Talk Series - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Best Children's Program - Sesame Street

Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) Dorian Award Winners

Film of the Year
Moonlight

Director of the Year (Film or Television)
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

Film Performance of the Year – Actress
Viola Davis, Fences

Film Performance of the Year – Actor
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

LGBTQ Film of the Year:
Moonlight

Foreign-Language Film of the Year
The Handmaiden

Screenplay of the Year
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

Documentary of the Year
O.J.: Made in America

Visually Striking Film of the Year
La La Land

Unsung Film of the Year
Christine

Campy Film of the Year
The Dressmaker

TV Drama of the Year
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

TV Comedy of the Year
Transparent

TV Performance of the Year – Actor
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

TV Performance of the Year – Actress
Sarah Paulson, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson

TV Current Affairs Show of the Year
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee

TV Musical Performance of the Year
Kate McKinnon, "Hallelujah,” Saturday Night Live

LGBTQ TV Show of the Year
Transparent

Unsung TV Show of the Year
The Real O'Neals

Campy TV Show of the Year
RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars

We’re Wilde About You! Rising Star of the Year
Trevante Rhodes

Wilde Wit of the Year
Carrie Fisher

Wilde Artist of the Year
(TIE) Kate McKinnon and Lin-Manuel Miranda

Timeless Star
John Waters

The 44th Annual Daytime Emmy Award Pre-Nominations

Nominations announced March 22nd, and the 44th Daytime Emmys are on April 30th!

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kristian Alfonso, as Hope Williams Brady Days of Our Lives, NBC
Sharon Case, as Sharon McAvoy The Young and the Restless, CBS
Melissa Claire Egan, as Chelsea Newman The Young and the Restless, CBS
Mary Beth Evans, as Kayla Brady Days of Our Lives, NBC
Nancy Lee Grahn, as Alexis Davis General Hospital, ABC
Jen Lilley, as Theresa Donovan Black Days of Our Lives, NBC
Gina Tognoni, as Phyllis Newman The Young and the Restless, CBS
Heather Tom, as Katie Logan The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Jess Walton, as Jill Abbott The Young and the Restless, CBS
Laura Wright, as Carly Corinthos General Hospital, ABC

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES 
Maurice Benard, as Sonny Corinthos General Hospital, ABC
Peter Bergman, as Jack Abbott The Young and the Restless, CBS
Scott Clifton, as Liam Spencer The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Billy Flynn, as Chad DiMera Days of Our Lives, NBC
Roger Howarth, as Franco General Hospital, ABC
Vincent Irizarry, as Deimos Kiriakis Days of Our Lives, NBC
Christian LeBlanc, as Michael Baldwin The Young and the Restless, CBS
John McCook, as Eric Forrester The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Kristoff St. John, as Neil Winters The Young and the Restless, CBS
Jason Thompson, as Billy Abbott The Young and the Restless, CBS

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES 
Eileen Davidson, as Ashley Abbott The Young and the Restless, CBS
Judi Evans, as Adrienne Kiriakis Days of Our Lives, NBC
Stacy Haiduk, as Patty Williams The Young and the Restless, CBS
Amelia Heinle, as Victoria Newman The Young and the Restless, CBS
Elizabeth Hendrickson, as Chloe Fisher The Young and the Restless, CBS
Finola Hughes, as Anna Devane General Hospital, ABC
Anna Maria Horsford, as Vivian Avant The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Kate Mansi, as Abigail Deveraux Days of Our Lives, NBC
Michelle Stafford, as Nina Reeves General Hospital, ABC
Kelly Sullivan, as Sage Warner The Young and the Restless, CBS

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES 
John Aniston, as Victor Kiriakis Days of Our Lives, NBC
Obba Babatundé, as Julius Avant The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Steve Burton, as Dylan McAvoy The Young and the Restless, CBS
Sean Carrigan, as Ben “Stitch” Rayburn The Young and the Restless, CBS
Chad Duell, as Michael Corinthos General Hospital, ABC
Bryton James, as Devon Hamilton The Young and the Restless, CBS
Wally Kurth, as Justin Kiriakis Days of Our Lives, NBC
Jeffrey Vincent Parise, as Carlos Rivera/Dr. Joe Rivera General Hospital, ABC
James Reynolds, as Abe Carver Days of Our Lives, NBC
Dominic Zamprogna, as Dante Falconeri General Hospital, ABC

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Lexi Ainsworth, as Kristina Corinthos Davis General Hospital, ABC
Camila Banus, as Gabi Hernandez Days of Our Lives, NBC
Reign Edwards, as Nicole Avant The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Hayley Erin, as Kiki Jerome General Hospital, ABC
Olivia Keegan, as Claire Brady Days of Our Lives, NBC
Hunter King, as Summer Newman The Young and the Restless, CBS
Chloe Lanier, as Nelle Hayes General Hospital, ABC
Alyvia Alyn Lind, as Faith Newman The Young and the Restless, CBS
Paige Searcy, as Jade Michaels Days of Our Lives, NBC

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES 
Jared Breeze, as Max Rayburn The Young and the Restless, CBS
Bryan Craig, as Morgan Corinthos General Hospital, ABC
Rome Flynn, as Zende Forrester Dominguez The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
Pierson Fodé, as Thomas Forrester The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
James Lastovic, as Joey Johnson Days of Our Lives, NBC
Kyler Pettis, as Theo Carver Days of Our Lives, NBC
Tequan Richmond, as TJ Ashford General Hospital, ABC
Anthony Turpel, as R.J. Forrester The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

The 42nd Annual Cesar Award Nominations

Best Film
Divines
Elle
Frantz
The Innocents
Slack Bay
From the Land of the Moon
Victoria

Best Director
Houda Benyamina for Divines
Paul Verhoeven for Elle
Francois Ozon for Frantz
Anne Fontaine for The Innocents
Xavier Dolan for It’s Only the End of the World
Bruno Dumont for Slack Bay
Nicole Garcia for From the Land of the Moon

Best Actress
Judith Chemla for A Woman’s Life
Marion Cotillard for From the Land of the Moon
Virginie Efira for Victoria
Marina Fois for Faultless
Isabelle Huppert for Elle
Sidse Babett Knudsen for 150 Milligrams

Best Actor
Francois Cluzet for Irreplaceable
Pierre Deladonchamps for The Son of John
Nicolas Duvauchelle for A Decent Man
Fabrice Luchini for Slack Bay
Omar Sy for Chocolat
Gaspard Ulliel for It’s Only the End of the World

Best Supporting Actress
Nathalie Baye for It’s Only the End of the World
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi for Slack Bay
Anne Consigny for Elle
Deborah Lukumuena for Divines
Melanie Thierry for The Dancer

Best Supporting Actor
Gabriel Arcand for The Son of John
Vincent Cassel for It’s Only the End of the World
Vincent Lacoste for Victoria
Laurent Lafitte for Elle
Melvil Poupad for Victoria
James Thierree for Chocolat

Best New Actress
Oulaya Amamra for Divines
Paula Beer for Frantz
Lily-Rose Depp for The Dancer
Noemie Merlant for Heaven Will Wait
Raph for Slack Bay

Best New Actor
Jonas Bloquet for Elle
Damien Bonnard for Staying Vertical
Corentin Fila for Being 17
Kacey Mottet Klein for Being 17
Niels Schneider for Dark Inclusion

Best Foreign Film
Aquarius by Kleber Mendonca Filho (Brazil)
Graduation by Cristian Mungiu (Romania)
The Unknown Girl by The Dardenne Brothers (Belgium)
Manchester by the Sea by Kenneth Lonergan (United States)
I, Daniel Blake by Ken Loach (United Kingdom)
Toni Erdmann by Maren Ade (Germany)

Best Original Screenplay
Romain Compingt, Houda Benyamina and Malik Rumeau for Divines
Solveig Anspach, Jean-Luc Gaget for The Aquatic Effect
Sabrina Karine, Alice Vial, Pascal Bonitzer and Anne Fontaine for The Innocents
Bruno Dumont for Slack Bay
Justine Triet for Victoria

Best Adapted Screenplay
David Birke for Elle
Severine Bosschem, Emmanuelle Bercot for 150 Milligrams
Francois Ozon for Frantz
Celine Sciamma for My Life as a Zucchini
Nicole Garcia, Jacquest Fieschi for From the Land of the Moon
Katell Quillevere, Gille Taurand for Heal the Living

Best Documentary Film
Derniers Nouvelles du Cosmos by Julie Bertucelli
Fire at Sea by Gianfranco Rosi
Thanks Boss! by Francois Ruffin
Swagger by Olivier Babinet
Journey Through French Cinema by Bertrand Tavernier

Best First Film
The Fabulous Patars by Sophie Reine
The Dancer by Stephanie di Guisto
Dark Inclusion by Arthur Harari
Divines by Houda Benyamina
Rosalie Blum by Julien Rappeneau

Best Original Score
Gabriel Yared for Chocolat
Ibrahim Maalouf for In the Forests of Siberia
Anne Dudley for Elle
Philippe Romi for Frantz
Sophie Hunger for My Life as a Zucchini

Best Sound
Brigitte Taillandier, Vincent Guillon, Stephane Thiebaut for Chocolat
Jean-Paul Mugel, Alexis Place, Cyril Holtz, Damie Lazzerini for Elle
Martin Boissau, Benoit Gargonne, Jean-Paul Hurier for Frantz
Jean-Pirre Duret, Sylvain Malbrant, Jean-Pierre Laforce for From the Land of the Moon
Marc Engles, Fred Demolder, Sylvain Rety, Jean-Paul Hurier for The Odyssey

Best Editing
Loic Lallemand, Vincent Tricon for Divines
Job Ter Burg for Elle
Laure Gardette for Frantz
Xavier Dolon for It’s Only the End of the World
Simon Jacquet for From the Land of the Moon

Best Cinematography
Stephane Fontaine for Elle
Pascal Marti for Frantz
Caroline Champetier for The Innocents
Guillaume Deffontaines for Slack Bay
Christophe Beaucarne for From the Land of the Moon

Best Costumes
Anais Romand for The Dancer
Pascaline Chavanne for Frantz
Catherine Leterrier for From the Land of the Moon
Alexander Charles for Slack Bay
Madeline Fontain for A Woman’s Life

Best Animated Film
The Girl Without Hands
My Life as a Zucchini
The Red Turtle

Best Animated Short Film
Cafe Froid
Celui Qui a Deux Ames
Journal Anime
Peripheria

Best Short Film
After Suzanne
Au Bruit des Clochettes
Chasse Royale
Mamans
Vers la Tendresse

The Oscar Narrative: First Winner Predictions

Now that the nominees have been announced, here are my first predictions for who will actually win:

Best Picture
La La Land

Best Director
Damien Chazelle "La La Land"

Best Actor
Casey Affleck "Manchester By the Sea"

Best Actress
Emma Stone "La La Land"

Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"

Best Supporting Actress
Viola Davis "Fences"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney "Moonlight"

Best Original Screenplay
Damien Chazelle "La La Land"

Best Animated Feature
Zootopia

Best Documentary Feature
O.J.: Made in America

Best Foreign Language Film
A Man Called Ove (Sweden)

Best Cinematography
La La Land

Best Costume Design
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Best Film Editing
La La Land

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Star Trek Beyond

Best Original Score
Justin Hurwitz "La La Land"

Best Original Song
City of Stars from La La Land

Best Production Design
La La Land

Best Sound Editing
Hacksaw Ridge

Best Sound Mixing
La La Land

Best Visual Effects
The Jungle Book

The Oscar Narrative: The Race Begins

Many think that the race for the Oscar begins at Cannes. That is actually not true. The race for an Oscar nomination begins at Cannes. That is Phase 1. It is a long, arduous process for the films involved, but those of us in this game absolutely love it. I am thrilled that we still have an entire month of Oscar season left, but this is always the peak for me. Usually, the surprises lessen, the journey becomes inevitable, and while I love Oscar night, the end always seems to come to soon, and the new beginning never seems to come soon enough. We now enter Phase 2. This is where the real contenders begin to shine. We learned a lot today about the Academy and their favorites, and we learned who is ahead and who is behind, as the guilds begin to decipher the puzzle next Sunday with SAG. Best Picture turned out exactly like I predicted it would, the first time I have actually gotten it right 100% since the whole ball game changed in 2009. These nine emerged about two weeks ago for me, and I think its the first time that there wasn't a complete jaw dropper, shocker, or obvious snub in this category in a long time. Deadpool was never going to happen, Florence Foster Jenkins was a pretender all along, and the 8 less nominations that BAFTA for Nocturnal Animals proves that there are still significant deficits between British and American voters. But not all Best Picture nominees are equal. Some like Fences, Hell or High Water and Hidden Figures did the maximum they could do. Moonlight hit every note it could, and while Lion failed to match its DGA nomination, it still proved it was a well-liked film across a lot of important branches. Hacksaw Ridge is getting the "over-performed" mentions by a lot of publications and blogs. Let's face it, except for the Mel Gibson nomination, most people predicted the rest of them. Yes Gibson getting in is a big deal, and it shows that Hollywood may have finally forgiven him for his transgressions. But Hacksaw still missed some categories, most notably Adapted Screenplay, so don't start predicting a major upset anytime soon. Manchester By the Sea did well, and I was thrilled that borderline Lucas Hedges made the cut. But after an Eddie and BAFTA nomination for Editing, missing in that category for Hell or High Water, was a snub for the film. It makes me think that this race is down to two, after being a trio all year: Moonlight, which I think will win the SAG Ensemble award, and the elephant in the room. This morning, La La Land tied the likes of All About Eve and Titanic, with a whopping 14 Oscar nominations. It became the first musical to breakthrough in Sound Editing, throwing that category for a loop. And here's the really important part. It could beat the longstanding 11 Oscars, only done so by three films: Ben-Hur, Titanic, and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. It could easily win twelve, even without Actor, Screenplay or that second song nomination. It already broke the Golden Globe record, why not he Oscar record? Oscar night just got a lot more interesting.

In the acting categories there were some notable facts and figures. Two years of #OscarsSoWhite are now erased, with a plethora of minority actors reaping well-deserved nominations. It is the first time that three black actors are nominated in the same category: Supporting Actress (Davis, Spencer, and Harris). Speaking of Viola Davis, she becomes the first black actress to ever get three nominations. Whoopi Goldberg, and now Octavia Spencer have earned two. In terms of precursors, the four most notable snubs were Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Hugh Grant, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Taylor-Johnson becomes the first Golden Globe winner since the 1970's to not get an Oscar nomination. But voters did reward Michael Shannon, proving that those that did watch the film realized that he was simply much better. Adams and Blunt, despite BAFTA and SAG love can probably be explained by the competition in that category. Huppert wasn't a shock, but the inclusion of Ruth Negga was a real surprise, and a welcomed one. Hugh Grant is a bit of a head-scratcher. He has had some issues in the past, but this is the year of the Mel Gibson forgiveness, surely Grant can be forgiven too? Or is it simply that for some strange reason, over the years, these voters have just simply never really liked him. Whatever the reason, he is out.

There were plenty of other surprises along the way. Passengers managed two nominations, 13 Hours got some love from the Sound branches, Arrival missed out on visual effects while Kubo became the second animated film to score there, and Suicide Squad got that makeup nod. We can lament that bad movies like 13 Hours, Passengers, and Suicide Squad are Oscar nominated films, but I always respect the fact that the craft branches focus on the best in their field, and leave the subjective opinions of overall quality to the other categories. I loved the Mike Mills nod, the posthumous honor for the great August Wilson, and in general think that the screenplay categories nailed it this year (although with the Ruth Negga nod, I was hoping for a Jeff Nichols surprise, and Zootopia would have been nice as well).

There is still plenty of time to dig into these categories, and decipher the tea leaves that are given to us over the next 33 days. For now, let me end with a few thoughts. This new format for announcing the nominees was an atrocious, cheesy, and awful, and completely took the suspense and fun out of this morning, usually my favorite morning of the year. I understand the Academy needs to update and move forward, and I think the nominations for film like Moonlight and Arrival and others prove that the efforts to create a more diverse Academy in terms of gender, age, and race are paying off. But there is an old saying we have here in the South: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Or another favorite: "That dog don't hunt". Go back to the old way, with the journalists' live reactions, and recognize that some traditions don't need an update. Whew! That felt good to get that off my chest! Now back to the awards. Phase 1 is over. It was a hell of a ride. But today, the real race begins...

88th Annual Academy Award Nominees

I will do a full review tonight:

Best Picture
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

Best Director
Denis Villeneuve, Arrival
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

Best Actor
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences

Best Actress
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel, Lion
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

Best Supporting Actress
Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Best Adapted Screenplay
Eric Heisserer, Arrival
August Wilson, Fences
Alison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi, Hidden Figures
Luke Davis, Lion
Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney, Moonlight

Best Original Screenplay
Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Efthimus Filippou and Yorgos Lanthinmos, The Lobster
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Mike Mills, 20th Century Women

Best Animated Feature
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Zootopia

Best Documentary Feature
Fire at Sea
I Am Not Your Negro
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made in America
13th

Best Foreign Language Film
Land of Mine (The Netherlands)
A Man Called Ove (Sweden)
The Salesman (Iran)
Tanna (Australia)
Toni Erdmann (Germany)

Best Cinematography
Arrival
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight
Silence

Best Costume Design
Allied
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land

Best Film Editing
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Moonlight

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
A Man Called Ove
Star Trek Beyond
Suicide Squad

Best Original Score
Mica Levi, Jackie
Justin Hurwitz, La La Land
Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka, Lion
Nicholas Britell, Moonlight
Thomas Newman, Passengers

Best Original Song
Audition (The Fools Who Dream), La La Land
Can’t Stop The Feeling, Trolls
City Of Stars, La La Land
The Empty Chair, Jim: The James Foley Story
How Far I’ll Go, Moana

Best Production Design
Arrival
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land
Passengers

Best Sound Editing
Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Sully

Best Sound Mixing
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Best Visual Effects

Deepwater Horizon

Doctor Strange

The Jungle Book

Kubo and the Two Strings

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Best Animated Short

Blind Vaysha

Borrowed Time

Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Pearl

Piper

Best Documentary Short

Extremis

4.1 Miles

Joe’s Violin

Watani: My Homeland

The White Helmets

Best Live Action Short

Ennemis Intérieurs

La Femme et le TGV

Silent Nights

Sing

Timecode

The Oscar Narrative: Final Oscar Predictions - Final List

Best Picture
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester By the Sea
Moonlight

Best Director
Denis Villeneuve "Arrival"
Damien Chazelle "La La Land"
Kenneth Lonergan "Manchester By the Sea"
Barry Jenkins "Moonlight"
Tom Ford "Nocturnal Animals"

Best Actor
Casey Affleck "Manchester By the Sea"
Andrew Garfield "Hacksaw Ridge"
Ryan Gosling "La La Land"
Viggo Mortensen "Captain Fantastic"
Denzel Washington "Fences"

Best Actress
Amy Adams "Arrival"
Emily Blunt "The Girl on the Train"
Natalie Portman "Jackie"
Emma Stone "La La Land"
Meryl Streep "Florence Foster Jenkins"

Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"
Jeff Bridges "Hell or High Water"
Hugh Grant "Florence Foster Jenkins"
Dev Patel "Lion"
Aaron Taylor-Johnson "Nocturnal Animals"

Best Supporting Actress
Viola Davis "Fences"
Naomie Harris "Moonlight"
Nicole Kidman "Lion"
Octavia Spencer "Hidden Figures"
Michelle Williams "Manchester By the Sea"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Eric Heisserer "Arrival"
Theodore Mefli and Allison Schroeder "Hidden Figures"
Luke Davies "Lion"
Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McRaney "Moonlight"
Tom Ford "Nocturnal Animals"

Best Original Screenplay
Taylor Sheridan "Hell or High Water"
Damien Chazelle "La La Land"
Efthymis Filippou and Yorgos Lanthimos "The Lobster"
Kenneth Lonergan "Manchester By the Sea"
Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush, Jim Reardon, Josie Trinidad, Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee "Zootopia"

Best Animated Feature
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Zootopia

Best Documentary Feature
13th
Cameraperson
Gleason
I Am Not Your Negro
O.J.: Made in America

Best Foreign Language Film
Land of Mine (Demark)
A Man Called Ove (Sweden)
My Life as a Zucchini (Switzerland)
The Salesman (Iran)
Toni Erdmann (Germany)

Best Cinematography
Bradford Young "Arrival"
Linus Sandgren "La La Land"
James Laxton "Moonlight"
Seamus McGarvey "Nocturnal Animals"
Rodrigo Prieto "Silence"

Best Costume Design
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Hail, Caesar!
Jackie
La La Land

Best Film Editing
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Manchester By the Sea
Moonlight

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Deadpool
Florence Foster Jenkins
A Man Called Ove

Best Original Score
John Williams "The BFG"
Alexandre Desplat "Florence Foster Jenkins"
Justin Hurwitz "La La Land"
Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka "Lion"
Nicholas Britell "Moonlight"

Best Original Song
Hidden Figures - Runnin'
Jim: The James Foley Story - The Empty Chair
La La Land - Audition
La La Land - City of Stars
Moana - How Far I'll Go

Best Production Design
Arrival
Doctor Strange
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land

Best Sound Mixing
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Sully

Best Sound Editing
Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Sully

Best Visual Effects
Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Best Animated Short
The Head Vanishes
Inner Workings
Pearl
Piper
Sous Tes Doigts

Best Documentary Short
Extremis
Joe's Violin
The Mute's House
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets

Best Live Action Short
Nocturne Black
The Rifle, the Jackal, The Wolf and the Boy
Sing
Timecode
The Way of Tea

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Best Picture and Best Director

Best Picture
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester By the Sea
Moonlight

Other Contenders - Nocturnal Animals, Deadpool, Florence Foster Jenkins, Zootopia, Loving, Sully, Jackie, I, Daniel Blake, Hail, Caesar!, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Moana, Captain Fantastic, The Jungle Book, 20th Century Women

Commentary - So these nine have been riding here for awhile now. I know that there were only 8 the last two years, but the first two years of this system, there were nine. I feel like our Best Picture nominees are going to come from this nine, even if there are eight. But Nocturnal Animals is rising. I feel like it is more of a Foxcatcher or Carol. A lot of love across the branches, but in the end respect, not passion enough to breakthrough into Best Picture. I am also on the lookout for Deadpool (which has done surprisingly well at the guilds), Florence Foster Jenkins (this year's Philomena?), and Zootopia (because its time for another animated film to make the cut. PS - It should have been Inside Out).

Best Director
Denis Villeneuve "Arrival"
Damien Chazelle "La La Land"
Kenneth Lonergan "Manchester By the Sea"
Barry Jenkins "Moonlight"
Tom Ford "Nocturnal Animals"

Other Contenders - Garth Davis "Lion", David Mackenzie "Hell or High Water", Mel Gibson "Hacksaw Ridge", Ken Loach "I, Daniel Blake", Jon Favreau "The Jungle Book", Martin Scorsese "Silence", Denzel Washington "Fences", Stephen Frears "Florence Foster Jenkins", Clint Eastwood "Sully"

Commentary - So we know four: Villeneuve, Chazelle, Lonergan, Jenkins. Or at least we think so. This is the category for shockers. But I am reserving the shocker for the last slot. Davis got the DGA, but I don't see the director's branch repeating. Mackenzie would be awesome, Gibson is well respected despite personal issues, Washington could cross the actor/director threshold, Frears is always popular, and don't discount Loach, Eastwood, Favreau, or the great Marty Scorsese. But I am going out on a real limb here and predicting, like with Foxcatcher, that a top five director gets in without a Best Picture nomination. He got the Globe nod and the BAFTA, Nocturnal Animals is stylish and a technical feat. With this branch, and without a clear fifth slot, why not go with the out-of-the box shocker?

Stephen Colbert to Host 2017 Primetime Emms

It was announced today, the day before Oscar nominations (you are sly Television Academy), that Stephen Colbert will host the 2017 Primetime Emmys. We don't know whether he will be CBS Colbert or Comedy Central Colbert, but either way I'm sure it is going to be a lot of fun. For the record, Colbert has won nine Primetime Emmys out of a whopping 27 nominations. Emmy Nominations are out July 13th, with the ceremony September 17th.

2017 Razzie Award Nominations

WORST PICTURE
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
“Dirty Grandpa”
“Gods of Egypt”
“Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
“Independence Day: Resurgence”
“Zoolander No. 2”

WORST ACTOR
Ben Affleck, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Gerard Butler, “Gods of Egypt” & “London Has Fallen”
Henry Cavill, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Robert de Niro, “Dirty Grandpa”
Dinesh D’Souza, “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
Ben Stiller, “Zoolander No. 2”

WORST ACTRESS
Megan Fox, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”
Tyler Perry, “BOO! A Medea Halloween”
Julia Roberts, “Mother’s Day”
Becky Turner, “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
Naomi Watts, “Divergent Series: Allegiant” & “Shut-In”
Shailene Woodley, “Divergent Series: Allegiant”

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Julianne Hough, “Dirty Grandpa”
Kate Hudson, “Mother’s Day”
Aubrey Plaza, “Dirty Grandpa”
Jane Seymour, “Fifty Shades of Black”
Sela Ward, “Independence Day: Resurgence”
Kristen Wiig, “Zoolander No. 2”

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Nicolas Cage, “Snowden”
Johnny Depp, “Alice Through the Looking Glass”
Will Ferrell, “Zoolander No. 2”
Jesse Eisenberg, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Jared Leto, “Suicide Squad”
Owen Wilson, “Zoolander No. 2”

WORST DIRECTOR
Dinesh D’Souza & Bruce Schooley, “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
Roland Emmerich, “Independence Day: Resurgence”
Tyler Perry, “BOO! A Medea Halloween”
Alex Proyas, “Gods of Egypt”
Zack Snyder, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Ben Stiller, “Zoolander  No. 2”

WORST SCREENPLAY
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
“Dirty Grandpa”
“Gods of Egypt”
“Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
“Independence Day: Resurgence”
“Suicide Squad”

WORST SCREEN COMBO
Ben Affleck & His BFF (Baddest Foe Forever) Henry Cavill, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Any 2 Egyptian Gods or Mortals, “Gods of Egypt”
Johnny Depp & His Vomitously Vibrant Costume, “Alice Through the Looking Glass”
The Entire Cast of Once Respected Actors, “Collateral Beauty”
Tyler Perry & That Same Old Worn Out Wig, “BOO! A Medea Halloween”
Ben Stiller & His BFF (Barely Funny Friend) Owen Wilson, “Zoolander No. 2”

WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL
“Alice Through the Looking Glass”
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
“Fifty Shades of Black”
“Independence Day: Resurgence”
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”
“Zoolander No. 2”

London Film Critics Circle Award Winners

FILM OF THE YEAR
La La Land

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
Toni Erdmann

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Fire at Sea

BRITISH/IRISH FILM OF THE YEAR
I, Daniel Blake

ACTOR OF THE YEAR 
Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Isabelle Huppert - Things to Come

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR 
(tie)Mahershala Ali - Moonlight and Tom Bennett - Love & Friendship

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR 
Naomie Harris - Moonlight

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
László Nemes - Son of Saul

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester by the Sea

BRITISH/IRISH ACTOR
Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge, Silence

BRITISH/IRISH ACTRESSKate Beckinsale - Love & Friendship

YOUNG BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER 
Lewis MacDougall - A Monster Calls

BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH/IRISH FILMMAKER
Babak Anvari - Under the Shadow

BRITISH/IRISH SHORT FILM
Sweet Maddie Stone - Brady Hood

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Victoria - Sturla Brandth Grovlen, cinematography

DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM
Isabelle Huppert

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress

Best Actor
Casey Affleck "Manchester By the Sea"
Andrew Garfield "Hacksaw Ridge"
Ryan Gosling "La La Land"
Viggo Mortensen "Captain Fantastic"
Denzel Washington "Fences"

Other Contenders - Jake Gyllenhaal "Nocturnal Animals", Ryan Reynolds "Deadpool", Tom Hanks "Sully", Joel Edgerton "Loving"

Commentary - So yes, Jake Gyllenhaal getting in at BAFTA puts him in contention, as does the sudden rise of Deadpool across the guilds for Ryan Reynolds. But these have been the same five for a while now, and if you think that the Denzel snub at the BAFTAs is a big deal here's an important stat for you: 6 Oscar nominations and 2 wins, ZERO BAFTA nods.

Best Actress
Amy Adams "Arrival"
Emily Blunt "The Girl on the Train"
Natalie Portman "Jackie"
Emma Stone "La La Land"
Meryl Streep "Florence Foster Jenkins"

Other Contenders - Isabelle Huppert "Elle", Annette Bening "20th Century Women", Taraji P. Henson "Hidden Figures", Ruth Negga "Loving"

Commentary - So four slots are looking solid, with Globe, BAFTA, and SAG nominations under their belt: Adams, Stone, Portman, and Streep. But that fifth slot is a freaking mystery. Huppert won the Globe, Henson's Hidden Figures is hitting its stride, and Bening is too good to ignore. But none of them have both a SAG and a BAFTA nomination. In fact, all three have neither. That honor goes to Emily Blunt. I think folks are writing it off because the film wasn't well received, or SAG always nominates one oddball at least, or she's British, so of course she got BAFTA. These are all legitimate reasons, but with I'm sticking the the surprise contender who keeps racking up honors.

Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"
Jeff Bridges "Hell or High Water"
Hugh Grant "Florence Foster Jenkins"
Dev Patel "Lion"
Aaron Taylor-Johnson "Nocturnal Animals"

Other Contenders - Lucas Hedges "Manchester By the Sea", Michael Shannon "Nocturnal Animals", Simon Helberg "Florence Foster Jenkins", Kevin Costner "Hidden Figures, Ben Foster "Hell or High Water"

Commentary - I don't understand the Aaron Taylor-Johnson surge. If it were Michael Shannon, I would completely understand. But this pick just feels off. All of that said, after winning the Globe in a jaw-dropper, he got a BAFTA nomination. I think he is also earning his first Oscar nomination. That unfortunately leaves Lucas Hedges out, which is a real shame because he is so much better. The other four are good to go. Also watch out for Helberg, Costner, Foster, and yes Shannon (if voters want the better Nocturnal Animals performance).

Best Supporting Actress
Viola Davis "Fences"
Naomie Harris "Moonlight"
Nicole Kidman "Lion"
Octavia Spencer "Hidden Figures"
Michelle Williams "Manchester By the Sea"

Other Contenders - Janelle Monae "Hidden Figures", Hayley Squires "I, Daniel Blake"

Commentary - I don't see the Hayley Squires nomination crossing over from BAFTA, so that leaves the same five women that have dominated this category since SAG and the Globe nods over a month ago. The one to watch for is Janelle Monae. She could either knock out he co-star Spencer, or pull a real shocker and knock one of the other four out.

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Best Adapted and Original Screenplay

Best Adapted Screenplay
Eric Heisserer "Arrival"
August Wilson "Fences"
Luke Davies "Lion"
Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McRaney "Moonlight"
Tom Ford "Nocturnal Animals"

Other Contenders - Theodore Melfi and Allison Schroeder "Hidden Figures", Jeff Nichols "Loving", Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan "Hacksaw Ridge", Jay Cocks "Silence", Todd Komarnicki "Sully"

Commentary - This is a tough one to predict. If Moonlight had stayed in Original, these two categories would be an easy ten. But since its switch it is going to knock someone out. Lion, Arrival, and Moonlight feel like the safest bets. The last three slots are interchangeable. I think Hidden Figures is hitting its stride at the right time. But this type of film just usually doesn't do well with the Writers Branch. We saw The Help get a WGA and BAFTA screenplay nod and miss out. I think that means instead that Fences gets in. Plus, I can't imagine writer passing up the chance to honor one of their best. So for the fifth slot, I am putting in Nocturnal Animals. I'm still shocked at how well it did at BAFTA, and I feel that even though it probably won't make Best Picture,

Best Original Screenplay
Taylor Sheridan "Hell or High Water"
Damien Chazelle "La La Land"
Efthymis Filippou and Yorgos Lanthimos "The Lobster"
Kenneth Lonergan "Manchester By the Sea"
Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush, Jim Reardon, Josie Trinidad, Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee "Zootopia"

Other Contenders - Matt Ross "Captain Fantastic", Mike Mills "20th Century Women", Paul Laverty "I, Daniel Blake", Maren Ade "Toni Erdmann", Asghar Farhadi "The Salesman", Jim Jarmusch "Paterson", Noah Oppenheim "Jackie", Joel and Ethan Coen "Hail, Caesar!", Woody Allen "Cafe Society", Marc Hamies, Shannon Tindle, and Chris Butler "Kubo and the Two Strings", Jeff Nichols "Midnight Special", Ira Sachs "Little Men"

Commentary - With Loving and Moonlight now in Adapted, this race has two huge slots to fill, and with the quirky writer's branch, the possibilities are endless. Hell or High Water, La La Land, and Manchester are in, and are the three battling it out for the win next month. The last two slots are interesting. The Lobster feels like a perfect fit for these voters, and I think it can breakthrough. In the final slot, I am going to animation, which has historically done well in this category. Zootopia is beloved, highly original, and beautifully written. It could join the ranks of other animated films in the last 15 years that have charmed the writers. But both of these films could miss out. Captain Fantastic has surprised all year, 20th Century Women should be nominated, Jackie would not surprise me, and Kubo and the Two Strings was the animated film that gets in instead. This is also a chance to reward indie or foreign favorites who have found love here in the past like Toni Erdmann, The Salesman, I, Daniel Blake, Little Men, Midnight Special, and Paterson.

Denver Film Critics Society Award Winners

Best Picture
“Moonlight”

Best Director
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”

Best Actor
Casey Affleck, “Manchester By the Sea”

Best Actress
Natalie Portman, “Jackie”

Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight”

Best Supporting Actress
Viola Davis, “Fences”

Best Animated Film
“Zootopia”

Best Science Fiction/Horror Film
 “Arrival”

Best Comedy
“Deadpool”

Best Original Screenplay
Taylor Sheridan, “Hell or High Water”

Best Adapted Screenplay
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”

Best Documentary
“O.J.: Made in America”

Best Visual Effects
“Doctor Strange”

Best Original Song
“Drive It Like You Stole It” from “Sing Street”

Best Score
Justin Hurwitz, “La La Land”

​Best Foreign Language Film
“Toni Erdmann”

People's Choice Award Winners

FAVORITE MOVIE
Finding Dory

FAVORITE MOVIE ACTOR
Ryan Reynolds

FAVORITE MOVIE ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence

FAVORITE ACTION MOVIE
Deadpool

FAVORITE ACTION MOVIE ACTOR
Robert Downey Jr.

FAVORITE ACTION MOVIE ACTRESS
Margot Robbie *WINNER*

FAVORITE ANIMATED MOVIE VOICE
Ellen DeGeneres (Finding Dory)

FAVORITE COMEDIC MOVIE
Bad Moms

FAVORITE COMEDIC MOVIE ACTOR
Kevin Hart

FAVORITE COMEDIC MOVIE ACTRESS
Melissa McCarthy

FAVORITE DRAMATIC MOVIE
Me Before You

FAVORITE DRAMATIC MOVIE ACTOR
Tom Hanks

FAVORITE DRAMATIC MOVIE ACTRESS
Blake Lively

FAVORITE FAMILY MOVIE
Finding Dory

FAVORITE THRILLER MOVIE
The Girl on the Train

FAVORITE MOVIE ICON
Johnny Depp

FAVORITE TV SHOW
Outlander

FAVORITE NETWORK TV COMEDY
The Big Bang Theory

FAVORITE COMEDIC TV ACTOR
Jim Parsons

FAVORITE COMEDIC TV ACTRESS
Sofia Vergara

FAVORITE NETWORK TV DRAMA
Grey's Anatomy

FAVORITE DRAMATIC TV ACTOR
Justin Chambers

FAVORITE DRAMATIC TV ACTRESS
Priyanka Chopra

FAVORITE CABLE TV COMEDY
Baby Daddy

FAVORITE CABLE TV DRAMA
Bates Motel

FAVORITE CABLE TV ACTOR
Freddie Highmore

FAVORITE CABLE TV ACTRESS
Vera Farmiga

FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA
Criminal Minds

FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA ACTOR
Mark Harmon

FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA ACTRESS
Jennifer Lopez

FAVORITE PREMIUM DRAMA SERIES
Orange is the New Black

FAVORITE PREMIUM COMEDY SERIES
Fuller House

FAVORITE PREMIUM SERIES ACTOR
Dwayne Johnson

FAVORITE PREMIUM SERIES ACTRESS
Sarah Jessica Parker

FAVORITE NETWORK SCI-FI/FANTASY TV SHOW
Supernatural

FAVORITE CABLE SCI-FI/FANTASY TV SHOW
The Walking Dead

FAVORITE PREMIUM SCI-FI/FANTASY SERIES
Outlander

FAVORITE SCI-FI/FANTASY TV ACTOR
Sam Heughan

FAVORITE SCI-FI/FANTASY TV ACTRESS
Caitriona Balfe

FAVORITE COMPETITION TV SHOW
The Voice

FAVORITE DAYTIME TV HOST
Ellen DeGeneres

FAVORITE DAYTIME TV HOSTING TEAM
Good Morning America

FAVORITE LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST
Jimmy Fallon

FAVORITE ANIMATED TV SHOW
The Simpsons

FAVORITE ACTOR IN A NEW TV SERIES
Matt LeBlanc

FAVORITE ACTRESS IN A NEW TV SERIES
Kristen Bell

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY
Man with a Plan

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA
This Is Us

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST
Justin Timberlake

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST
Britney Spears

FAVORITE GROUP
Fifth Harmony

FAVORITE BREAKOUT ARTIST
Niall Horan

FAVORITE MALE COUNTRY ARTIST
Blake Shelton

FAVORITE FEMALE COUNTRY ARTIST
Carrie Underwood

FAVORITE COUNTRY GROUP
Little Big Town

FAVORITE POP ARTIST
Britney Spears

FAVORITE HIP-HOP ARTIST
G-Eazy

FAVORITE R&B ARTIST
Rihanna

FAVORITE ALBUM
If I'm Honest / Blake Shelton

FAVORITE SONG
"Can't Stop the Feeling" / Justin Timberlake *WINNER*

FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA CELEBRITY
Britney Spears

FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA STAR
Cameron Dallas

FAVORITE YOUTUBE STAR
Lilly Singh

FAVORITE COMEDIC COLLABORATION
Ellen DeGeneres and Britney Spears' Mall Mischief

The 32nd Annual Casting Society of America Artios Award Winners

FEATURE BIG BUDGET – COMEDY
“La La Land” Deborah Aquila, Tricia Wood

FEATURE BIG BUDGET – DRAMA
“Hidden Figures” Victoria Thomas, Jackie Burch (Location Casting), Bonnie Grisan (Associate)

FEATURE STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT – COMEDY
“Hell or High Water” Richard Hicks, Jo Edna Boldin, Chris Redondo (Associate), Marie A.K. McMaster (Associate)

FEATURE STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT – DRAMA
“Manchester By the Sea” Douglas Aibel, Carolyn Pickman (Location Casting), Henry Russell Bergstein (Associate)

FEATURE LOW BUDGET – COMEDY OR DRAMA
“Moonlight” Yesi Ramirez

FEATURE ANIMATION
“Moana” Jamie Sparer Roberts, Rachel Sutton (Location Casting)

TELEVISION PILOT AND FIRST SEASON – COMEDY
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” Felicia Fasano, Bernard Telsey, Tim Payne, Tara Nostramo (Associate), Conrad Woolfe (Associate), Abbie Brady-Dalton (Associate)

TELEVISION PILOT AND FIRST SEASON – DRAMA
“Mr. Robot” Susie Farris, Beth Bowling, Kim Miscia, Michael Rios (Associate) Melanie Crescenz (Associate)

TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY
“Transparent” Eyde Belasco

TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
“Bloodline” Debra Zane, Lori Wyman (Location Casting), Shayna Markowitz (Associate), Marie-Thérèse Verbruggen (Associate), Erin Fragetta (Associate)

TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
“The People VS. OJ Simpson” Jeanne McCarthy, Nicole Abellera Hallman, Courtney Bright, Nicole Daniels, Cara Chute Rosenbaum (Associate)

CHILDREN’S PILOT AND SERIES (LIVE ACTION)
“School of Rock” Suzanne Goddard-Smythe, Ty Harman (Associate)

TELEVISION ANIMATION
“Bob’s Burgers” Julie Ashton-Barson

TELEVISION UNSCRIPTED SERIES
“Billion Dollar Buyer” Candra Nazzaro

SHORT FILMS
“Youth” Adrienne Stern, Nina Henninger (Location Casting)

SHORT FORM/WEB SERIES
“Her Story” Geralyn Flood

NY BROADWAY THEATRE
“The Humans” Carrie Gardner

NY BROADWAY THEATRE – MUSICAL
“Hamilton” Bethany Knox

NY THEATRE – COMEDY AND MUSICAL
“Dear Evan Hansen” Tara Rubin, Lindsay Levine

NY THEATRE – DRAMA
“Buried Child” Judy Henderson

REGIONAL THEATRE EAST/WEST
“Grey Gardens” Duncan Stewart, Benton Whitley

LOS ANGELES THEATRE
“Bent” Heidi Levitt

SPECIAL THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE EAST/WEST
“Little Shop of Horrors” Carrie Gardner, Stephen Kopel

THEATRE TOURS
“Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” Stephen Kopel

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Foreign Language Film

Best Animated Feature
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Zootopia

Other Contenders - Finding Dory, Miss Hokusai, Your Name., Sausage Party, April and the Extraordinary World, The Secret Life of Pets, Phantom Boy, The Long Way North, Sing, The Little Prince

Commentary - This category has stumped us Oscarologists for years. Look no further than the nominations for The Secret of Kells and Boy and the World. There are three big films I feel safe predicting: Kubo, Moana, and Zootopia. Yes that leaves out Finding Dory, but they are not afraid to snub Pixar any more. So that leaves two slots for the art house choices. I have literally no idea which will take this slot. The buzz has kept up for The Red Turtle, and the top nine finish in the Foreign Language Film race for My Life as a Zucchini shows a lot of support. But part of me thinks I am stupid for not picking a something like Miss Hokusai, Your Name, or April and the Extraordinary World, as they fit the When Marnie Was There mold. This is one where I am fully ready to admit defeat, and excited to see how these quirky voters shock us on nomination morning.

Best Documentary Feature
13th
Cameraperson
Gleason
I Am Not Your Negro
O.J.: Made in America

Other Contenders - Weiner, Life, Animated, Fire at Sea, The Eagle Huntress, Tower, The Witness, Hooligan Sparrow, Command and Control, Zero Days, The Ivory Game

Commentary - A year after #OscarsSoWhite, there is a very good chance that three documentaries about race in American and the black experience enter the Oscar documentary race. O.J.: Made in America, I Am Not Your Negro, and 13th all feel like strong contenders, and have the reviews and buzz to back it up. Cameraperson is visually stunning, beautifully edited, and I think will really appeal to the auteurs in the Doc branch. In the last slot, I am picking a more populist heart-tugger, but so popular and well done. Gleason is a truly emotional experience, and after this election, I'm not sure voters are ready to have Anthony Weiner's name anywhere near their ceremony, although don't discount that fascinating doc, or Life, Animated, Fire at Sea, The Eagle Huntress, or the incredible Tower.

Best Foreign Language Film
Land of Mine (Demark)
A Man Called Ove (Sweden)
My Life as a Zucchini (Switzerland)
The Salesman (Iran)
Toni Erdmann (Germany)

Other Contenders - Paradise (Russia), Tanna (Australia), The King's Choice (Norway), It's Only the End of the World (Canada)

Commentary - This group of nine brought a lot of surprises, and a slew of high-profile snubs like Neruda, Julieta, and Elle. So this lineup is going to look a lot different from the same category at other major awards. Toni Erdmann is considered by critics to be the front runner, and I think it is in for a nomination. But don't discount A Man Called Ove, a blockbuster among these nominees, and based on a widely popular novel. My Life as a Zucchini is clever, and could get double nominations this year. Asghar Farhadi has won here before, and Land of Mine is getting a lot of buzz.

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing

Best Cinematography
Bradford Young "Arrival"
Linus Sandgren "La La Land"
James Laxton "Moonlight"
Seamus McGarvey "Nocturnal Animals"
Rodrigo Prieto "Silence"

Other Contenders - Greig Fraser "Lion", Greig Fraser "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story", Robert Richardson "Live By Night", Roger Deakins "Hail, Caesar!", Stephane Fontaine "Jackie", Giles Nuttgens "Hell or High Water", John Toll "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk", Simon Duggan "Hacksaw Ridge", Bill Pope "The Jungle Book", Caleb Deschanel "Rules Don't Apply"

Commentary - So ASC usually gets four. Sometimes five, but usually just four. Lion is probably the weaker in this category (not elsewhere, but definitely here). Arrival, La La Land, Silence, and Moonlight feel safe. For the last slot, I am going with Nocturnal Animals. It has to get something (it's too popular not to), and the work is great.

Best Film Editing
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Manchester By the Sea
Moonlight

Other Contenders - Hell or High Water, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Nocturnal Animals, O.J. Made in America, Fences, Hidden Figures, Lion, Sully, Silence, Patriot's Day, Deepwater Horizon, Live By Night, Jackie, Loving, 20th Century Women, Deadpool, Florence Foster Jenkins, The Jungle Book, A Monster Calls, Doctor Strange, 13th, Captain Fantastic, Hail, Caesar!

Commentary - I honestly thought that Nocturnal Animals or Hell or High Water, or even Rogue One would take that fifth slot, but it looks like it is going to be Manchester By the Sea, which now has the Eddie and the BAFTA nod. It makes sense that if this is one of the top three for Best Picture, then it would need to take one technical award, and this is probably the only one it is even in the running for. That leaves the other four that have felt like solid picks: La La Land, Arrival, Moonlight, and Hacksaw.

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Production Design

Best Costume Design
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Hail, Caesar!
Jackie
La La Land

Other Contenders - Allied, The Dressmaker, Hidden Figures, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Live By Night, Love & Friendship, Rules Don't Apply, Fences, Doctor Strange, Kubo and the Two Strings, Captain Fantastic, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Cafe Society, Nocturnal Animals, Lion

Commentary - I thought maybe something like Allied or Cafe Society would emerge here despite lack of support across the board, but when they both missed the CDG nomination, that hurt them. I think Florence Foster Jenkins and Jackie are locks from the period side of things. Normally contemporary costumes don't do as well here, but the vibrant ones from La La Land stand do do very well with voters. The last slot is tricky, but with the CDG nomination, I think that the varied and vast costumes of Hail, Caesar! might sway enough voters for a nomination.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Deadpool
Florence Foster Jenkins
A Man Called Ove

Other Contenders - Star Trek Beyond, Hail, Caesar!, Suicide Squad, The Dressmaker

Commentary - Star Trek seems like an easy bet here, but Into Darkness missed out. Plus with Deadpool doing so well on the circuit, its got to get at least one nomination. Florence Foster Jenkins comes from some of the same folks behind the Iron Lady win not too long ago, and usually a biopic gets in. That least one slot, and these M & H folks usually throw us a curveball, including often a foreign contender. So I think that A Man Called Ove will actually end up with two Oscar nominations come next Tuesday.

Best Production Design
Arrival
Doctor Strange
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land

Other Contenders - Jackie, Nocturnal Animals, Florence Foster Jenkins, Cafe Society, Passengers, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Hacksaw Ridge, Hidden Figures, Fences, Silence, Suicide Squad, The Dressmaker, Captain Fantastic, Rules Don't Apply, The Jungle Book, Allied, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, Captain America: Civil War, Live By Night

Commentary -  This is a really strong category, and I could see these branch voters going a variety of ways. La La Land and Fantastic Beasts seem like locks, and Arrival feels strong as sci-fi films have found a footing here recently. The last two slots are tricky. Jackie and Nocturnal Animals could slip in, and don't discount Rogue One, Miss Peregrine's, Hacksaw Ridge, Hidden Figures, Fences, Passengers, Cafe Society, and Florence Foster Jenkins. But I think that, like in Costume Design, that the variety of beautiful sets on display in Hail, Caesar will win over voters.

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Best Original Score and Best Original Song

Best Original Score
John Williams "The BFG"
Justin Hurwitz "La La Land"
Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka "Lion"
Nicholas Britell "Moonlight"
Michael Giacchino "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"

Other Contenders - Alexandre Desplat "Florence Foster Jenkins", Mica Levi "Jackie", Abel Korzeniowski "Nocturnal Animals", Michael Giacchino "Zootopia", Pharrell Williams and Benjamin Wallfisch "Hidden Figures", Mark Mancina "Moana", Dario Marianelli "Kubo and the Two Strings", John Debney "The Jungle Book", James Newton Howard "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", Thomas Newman "Passengers", Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross "Patriot's Day"

Commentary - I really don't do well with the music categories, because they are so unpredictable. Jackie and Nocturnal Animals got those BAFTA nods, which put them right on the cusp. Alexandre Desplat, Pharrell Williams, JNH, Trent and Atticus, Thomas Newman, and the scores for Kubo, Moana, and The Jungle Book should not be discounted, because literally anything can happen with this branch. La La Land seems like a sure bet, and as Lion rises, I think its score will get attention. Moonlight's haunting score by Nicholas Britell could get beaten out by bigger names, but I feel like voters will appreciate how damn good it is. John Williams is John Williams, and I will never bet against him. Finally, while it would be the first Star Wars film not to be scored by John Williams, I think that previous winner Michael Giacchino will continue Star Wars' streak of impressing the music branch.

Best Original Song
Hidden Figures - Runnin'
Jim: The James Foley Story - The Empty Chair
La La Land - Audition
La La Land - City of Stars
Moana - How Far I'll Go

Other Contenders - Trolls - Can't Stop This Feeling, Sing - Faith, Sing Street - Drive It Like You Stole It, Sausage Party - The Great Beyond, Alice Through the Looking Glass - Just Like Fire, Zootopia - Try Everything, 13th - Letter to the Free, Rules Don't Apply - The Rules Don't Apply, Moana - We Know the Way, Queen of Katwe - We Know the Way, Lion - Never Give Up

Commentary - Once again, this category is one that is impossible to predict. Musicals tend to get more than one nomination, and I think La La Land will get two. Lin Manuel-Miranda's name on a ballot will surely inspire a nomination, as will previous nominee Pharrell Williams. But who knows. Can't Stop this Feeling and Just Like Fire are radio hits, Sing Street certainly has its merits, and then there is a litany of folks, and I honestly have no idea. So I am going with J. Ralph, who with his songs from Chasing Ice and Racing Extinction, Here we have another sort of obscure documentary (although less so than the last two), with a song by J. Ralph. It's not an exact science, but it seems like he is a safe bet with these voters.

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Shorts

Best Animated Short
The Head Vanishes
Inner Workings
Pearl
Piper
Sous Tes Doigts

Best Documentary Short
Extremis
Joe's Violin
The Mute's House
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets

Best Live Action Short
Nocturne Black
The Rifle, the Jackal, The Wolf and the Boy
Sing
Timecode
The Way of Tea

Georgia Film Critics Association Award Winners

Best Picture
Moonlight

Best Director
Damien Chazelle "La La Land"

Best Actor
Casey Affleck "Manchester By the Sea"

Best Actress
Natalie Portman "Jackie"

Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"

Best Supporting Actress
Viola Davis "Fences"

Best Original Screenplay
Damien Chazelle "La La Land"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Barry Jenkins "Moonlight"

Best Production Design
La La Land

Best Original Score
Justin Hurwitz "La La Land"

Best Original Song
La La Land - City of Stars

Best Ensemble
Moonlight

Best Foreign Film
Elle

Breakthrough Award
Mahershala Ali

Best Animated Film
Zootopia

Best Documentary Film
O.J.: Made in America

Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema
The Nice Guys

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing

Best Sound Mixing
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Sully

Other Contenders - Deepwater Horizon, Patriot's Day, Doctor Strange, The Jungle Book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Florence Foster Jenkins, Passengers, Live By Night, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Jason Bourne, Captain America: Civil War, Hell or High Water, Moana, Sing Street, Star Trek Beyond, Allied, The BFG

Commentary - It has been awhile since the CAS nods have gone 5/5 at the Oscars. I think Hacksaw, La La Land, and Rogue One are probably the locks, and the three battling it out for the win.

Best Sound Editing
Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Sully

Other Contenders - Patriot's Day, Doctor Strange, La La Land, The Jungle Book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Florence Foster Jenkins, Passengers, Live By Night, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Jason Bourne, Captain America: Civil War, Hell or High Water, Moana, Sing Street, Star Trek Beyond, Allied, The BFG

Commentary - Usually, these categories are pretty damn close, about 4/5. Musicals tend to only make a dent in the Mixing category, so that leaves La La Land out, and someone looking for the fifth slot. Doctor Strange and The Jungle Book are possibilities, but Peter Berg makes technically excellent films, and the sound categories went for Lone Survivor. So my guess is that Deepwater Horizon, with the same guy from Lone Survivor once again gets the love of this branch,

Best Visual Effects
Arrival
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Other Contenders - Captain America: Civil War, Kubo and the Two Strings, Deepwater Horizon, Passengers, The BFG

Commentary - I feel like four of these folks are safe: The Jungle Book, Doctor Strange, Arrival, and Rogue One. It is that fifth slot that I am a bit hesitant. The last Captain America movie got in here, Kubo is a awesome, and Deepwater Horizon got some love from the VES. But so did Fantastic Beasts, and it got the BAFTA. It's hard to tell how such a small branch is going to vote, but those two precursors spell potential Oscar success.

The 7th Annual Awards Psychic Awards Winners

Best Picture - Drama
Winner - Manchester By the Sea
Runners Up - Fences, Hell or High Water, and Moonlight
Commentary - In a great year there are four films all within a hair of each other. Fences was an incredible acting showcase, Hell or High Water is a modern western masterpiece, and Moonlight was a beautifully constructed film. But for me, the film of the four that had the most impact was Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea. It was so subtle, yet an emotional powerhouse. The three key performances were all brilliant, and Lonergan even managed to to throw in some humor. It slowly builds its story, unveiling its secrets and its characters as it goes. For all of its quietness and darkness, it is a mightily profound film that lingers with you long after you leave the theater.

Best Picture - Comedy/Musical
Winner - La La Land
Runners Up - 20th Century Women, and Hello, My Name is Doris
Commentary - So my favorite film of 2016 was easily La La Land. You know a film is good, and is threatening to others when the hate articles or comments start to pour in, and lately I have seen a lot of that. It probably offends the sensibility of some of the dark, indie-oriented folks, and I hope it keeps on doing so. Because La La Land was the most exuberant experience I have had in a theater in a long time. Brilliantly directed with some of the most incredible scenes, impeccably acted by two of the best working today, with a touching, heartbreaking, funny, and wonderful story about the struggle we all face to follow our dreams. The way that La La Land blends old Hollywood musical vibes with the millennial generation. The way that La La Land, thrills and excites while at the same time showing us reality. The way that La La Land explodes with a visual plethora of glory. The way that La La Land succeeds is nothing short of amazing.

Best Picture - Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror
Winner - Arrival
Runners Up - Deadpool, Midnight Special, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Commentary - Denis Villeneuve has built up quite a resume the last five years or so, and after Sicario had a brush with Oscar success, I think that Arrival is going to be an even bigger breakthrough in terms of industry awards, and boy does he deserve it. Arrival is a modern science fiction masterpiece, built on mood, an excellent central performance from the magnificent Amy Adams, an incredible dose of emotional heft, and the belief that science fiction doesn't have to be action driven or alien driven. Instead, Arrival is a wholly human experience, and the results are nothing short of amazing.

Best Picture - Animated
Winner - Zootopia
Runners Up - Finding Dory, Moana, and Kubo and the Two Strings
Commentary - In a great year for animated films, choosing just one was hard. But since the first time I saw Zootopia, no film has surpassed it. In this year particularly Zootopia is the exact film that everyone needs to see. It is a brilliant, funny, original animated film that was vastly entertaining, and another great entry into the Disney canon. But what sets Zootopia apart, is that it managed to capture the zeitgeist of race and racism that seem to encapsulate 2016, in a way that reminds us that in the face of darkness, it is the humanity and common ground we find in each other that gives us hope.

Best Picture - Documentary
Winner - O.J.: Made in America
Runners Up - 13th and I Am Not Your Negro
Commentary - 13th was so important, and I Am Not Your Negro is must-see viewing, especially in current times. But Ezra Edelman's brilliant, sprawling ESPN documentary, which played on television, but was first presented in theaters (and deserves to be seen in a binge-watching manner), was the most engaging and brilliant piece of nonfiction film-making of 2016. The expert interviews, the Oscar-worthy editing work, the way that Edelman brilliantly blended in the race tensions of Los Angeles leading up to the murder, the way that each character gets their own piece, their own story, all building up to that finale. He made it come alive again, and even though we all knew the verdict, we hoped that the horrifying story would somehow change. That engagement is hard for documentaries, particularly to the mass audience that watch this. It shows just how masterful this film truly was.

Best Actor - Drama
Winner - (TIE) Casey Affleck "Manchester By the Sea" and Denzel Washington "Fences"
Runners Up - Andrew Garfield "Hacksaw Ridge" and "Silence", and Joel Edgerton "Loving"
Commentary - Casey Affleck has a lot of personal issues going on right now, and I don't really feel like commenting on them. For just this moment, let's focus on his performance in Manchester By the Sea. He was so engaging, subtle, and yet effective in a brilliant role that showcases Affleck's quiet yet masterful grasp of his craft. On the exact opposite end is the great Denzel Washington. Unlike Affleck, there is nothing quiet about Denzel in Fences. It is a force of nature acting performance. Gripping, yet endearing. He creates an wholly-realized character that the audience simultaneously hates and sympathizes with. If you need any further proof that Denzel Washington was one of the great actors of all time, he just gave you a masterful piece of evidence.

Best Actress - Drama
Winner - Ruth Negga "Loving"
Runners Up - Amy Adams "Arrival" and "Nocturnal Animals", Natalie Portman "Jackie", and Taraji P. Henson "Hidden Figures"
Commentary - Previous Awards Psychic winner Amy Adams turns out yet another masterful performance, Natalie Portman is fantastic as ever, and Taraji P. Henson is wonderful in Hidden Figures. But the one performance of the year that I cannot seem to get out of my head is Ruth Negga's in Loving. I am a huge fan of Jeff Nichols, and appreciate his ability to brilliantly tackle so many different genres with such an incredible rate of success. Loving was probably his most masterful project to date, and also his most honest. Instead of turning the story of the quiet couple from Virginia into an over-the-top court drama, Nichols played tribute to the real couple by making his story a simple and delicate one about a couple who simply loved each other and wanted a chance. At the center of this movie are two great performances, and Negga was ethereal, honest, and brilliant in a way that is unfortunately probably too subtle for an Oscar nomination, and it is their loss.

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical
Winner - Ryan Reynolds "Deadpool"
Runners Up - Ryan Gosling "La La Land" and "The Nice Guys", Viggo Mortensen "Captain Fantastic", and Jesse Plemmons "Other People"
Commentary - Deadpool was freaking awesome. Their's no other way to put it. It is the movie that Suicide Squad should have been. It was loud, irreverent, funny, and one of the best comic book movies to be put on screen in a long time. At its center was a kick-ass, balls out performance from Ryan Reynolds. Only a talented, fearless, and ridiculously funny individual could pull off a performance like that with style, and Reynolds proved he was easily all three of the things.

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical
Winner - (TIE) Annette Bening "20th Century Women" and Emma Stone "La La Land"
Runners Up - Sally Field "Hello, My Name is Doris" and Hailee Steinfeld "The Edge of Seventeen"
Commentary - Emma Stone has been a favorite of mine since Easy A, a film lost in the conversation of "high school movies", instead of "great comedy movies". La La Land proves she is a bonafide superstar, and one of our brightest young talents. But I could not leave these awards without rewarding Annette Bening another time. Her performance in 20th Century Women was so complex, and beautifully built, that only an actor with her capabilities even had a chance of pulling it off. And she knocked it out of the park.

Best Director
Winner - Damien Chazelle "La La Land"
Runners Up - Barry Jenkins "Moonlight", Kenneth Lonergan "Manchester By the Sea", and Denis Villeneuve "Arrival"
Commentary - La La Land is brilliant because Damien Chazelle has been working on this project for years. He made Whiplash just to prove that he was capable of much more, which is saying a lot considering the success of his so-called "test" film. This is clearly a passion project for this wonderful young director, and his enthusiasm and immense love of film shines through in every frame, and he deserves every honor he gets for this wonderful job well done.

Best Supporting Actor
Winner - Alan Rickman "Eye in the Sky"
Runners Up - Mahershala Ali "Moonlight", Lucas Hedges "Manchester By the Sea" and Jeff Bridges "Hell or High Water"
Commentary - I get why Ali, Hedges, and Bridges are leading the Oscar race. They deserve the recognition they are getting. But I'm a sentimental soul. I've never been shy about this. Alan Rickman was one of my favorite actors. He was a true thespian and a wonderful presence on screen. His final performance in Eye in the Sky proved why he was one of the best, and why he will be missed so much.

Best Supporting Actress
Winner - Viola Davis "Fences"
Runners Up - Michelle Williams "Manchester By the Sea", Molly Shannon "Other People", and Kathryn Hahn "Bad Moms"
Commentary - Williams was powerful in small role, Shannon proved she was more than a comedian, and despite Bad Moms being mediocre over all, Kathryn Hahn had a Melissa McCarthy or Robert Downey Jr. type performance that was so ridiculous it was brilliant. But Viola Davis is in this category, and so the rest don't matter to me. She is owed an Oscar, and they better follow through with it, or there are going to be a lot of upset people. Fences is her magnum opus. She has already won a Tony for this role and it's not hard to see why. This is the performance she was meant to play. She was jaw-dropping, emotional thunderous, and proved why she is one of the best actresses of our time.

Best Ensemble
Winner - Moonlight
Runners Up - The Jungle Book, Fences, Manchester By the Sea, and Zootopia
Commentary - Moonlight is a beautiful experience, and part of the reason is the amazing cast. Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali get a lot credit, and it is deserved, no doubt. But all of the guys who played Kevin, and all of the supporting characters helped to build this beautiful story, and deserve recognition as well.

Best Voice Acting/Motion Capture Performance
Winner - Ellen DeGeneres "Finding Dory"
Runners Up - Alan Tudyk "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story", Ginnifer Goodwin "Zootopia", and Jenny Slate "Zootopia"
Commentary - Tudyk is hilarious, and Goodwin and Slate make Zootopia. But I have been waiting 13 years to honor Ellen DeGeneres and her brilliant creation that is Dory. She proved yet again, that voice acting is under appreciated, and that Oscar attention should not be ignored simply because an actor is not seen on screen.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner - Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney "Moonlight"
Runners Up - August Wilson "Fences", Eric Heisserer "Arrival", and Jeff Nichols "Loving"
Commentary - This race got a lot tougher when Moonlight switched. I was all set for one of the three runners up, but Moonlight cannot be ignored. The way that Jenkins, based on an incredible unpublished work by Tarell Alvin McCraney, beautifully constructs this heartwarming and haunting tale is masterful.

Best Original Screenplay
Winner - (TIE)Kenneth Lonergan "Manchester By the Sea" and Taylor Sheridan "Hell or High Water"
Runners Up - Damien Chazelle "La La Land" and Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush, Jim Reardon, Josie Trinidad, Phil Johnston, and Jennifer Lee "Zootopia"
Commentary - Lonergan is a master playwright, and it shows in Manchester By the Sea. The way that he brilliantly blends the warm and heartbreaking dialogue, and builds these complex characters shows a true master of the art. Taylor Sheridan took what could have been a standard cat and mouse film and turned it into a character driven, brilliantly layered, often hilarious, and thrilling enterprise that surprised a lot of folks on just how damn good it was.

Best Cinematography
Winner - Linus Sandgren "La La Land"
Runners Up - Bradford Young "Arrival" and James Laxton "Moonlight"
Commentary - The opening and closing scenes alone are enough for Sandgren to win here, but the entire film is a visual wonder. La La Land lights up the screen with beautiful hues that perfectly capture the highs and the lows of our characters' journeys. It's cinematography truly was a work of art.

Best Visual Effects
Winner - The Jungle Book
Runners Up - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Doctor Strange
Commentary - Oh come on, this was one easy. What Favreau and his visual effects team without ever stepping foot in the jungle is groundbreaking and jaw-dropping.

Worst Film of the Year
Loser - Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Runners Up - Gods of Egypt and Zoolander 2
Commentary - Okay so maybe it's not the worst film of the year, but it is certainly the most disappointing. There was so much about this that they got right: the incredible cast, the great production values, good screenwriters and a decent director. So what the hell happened? I know that it was going to be difficult to follow Nolan's masterful Dark Knight trilogy, but this was just embarrassing in comparison. It tried to be dark, and only came out moody, it was horribly edited and put together, and most importantly, it was uninspired and lazy. I thought maybe it was just going to be this film, but then they royally screwed up Suicide Squad, and it makes me incredibly worried for Wonder Woman (which is a real shame cause I actually really like Gal Gadot in that role). So yes, there were worst film failures in 2016, but this is one was supposed to great, and it definitely was not.

Top 20 Films of 2016
1. La La Land
2. Manchester By The Sea
3. Fences
4. Hell or High Water
5. O.J.: Made in America
6. Moonlight
7. Arrival
8. Deadpool
9. Zootopia
10. Loving
11. I Am Not Your Negro
12. 20th Century Women
13. Midnight Special
14. 13th
15. Kubo and the Two Strings
16. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
17. Hello, My Name is Doris
18. Silence
19. Everybody Wants Some!!
20. (TIE) Hidden Figures and Sully