Due to a combination of factors (don't you just hate it when life gets in the way?), I've not been up to updating the awards season tracker. But time stands still for no nerd, which means that in the meantime, no less than five (yes, five) of the major awards bodies have handed out their gold/silver/glassware.
So brace yourself for a positive deluge of awards results, and get ready to see a lot of the same names over and over again. Let's begin!
DIRECTORS GUILD AWARDS
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Films: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director: Celine Song (Past Lives)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary: Mstyslav Chernov (20 Days In Mariupol)
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BAFTA FILM AWARDS
On Sunday 18th February 2024, the 77th British Academy Film Awards were given out in a star-studded ceremony, hosted for the first time by David Tennant (who made for a very affable and enjoyable host).
Here's a full list of BAFTA winners.
Best Film: Oppenheimer
Outstanding British Film: The Zone Of Interest
Leading Actor: Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)
Leading Actress: Emma Stone (Poor Things)
Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)
Supporting Actress: Da'Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)
Director: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
Original Screenplay: Anatomy Of A Fall
Adapted Screenplay: American Fiction
Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer: Savanah Leaf (writer/director/producer), Shirley O’Connor (producer), Medb Riordan (producer) (Earth Mama)
Animated Film: The Boy And The Heron
Documentary: 20 Days In Mariupol
Film Not In The English Language: The Zone Of Interest
Cinematography: Oppenheimer
Costume Design: Poor Things
Editing: Oppenheimer
Make Up And Hair: Poor Things
Original Music: Oppenheimer
Production Design: Poor Things
Sound: The Zone Of Interest
Special Visual Effects: Poor Things
Casting: The Holdovers
Short Animation: Crab Day
Short Film: Jellyfish And Lobster
Rising Star: Mia McKenna-Bruce
Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema: June Givanni
BAFTA Fellowship: Samantha Morton
Oppenheimer took home the most awards, winning seven; Poor Things wins five, and The Zone Of Interest wins three.
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SCREEN ACTORS GUILD (SAG) AWARDS
Here are the film winners:
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Oppenheimer
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Lily Gladstone (Killers Of The Flower Moon)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Da'Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Three awards for Oppenheimer, including the SAG-equivalent of Best Picture, makes them the big winner of the night. Lily Gladstone's win here will be very welcome in keeping her Oscar hopes alive.
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PRODUCERS GUILD AWARDS (PGA)
Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures: Oppenheimer
Documentary Film: American Symphony
Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures: Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
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INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS
Also on Sunday 25th February, the 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards- recognising films made wholly or partly outside the traditional studio system- took place.
Here's a full list of film winners.
Best Feature: Past Lives
Best Lead Performance: Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)
Best Supporting Performance: Da'Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)
Best Breakthrough Performance: Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers)
Best Director: Celine Song (Past Lives)
Best Screenplay: Cord Jefferson (American Fiction)
Best First Screenplay: Samy Burch (screenplay); Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik (story) (May December)
Best Cinematography: The Holdovers
Best Editing: How To Blow Up A Pipeline
Best First Feature: A Thousand And One
Best International Film: Anatomy Of A Fall
Best Documentary: Four Daughters
John Cassavetes Award: Fremont
Robert Altman Award: Showing Up
The John Cassavetes Award is given to the creative team of a film budgeted at less than $1 million, whilst the Robert Altman Award is presented to the ensemble cast of the movie, its director, and its casting director(s).
The Holdovers was the biggest winner of the night, with three awards; Past Lives and American Fiction took home two apiece.
Congratulations to all winners!
So, after all of this is taken into consideration, where does it look like the awards season is headed, as we get into the home strait with only the Razzies and the Oscars left to announce? From my position, this is what I'm thinking:
- Oppenheimer looks to be in a strong position to win Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor.
- Da'Vine Joy Randolph is almost certainly going to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
- It feels like a two-horse race between Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone for Best Actress, but I'd say Gladstone's SAG win puts her slightly ahead.
- Barbie's best chance of any kind of Oscar win is almost certainly Best Original Song, although it may also get several of the technical awards (if they don't go to Poor Things or Oppenheimer)
- There's a couple of films that were low on my radar that I really need to get to watch!
The next- and indeed final- weekend of the 2024 awards season comes on the weekend of 9th/10th March with the Razzies and the Oscars announced that weekend.
