2024 Awards season and the Oscars

[Chris Knipp]

2024 Awards season and the Oscars

Awards season is on us, with the NBR (see below), with the National Film Critics Circle, the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the AFI awards and the Gotham Awards all this week. This thread will feature the award lists, all the leadups to the Oscars. The National Board of Review surprises by its placement of WICKED at the top and the odd, questionable choice of Daniel Craig in QUEER as "best actor." The National Film Critics Circle choices are more in keeping with current critical views, where the much admired THE BRUTALIST ranks highest, and most of their other choices make critical sense. My BRUTALIST excpericnce at the NYFF press screenings was too blah to go along there personally (pending a rewatch), but the mentions of NO OTHER LAND, Culkin in A REAL PAIN, Carol Kane, ANORA for the screenplay, all the rest makes sense, even NICKEL BOYS which I haven't seen yet for cinematography makes its sense given its radical POV experimentation, and ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT is a warm and universally appealing "Best International" film choice. Lots of the National Board of Review choices make sense too, but not WICKED, and not FURIOSA, GLADIATOR II, or QUEER, which sort of put a hole in their best list. Just saw JUROR #2, pondering it now. See the IndieWire comments on both of the following lists (in "source") for background on these two groups, the National Film Critics Circle being the more historical one.

National Film Critics Circle
SOURCE (https://www.indiewire.com/awards/results/2024-new-york-film-critics-circle-awards-nyfcc-winners-list-1235071897/)
Best First Film: “Janet Planet”
Best Animated Feature: “Flow”
Best Non-Fiction Feature: “No Other Land”
Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
Best Supporting Actress: Carol Kane, “Between the Temples”
Best Cinematography: Jomo Fray, “Nickel Boys”
Best International Film: “All We Imagine as Light”
Best Screenplay: “Anora”
Best Actor: Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
Best Actress: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, “Hard Truths”
Best Director: RaMell Ross, “Nickel Boys”
Best Film: “The Brutalist

National Board of Review 2024 winners
SOURCE (https://www.indiewire.com/awards/results/national-board-of-review-2024-winners-list-1235072435/)
Best Film: Wicked
Best Director: Jon M. Chu, Wicked
Best Actor: Daniel Craig, Queer
Best Actress: Nicole Kidman, Babygirl
Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Best Supporting Actress: Elle Fanning, A Complete Unknown
Best Ensemble: Conclave
Breakthrough Performance: Mikey Madison, Anora
Best Directorial Debut: India Donaldson, Good One
Best Original Screenplay: Mike Leigh, Hard Truths
Best Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing
NBR Spotlight Award: Creative Collaboration of Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: No Other Land
Best Animated Feature: Flow
Best International Film: The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Best Documentary: Sugarcane
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Jarin Blaschke,
NosferatuOutstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Top Films (in alphabetical order):
Anora
Babygirl
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Juror #2
Queer
A Real Pain
Sing Sing

Top 5 International Films (in alphabetical order):
All We Imagine As Light
The Girl with the Needle
I’m Still Here
Santosh
Universal Language

Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order):
Black Box Diaries
Dahomey
Look Into My Eyes
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order):
Bird
A Different Man
Dìdi
Ghostlight
Good One
Hard Truths
His Three Daughters
Love Lies Bleeding
My Old Ass
Thelma

I have to catch up. on the Independent list and see BIRD, A DIFFERENT MAN. Recently saw HIS THREE DAUGHTERS, superbly acted drama of sisters waiting for their father to die that's a bit slow, I thought; and the sprightly, intense violent lesbian neo-noir with Kristen Stewart, LOVE LIES BLEEDING, which definately deserves to be here, as does Mike Leigh's HARD TRUTHS (NYFF). I'd forgotten Sean Wang's fluent first feature about being a boy growning up Taiwanese American in California, DIDI (https://www.chrisknipp.com/writing/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5450): it probably deseerved some menton on my own personal best list page. I need to catch up on these International titles: THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE, SANTOSH, UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE. Why is the coming Dylan biopic I'M NOT HERE listed there?

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20ffi.jpg

AFI Motion PIctures of the Year
source (https://deadline.com/2024/12/2024-afi-awards-top-10-movies-list-1236195322/)
Foreign or international films are usually considered "ineligible" for this list, but EMILIA PEREZ is obviously an exception. This year there is a heavy emphasis on smaller, indie-style entries, and it's a stellar list likely to be Oscar-nominated. The AFI Awards luncheon will talke place January 10, 2025 at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills.

Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
A Real Pain
Sing Sing
Wicked

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20trb.jpg
ADRIEN BRODY INTHE BRUTALIST

The New York Film Critics Circle
SOURCE (https://deadline.com/2024/12/new-york-film-critics-circle-2024-winners-1236192467/)
Smaller group than the National Film Critics Circle, but it includes 45 of the country's most notable movie reviewers, among them Owen Gleiberman (VARIETY), Bilge Ebiri (NEW YORK MAGAZINE), David Rooney (THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER), Kyle Smith (WSJ), Amy Taibin (ART FORUM), Peter Travers (ABC NEWS), RIchard Brody (THE NEW YORKER) and Stephanie Zacharek (Time). For the entire list, go here: https://www.nyfcc.com/membership/

Here are all of this year’s NYFCC winners. HTHE BRUTALIST is the big winner, with its star getting the Best Actor aeards too, and RaMell Ross tapped for director for NICKEL BOYS. ANORA gets some love for the screenplay, again, and ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT gets Best Ineternational Film agaiin. C
THE BRUTALIST releases in the US Dec. 20, 2024 and will be shown at some locations in 70mm including AFI Silver at Silver Spring, Maryland.

The NYFCC'S awards list:
BEST FILM: The Brutalist (Brady Corbet)
BEST DIRECTOR: RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys
BEST ACTOR: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
BEST ACTRESS: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Carol Kane, Between Two Temples
BEST SCREENPLAY: Anora, Sean Baker
BEST NON-FICTION FILM: No Other Land from Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor
BEST ANIMATED FILM: Flow
BEST FIRST FILM: Annie Baker’s Janet Planet
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM: All We Imagine As Light from Payal Kapadia
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Jomo Fray, Nickel Boys
SPECIAL AWARD:To Save and Project: The MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation
STUDENT AWARDS: Alexander Swift (Undergraduate, Vassar) and Drew Smith (Graduate, NYU)

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20ezaw.jpg

Calendar of pre-Oscars Awards Events
SOURCE (https://deadline.com/feature/awards-season-calendar-oscars-emmys-golden-globes-list-1234814076/)


2024
December
9: Golden Globe Awards nominations
10: PGA Awards nominations for documentary films (Producers Guild of America)
12: Critics Choice Awards film nominations
17: Oscars shortlists

2025
January
5: Golden Globe Awards
8: SAG Awards nominations
17: Oscar nominations
26: Satellite Awards

February
2: Grammy Awards
8: DGA Awards (Directors Guild of America)
8: PGA Awards (Producers Guild of America)
15: Writers Guild Awards
16: BAFTA Film Awards
22: Spirit Awards (Film Independent)
23: SAG Awards
23: ASC Awards

March
2: Oscars

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20lafca.jpg

Numerous sets of critics' awards were announced this week. Right now ANORA is leading for best picture, with SING SING and THE BRUTALIST CLOSE BEHIND. The LA Film Critics Association is the most influential.
LAFCA Award winners are:
PICTURE: ANORA
Runner-up: THE BRUTALIST
DIRECTOR: Mohammad Rasoulof, THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
Runner-up: Sean Baker, ANORA
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, HARD TRUTHS, and Mikey Madison, ANORA
Runners-up: Demi Moore, THE SUBSTANCE, and Fernanda Torres, I’M STILL HERE
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE: Yura Borisov, ANORA, and Kieran Culkin, A REAL PAIN
Runners-up: Clarence Maclin, SING SING, and Adam Pearson, A DIFFERENT MAN
SCREENPLAY: Jesse Eisenberg, A REAL PAIN
Runner-up: Sean Baker, ANORA
ANIMATION: FLOW
Runner-up: CHICKEN FOR LINDA
BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
Runner-up: THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
DOCUMENTARY / NON-FICTION FILM: NO OTHER LAND
Runner-up: DAHOMEY
FILM EDITING: Nicholas Monsour, NICKEL BOYS, and Hansjörg Weißbrich, SEPTEMBER 5 (TIE)
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Jomo Fray, NICKEL BOYS
Runner-up: Lol Crawley, THE BRUTALIST
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Judy Becker, THE BRUTALIST
Runner-up: Adam Stockhausen, BLITZ
MUSIC/SCORE: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, CHALLENGERS
Runner-up: Eiko Ishibashi, EVIL DOES NOT EXIST
NEW GENERATION: Vera Drew, THE PEOPLE’S JOKER
DOUGLAS E. EDWARDS INDEPENDENT/EXPERIMENTAL FILM/VIDEO: THE HUMAN SURGE 3
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT: John Carpenter
SPECIAL CITATION: Adam Hyman, for decades of curating, programming and administrating the screenings and other events of LA Filmforum

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20ggls.jpg

ANORA, THE BRUTALIST, and FLOW reign in the Golden Globes nominations announced today, Dec. 9. The Pamela Anderson Best Actress nom is the first I've heard of THE LAST SHOWGIRL. With its Best Director and Best Supporting Actress noms EMILIA PEREZ is shown not to be so snubbed as The Oscar Expert bros feared lately: it leads in noms here. How could SEPTEMBER push out SING SING in Best Picture? Saoirse Ronan got snubbed in Beat Actress.

SOURCE (https://deadline.com/2024/12/golden-globes-nominations-2025-list-film-tv-1236198070/)

GOLDEN GLOBES NOMINATIONS

Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Brutalist (A24)
A Complete Unknown (Searchlight Pictures)
Conclave (Focus Features)
Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)
September 5 (Paramount Pictures)

Best Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Anora (Neon)
Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios)
Emilia Pérez (Netflix)
A Real Pain (Searchlight Pictures)
The Substance (Mubi)
Wicked (Universal Pictures)

Best Motion Picture – Animated
Flow (Sideshow / Janus Films)
Inside Out 2 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Memoir of a Snail (IFC Films)
Moana 2 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Netflix)
The Wild Robot (Universal Pictures)

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement
Alien: Romulus (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Deadpool & Wolverine (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures)
Inside Out 2 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Twisters (Universal Pictures)
Wicked (Universal Pictures)
The Wild Robot (Universal Pictures)

Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language
All We Imagine As Light (Sideshow / Janus Films) – Usa / France / India
Emilia Pérez (Netflix) – France
The Girl With The Needle (Mubi) – Poland / Sweden / Denmark
I’m Still Here (Sony Pictures Classics) – Brazil
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Neon) – Usa / Germany
Vermiglio (Sideshow / Janus Films) – Italy

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl)
Angelina Jolie (Maria)
Nicole Kidman (Babygirl)
Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door)
Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here)
Kate Winslet (Lee)

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown)
Daniel Craig (Queer)
Colman Domingo (Sing Sing)
Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)
Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice)

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams (Nightbitch)
Cynthia Erivo (Wicked)
Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez)
Mikey Madison (Anora)
Demi Moore (The Substance)
Zendaya (Challengers)

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain)
Hugh Grant (Heretic)
Gabriel Labelle (Saturday Night)
Jesse Plemons (Kinds Of Kindness)
Glen Powell (Hit Man)
Sebastian Stan (A Different Man)

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role In Any Motion Picture
Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez)
Ariana Grande (Wicked)
Felicity Jones (The Brutalist)
Margaret Qualley (The Substance)
Isabella Rossellini (Conclave)
Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role In Any Motion Picture
Yura Borisov (Anora)
Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)
Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown)
Guy Pearce (The Brutalist)
Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice)
Denzel Washington (Gladiator II)

Best Director – Motion Picture
Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez)
Sean Baker (Anora)
Edward Berger (Conclave)
Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)
Coralie Fargeat (The Substance)
Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine As Light)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez)
Sean Baker (Anora)
Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold (The Brutalist)
Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain)
Coralie Fargeat (The Substance)
Peter Straughan (Conclave)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Volker Bertelmann (Conclave)
Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist)
Kris Bowers (The Wild Robot)
Clément Ducol, Camille (Emilia Pérez)
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross (Challengers)
Hans Zimmer (Dune: Part Two)

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Beautiful That Way” –– The Last Showgirl
Music & Lyrics By: Andrew Wyatt, Miley Cyrus, Lykke Zachrisson
“Compress / Repress” –– Challengers
Music & Lyrics By: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Luca Guadagnino
“El Mal” –– Emilia Pérez
Music & Lyrics By: Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard
“Forbidden Road” –– Better Man
Music & Lyrics By: Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler, Sacha Skarbek
“Kiss The Sky” –– The Wild Robot
Music & Lyrics By: Delacey, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael
Pollack, Ali Tamposi
“Mi Camino” –– Emilia Pérez
Music & Lyrics By: Clément Ducol, Camille

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20CCA.jpg

Critics Choice Awards Nominations

SOURCE (https://www.criticschoice.com/2024/12/12/film-nominations-announced-for-the-30th-annual-critics-choice-awards-hosted-by-chelsea-handler/)

BEST PICTURE
A Complete Unknown
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
The Substance
Wicked

BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Hugh Grant – Heretic

BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Angelina Jolie – Maria
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Danielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez

BEST YOUNG ACTOR / ACTRESS
Alyla Browne – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Elliott Heffernan – Blitz
Maisy Stella – My Old Ass
Izaac Wang – Didi
Alisha Weir – Abigail
Zoe Ziegler – Janet Planet

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Anora
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST DIRECTOR
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker – Anora
Edward Berger – Conclave
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Jon M. Chu – Wicked
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Sean Baker – Anora
Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David – September 5
Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold – The Brutalist
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Justin Kuritzkes – Challengers

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox – Wicked
Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley – Sing Sing
RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes – Nickel Boys
Peter Straughan – Conclave
Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts – Dune: Part Two

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jarin Blaschke – Nosferatu
Alice Brooks – Wicked
Lol Crawley – The Brutalist
Stéphane Fontaine – Conclave
Greig Fraser – Dune: Part Two
Jomo Fray – Nickel Boys

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Judy Becker, Patricia Cuccia – The Brutalist
Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked
Suzie Davies, Cynthia Sleiter – Conclave
Craig Lathrop, Beatrice Brentnerova – Nosferatu
Arthur Max, Jille Azis, Elli Griff – Gladiator II
Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau – Dune: Part Two

BEST EDITING
Sean Baker – Anora
Marco Costa – Challengers
Nick Emerson – Conclave
David Jancso – The Brutalist
Joe Walker – Dune: Part Two
Hansjörg Weißbrich – September 5

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Lisy Christl – Conclave
Linda Muir – Nosferatu
Massimo Cantini Parrini – Maria
Paul Tazewell – Wicked
Jacqueline West – Dune: Part Two
Janty Yates, Dave Crossman – Gladiator II

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener, Neal Scanlan – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Hair and Makeup Team – Dune: Part Two
Stéphanie Guillon, Frédérique Arguello, Pierre-Olivier Persin – The Substance
Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Laura Blount – Wicked
Traci Loader, Suzanne Stokes-Munton, David White – Nosferatu
Mike Marino, Sarah Graalman, Aaron Saucier – A Different Man

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Mark Bakowski, Pietro Ponti, Nikki Penny, Neil Corbould – Gladiator II
Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Paul Corbould, David Shirk – Wicked
Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, Gerd Nefzer – Dune: Part Two
Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, Peter Stubbs – Better Man
Bryan Jones, Chervin Shafaghi, Pierre Olivier-Persin, Jean Miel – The Substance
Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story, Rodney Burke – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

BEST COMEDY
A Real Pain
Deadpool & Wolverine
Hit Man
My Old Ass
Saturday Night
Thelma

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
All We Imagine as Light
Emilia Pérez
Flow
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST SONG
“Beautiful That Way” – The Last Showgirl – Andrew Wyatt, Miley Cyrus and Lykke Li
“Compress / Repress” – Challengers – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Luca Guadagnino
“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez – Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Camille
“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper – Kristen Wiig
“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot – Maren Morris
“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez – Selena Gomez

BEST SCORE
Volker Bertelmann – Conclave
Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot
Clément Ducol & Camille – Emilia Pérez
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Challengers
Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20OSHT.jpg

Oscar Shortlists in 10 categories announced

SOURCE (https://www.goldderby.com/article/2024/2025-oscars-shortlist/) Also see GOLD DERBY (https://www.goldderby.com/article/2024/2025-oscars-shortlist/)

It was seeming like interest in EMILIA PEREZ was fading but EMILIA PEREZ and WICKED got the most spots. I'm just listing two major feature-length film categories here. In the international list, where is India's ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT, the lieding contrender? India didn't get that film as its entry but rather, a film called LAAPATAA LADIES. Portugal's GRAND TOUR by Miguel Gomes, Cannes Best Director, was snubbed. Here are three of the lists in three categories. For all 10 click on "SURCE" above. Some widlely admired foreign film tires are : I'M STILL HERE, EMILIA PERE, THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, FLOW (in the animated category), and DAHOMEY.

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM (alphabetical by country
Brazil, I’m Still Here
Canada, Universal Language
Czech Republic, Waves
Denmark, The Girl With the Needle
France, Emilia Pérez
Germany, The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Iceland, Touch
Ireland, Kneecap
Italy, Vermiglio
Latvia, Flow
Norway, Armand
Palestine, From Ground Zero
Senegal, Dahomey
Thailand, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
United Kingdom, Santosh

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
The Bibi Files
Black Box Diaries
Dahomey
Daughters
Eno
Frida
Hollywoodgate
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Queendom
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
Union
Will & Harper

This doc list omits from my list: Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger, Merchant Ivory, A New Kind of Wilderness,and Suburban Fury.

SOUND
“Alien: Romulus” (20th Century Studios)
“Blitz” (Apple Original Films)
“A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Deadpool & Wolverine” (Marvel Studios)
“Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.)
“Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)
“Gladiator II” (Paramount Pictures)
“Joker: Folie à Deux” (Warner Bros.)
“Wicked” (Universal Pictures)
“The Wild Robot (DreamWorks Animation)

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20BTSST.jpg
ADRIEN BRODY IN THE BRUTALIST

The current top ten pre-Oscar feature films (as of Jan. 6) according to Gold Derby:

SOURCE (https://www.goldderby.com/article/2025/oscar-odds-update-golden-globes-the-brutalist-anora/)


1. The Brutalist — 15/2
2. Anora — 15/2
3. Conclave — 8/1
4. Emilia Pérez — 8/1
5. Wicked — 8/1
6. Dune: Part Two — 21/2
7. Sing Sing — 13/1
8. The Substance — 15/1
9. A Complete Unknown — 15/1
10. A Real Pain — 18/1

ANORA was no. 1 but since the Golden Globes (Jan. 5, 2025) has been pushed down by the high scores for THE BRUTALIST. NICKEL BOYS was no. 9 but has been displaced by THE SUBSTANCE and A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Could SING SING fade?

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20GOLD.jpg

The Oscar Nominations announced, Jan. 23, 2025
SOURCE (https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/oscar-nominations-2025-full-list)


BEST PICTURE
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked

BEST DIRECTOR
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown

BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jay Cocks and James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
Peter Straughan, Conclave
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, Nickel Boys
Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold, The Brutalist
Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain
Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, and Alex David, September 5
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist
Volker Bertelmann, Conclave
John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, Wicked
Clément Ducol and Camille, Emilia Pérez
Kris Bowers, The Wild Robot

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
A Lien
Anuja
I’m Not a Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“El Mal,” Emilia Pérez
“The Journey,” The Six Triple Eight
“Like a Bird,” Sing Sing
“Mi Camino,” Emilia Pérez
“Never Too Late,” Elton John: Never Too Late

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Death by Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The Only Girl in the Orchestra

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
I’m Still Here, Brazil
The Girl With the Needle, Denmark
Emilia Pérez, France
The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Germany
Flow, Latvia

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST EDITING
Sean Baker, Anora
Dávid Jancsó, The Brutalist
Nick Emerson, Conclave
Juliette Welfling, Emilia Pérez
Myron Kerstein, Wicked

BEST SOUND
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Lol Crawley, The Brutalist
Greig Fraser, Dune: Part Two
Paul Guilhaume, Emilia Pérez
Edward Lachman, Maria
Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu


SURPRISES AND SNUBS
Surprise: I'M STILL HERE, and Fernanda Torres, lead actress; James Mangold, director (I'M NOT HERE), Sebastian Stan, lead actor (THE APPRENTICE).
Snubs: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, HARD TRUTHS lead actress, Angelina Jolie, MARIA lead, Nicole Kidman, BABYBIRL lead, Edward Berger, CONCLAVE director, Daniel Craig, QUEER lead, SING SING (picture, which fans are passionate about), SEPTEMBER 5 (picture), Denis Villeneuve (DUNE II director), Jamie Lee Curtis (LAST SHOWGIRL lead), Margaret Qualley (THE SUBSTANCE supporting actress), Denzel Washington (GLADIATOR II supporting actor).
For me Nicole Kidman's snub hurts more and I'm so sorry BABYGIRL hasn't gotten more recognitions at awards time.. Daniel Craig's may hurt him more-this was a chance for this big star to win sometning, slipped away, but the jury unsurprising doesn't love QUEER. The much awarded Denzel can't mind, but it feels like fun is the victim. The US desn't like THE APPRENNTICE much; Europe did.

[Chris Knipp]

"At long last, the Oscar nominations 2025 have been revealed, giving shape to this unpredictable season." - VANITY FAIR. (https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/oscar-nominations-2025-full-list#:~:text=2025%20Oscar%20Nominations%20Reveal%2 0a%20Tight%20Race%20for%20Emilia%20P%C3%A9rez,Brut alist%20and%20Wicked%20close%20behind.)

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/prf.jpg

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, the Bob Dylan pic, got eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Timothée Chalamet who stars, is due to openin France later this month. With this news it's likely to arouse interest and Timothée already would sell tickets, because he's French! He regularly appears on French TV talk shows. Above is the French poster, announcing that it opens January 29.

They have a dubbed verrsion all ready. Here's the 'bande-annonce' (trailer):
UN PARFAIT INCONNU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPSw48CJamE&ab_channel=20thCenturyStudiosFR)

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20nraa.jpg
MARK EDELSHTEIN AND MIKEY MADISON IN [i]ANORA

ANORA WINS PGA AND DGA, BECOMES FRONT RUNNER FOR BEST PICTURE

SEE INDIEWIARE (https://www.indiewire.com/awards/results/anora-best-picture-oscar-frontrunner-dga-pga-awards-1235093275/) and GOLD DERBY (https://www.goldderby.com/article/2025/2025-pga-awards-winners-full-list-anora-shogun/)

Here is the list of PGA winners:

Film
Feature Film
“Anora”

Animated Feature
“The Wild Robot”

Documentary
“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”

Anora‘s wins cement its frontrunner status. 25 of the past 34 PGA Theatrical Motion Picture winners have gone on to repeat in Best Picture, and 19 of the past 22 DGA winners have repeated in Best Director at the Oscars. While there are certainly years that buck this trend, it’s an auspicious sign for a movie that emerged as a potential frontrunner all the way back at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

While some pundits worried that Anora might be too controversial or spiky, given that it’s about an erotic dancer who marries a wealthy Russian boy only to see the marriage fall apart, it seems like there are people in Academy who are ready to reward it. The only question remaining is whether the movie will be able to keep up this momentum.

[Chris Knipp]

It's Feb. 16, time for the 2025 BAFTA Awards

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20uuyi.jpg

BAFTAs 2025

The stars shined bright as they entered British Academy Film Awards on Sunday. The top movie stars crossed the pond to celebrate the best in film, but who came to slay on the red carpet?

Many of Hollywood’s most famous celebrities converged at the Royal Festival Hall in London decked out in their best attire. From timeless elegance to fashion forward statements, we’ve collected the most eye-popping gowns and stylish tuxedos at the 2025 BAFTAs. Tour our photo gallery above to see what everyone was wearing on the red carpet.

The 78th Annual BAFTAs air live in London at 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT and can be streamed on BritBox.


This year’s BAFTA Awards film nominations list was led by Conclave, which received 12 total nominations, including bids for Best Film, Best British Film, Best Director for Edward Berger, and Best Actor for Ralph Fiennes (but Adiren Brody wonn out over Fiennes). Other top contenders included Emilia Pérez with 11 nominations, The Brutalist with nine, Anora with seven (plus an addition bid for Mikey Madison in the rising star category, which is voted on by the general public), Dune: Part Two with seven, Wicked with seven, A Complete Unknown with six, Kneecap with six, and The Substance with five.

This year’s Best Film nominees at the BAFTA Awards are Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, and Emilia Pérez.

Last year, the hugely influential group’s winners matched the eventual Oscar winners in all the above-the-line categories. However, the BAFTA Awards and Oscars split on all eight above-the-line categories two years ago. - Gold Derby (https://www.goldderby.com/article/2025/2025-bafta-awards-red-carpet-photos/).

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20RAFE.jpg
RALPH FIENNES IN ICONCLAVE

BAFTA nominees and winners
SOURCE (https://people.com/2025-bafta-awards-winners-full-list-11679015)
This time THE BRUTALIST was not excluded but won Best Actor and Best Director. CONCLAVE, the local (European) favorite, won big with four awards. It got 12 nominations. EMILIA PEREZ was next with nine nominations. Mikey Madison beat front-riunner Demi Moore, but was that a surprise? She has often been mentioned as a possible Oscar winner. The ceremony was a star-studded affair with the British pop band Take That hitting the stage to perform their song “Greatest Day,” featured in ANORA. Jeff Goldblum also performed at the ceremony, playing piano during the In Memoriam tribute. Kieran Culkin was not there to receive the Best Supporting Actor award; Jesse Eisenberg the director and costar of A REAL PAIN, accepted it for him. Snubbed: A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, WICKED, SING SING... and Ralph Fiennes didn't get Best Actor, Adrien Brody did.

Best Film
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Emilia Pérez

Outstanding British Film
Bird
Blitz
Conclave
Gladiator II
Hard Truths
Kneecap
Lee
Love Lies Bleeding
The Outrun
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
Hoard
Kneecap
Monkey Man
Santosh
Sister Midnight

Film Not in the English Language
All We Imagine as Light
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Documentary
Black Box Diaries
Daughters
No Other Land
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

Animated Film
Flow
Inside Out 2
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

Children’s and Family Film
Flow
Kensuke’s Kingdom
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

Director
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker, Anora
Edward Berger, Conclave
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two

Original Screenplay
Anora
The Brutalist
Kneecap
A Real Pain
The Substance

Adapted Screenplay
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing

Leading Actress
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun

Leading Actor
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Hugh Grant, Heretic
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Supporting Actress
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl
Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Supporting Actor
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Original Score
The Brutalist

Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Wild Robot

Casting
Anora
The Apprentice
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Kneecap

Cinematography

The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu

Editing
Anora
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Kneecap

Production Design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked

Costume Design
Blitz
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Nosferatu
Wicked

Makeup & Hair
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked

Sound
Blitz
Dune: Part Two
Gladiator II
The Substance
Wicked

Special Visual Effects
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Gladiator II
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked

British Short Animation
Adiós
Mog’s Christmas
Wander to Wonder

British Short Film
The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing
Marion
Milk
Rock, Paper, Scissors
Stomach Bug

EE Rising Star Award
Marisa Abela
Jharrel Jerome
David Jonsson
Mikey Madison
Nabhaan Rizwan

[Chris Knipp]

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20sco.jpg

The Oscar nominee list again, with the winners highlighted



BEST PICTURE
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked

BEST DIRECTOR
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown

BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jay Cocks and James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
Peter Straughan, Conclave
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, Nickel Boys
Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold, The Brutalist
Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain
Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, and Alex David, September 5
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked - Paul Tazewell

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist
Volker Bertelmann, Conclave
John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, Wicked
Clément Ducol and Camille, Emilia Pérez
Kris Bowers, The Wild Robot

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
A Lien
Anuja
I’m Not a Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“El Mal,” Emilia Pérez
“The Journey,” The Six Triple Eight
“Like a Bird,” Sing Sing
“Mi Camino,” Emilia Pérez
“Never Too Late,” Elton John: Never Too Late

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Death by Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The Only Girl in the Orchestra

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
I’m Still Here, Brazil
The Girl With the Needle, Denmark
Emilia Pérez, France
The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Germany
Flow, Latvia

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST EDITING
Sean Baker, Anora
Dávid Jancsó, The Brutalist
Nick Emerson, Conclave
Juliette Welfling, Emilia Pérez
Myron Kerstein, Wicked

BEST SOUND
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Lol Crawley, The Brutalist
Greig Fraser, Dune: Part Two
Paul Guilhaume, Emilia Pérez
Edward Lachman, Maria
Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu



It was nice to see Ed Lachman, in a wheelchair now due to MS, coming for his best Cinematograhy nom for MARIA, though it didn't have a chance agsinst THE BRUTALIST.

It was great that NO OTHER LAND (https://www.chrisknipp.com/writing/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5543) brought attention to the Israel-Palestinian conflict and Israel's brutal destruction of its neighbors through the win of NO OTHER LAND for Best Documentary Feature, and the two direcotrs, one Palestinian and one Israeli, expressed their common ideals.

Paul Tazewell who won for WICKED was the first African American man to win an Oscar for Best Costume Design, and WICKED must have been a formidable task. It was moving to watch the Best Supporting Actress nominees get their praise before the award and see how Isabella Rossellini glowed with the recognition. I await details from the Oscar Expert twins, but it doesn't look like there were any real surprises. Ir was ANORA against THE BRUTALIST all the way. Brady Corbet didn't take home a Best Diirector Oscar; it was a sweep for Sean Baker, his year.

I wish Mark Eydelshteyn had gotten a nom given the Russian oligarch's son's centrality to ANORA, but at least he got to share the glory won by the movie. Zoe Saldaña swejpt away the audience with the evening's most passionate acceptance speech, even mentioning her Italian husband's beautiful hair, which indeed was much in evidence. But he's no boy toy, but an accomplished producer, though he does hyphenate his name: Marco Perego-Saldaña.

Take a look at the Red Carpet footage: there were some truly spectacular and beautiful outfits as well as some truly weird ones. Timothée Chalamet in a butter yellow suit was no surprise. I was glad he had a shirt on this time. The men could be a bit more conservative and not try to compete with the women for gaudiness. They can never win.

[Chris Knipp]

See The Oscar Expert's video review of ANORA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YH4nQjuRwg&ab_channel=TheOscarExpert) from Cannes, which nails it. He predictred all that it got. NOte also how highly he speaks of Mark Edelshteyn, who I think was the one aspect of the film the Oscars overlooked, who is really so essential to the film, as Cole Jaeger, AKA The Oscar Expert, recognized.

http://www.chrisknipp.com/images/%20nraa.jpg
MARK EDELSHTEIN AND MIKEY MADISON IN ANORA

[Chris Knipp]

JEWISHNESS AT THE 2025 OSCARS

You could say sex workers shone at this year's Oscars most of all, but JERUSALEM POST notes ("https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-844424) with reason "Jewish narratives shine at the Oscars with 'A Real Pain' and 'The Brutalist' as Gal Gadot takes the stage with Rachel Zegler" and this is true too. JERUSALEM POST'S headline for the article is "'No Other Land' wins Best Documentary Oscar, director calls for hostages release." . JERUSALEM POST and other Jewish publications (the FORWARD) point out that Mikey Madison, who's full name is Mikaela Madison Rosberg, is Jewish (on both sides). But she is not Jewish in the film. In fact she has said her "Jewish" curly hair was a problem in shooting ANORA, since she had to straighten it.

They don't mention that Mark Eydelshteyn, who plays Ivan, the Russian oligarch's son who runs off and marries Ani in ANORA, is also Jewis. And Timothée Chalamet, who was nominated for Best Actor for his performance as Bob Dylan (who is Jewish) in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, has a French father - and a Jewish mother.

[Chris Knipp]

GOV'T ATTACK ON 'NO OTHER LAND' SINCE ITS OSCAR HAS POPULARIZED IT IN ISRAEL


From Twitter today:

Alon-Lee Green - ألون-لي جرين - אלון-לי גרין ��
@AlonLeeGreen
With every attack of the Israeli government on the Palestinian-Israeli documentary No Other Land - more & more people are signing up to our free screenings across Israel. Today we're more than a 100 viewers at the Tel Aviv chapter of Standing Together. Dozens more events to come.