I don’t know how I missed it, but apparently the Awards Season officially kicked off today. That’s right, the Gotham Independent Film Awards announced their 2016 nominations. Gotham is known for celebrating the cheapest but greatest films of the year, and while it doesn’t have the same kind of influence as, say, the Independent Spirit Awards or actual critics organizations giving their blessing, it usually does give some insight into what the industry likes. Big players have included The Hurt Locker, Winter’s Bone, Black Swan, Beginners, Moonrise Kingdom, The Master, Inside Llewyn Davis, 12 Years a Slave, Before Midnight, Birdman (giving it the edge over Boyhood in the heated 2014 season), Love and Mercy and Spotlight. Heck, it even allows for deserved upsets, like Cate Blanchett suffering her only loss on the Best Actress streak to Brie Larson back in 2013. That’s a list of mostly Big Five contenders and winners, giving it some merit.
This year’s nominees were decided by a pretty strong jury, including Mark Harris, Eric Kohn, Justin Chang, Jessica Kiang, Ann Hornaday, A.A. Dowd, David Ehrlich, and Katie Walsh. The first thing you notice is the strong showing for Manchester by the Sea. Kenneth Lonnergan’s sobering knockout is starting to turn into a major player for the Oscars, with Casey Affleck finally emerging on the scene as a frontrunner for Best Actor. It received the most nominations of the lot, with 4. Also making a big play are Paterson and Moonlight, with 3 apiece. I would expect Moonlight to make the bigger play, especially with one of those awards being the coveted Ensemble prize received by Spotlight. However, Paterson’s three could prove helpful down the road. The turnout for Hell or High Water is also fairly impressive, implying that a Best Screenplay or even Best Supporting Actor nod could be in the near future. And, of course, Best Actress proves itself to be the most heated category this year. I think that Annette Bening and Natalie Portman have officially proven themselves as Oscar nominees, Ruth Negga is a major contender, Isabelle Huppert is a dark horse, and Kate Beckinsale is lucky to be here. Speaking of Negga, I’m surprised that Loving was not nominated for Best Picture, despite being nominated Best Actor and Best Actress. While this is an encouraging sign for both actors as we reach the tail end of the year, it is a damning sign for the film itself, which may have to scrape and claw its way into the Best Picture category. I wish it luck, and look forward to seeing it in a few weeks.
Of course, I need to give a shout out to the two best decisions on this list. The first is the nomination for Everybody Wants Some!! in the Best Picture category. I have been a very vocal champion for the film, naming it the best film of the year right now and considering it one of my favorite films of all time. Unfortunately, many people have ignored its successes, and it’s most likely going to be D.O.A when it comes to any major awards race. So that makes me elated to see it getting love here. The other major “cheering” moment is the nomination for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in Breakthrough Series-Longform. It’s a show that can never earn too much love, and I wish Rachel Bloom luck as she takes on the unenviable task of following up a near-perfect first season this Friday.
You can see the full list of nominees below, as we officially begin the best time of the year: awards season. The winners will be announced November 28, and you can expect coverage when that day finally comes.
Best Feature
- Certain Women
- Everybody Wants Some!!
- Manchester by the Sea
- Moonlight
- Paterson
Best Documentary
- Cameraperson
- I Am Not Your Negro
- J.: Made in America
- Tower
- Weiner
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award
- Robert Eggers for The Witch
- Anna Rose Holmer for The Fits
- Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert for Swiss Army Man
- Trey Edward Shults for Krisha
- Richard Tanne for Southside with You
Best Screenplay
- Hell or High Water
- Love & Friendship
- Manchester by the Sea
- Moonlight
- Paterson
Best Actor
- Casey Affleck-Manchester by the Sea
- Jeff Bridges-Hell or High Water
- Adam Driver-Paterson
- Joel Edgerton-Loving
- Craig Robinson-Morris from America
Best Actress
- Kate Beckinsale-Love & Friendship
- Annette Bening-20th Century Women
- Isabelle Huppert-Elle
- Ruth Negga-Loving
- Natalie Portman-Jackie
Breakthrough Actor
- Lily Gladstone-Certain Women
- Lucas Hedges-Manchester by the Sea
- Royalty Hightower-The Fits
- Sasha Lane-American Honey
- Anya Taylor-Joy-The Witch
Breakthrough Series – Long Form
- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
- The Girlfriend Experience
- Horace and Pete
- Marvel’s Jessica Jones
- Master of None
Breakthrough Series – Short Form
- The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo
- Her Story
- The Movement
- Sitting in Bathrooms with Trans People
- Surviving
Special Ensemble Gotham Jury Award: Moonlight
Gotham Tributes:
- Amy Adams
- Ethan Hawke
- Arnon Milchan
- Oliver Stone
Add Comment