Awards Circuit Column: It’s hard out there for iconoclastics hoping to become Oscar contenders.
Hollywood’s state of flux extends beyond labor disputes and political tensions — it also colors how the industry evaluates its own output. A year inundated with big IP and musicals also was clouded with a lingering uncertainty about Hollywood’s future, and what narrative adventures it would continue to tell.
“This year was shit,” a voting member of the Academy told Variety bluntly, referring to the overall movie year. However, another voter offered a starkly different take: “An extraordinary year for movies, and there’s more I still need to see.”
Indeed, 2024 has been a year of soul-searching. Last year’s strikes upended production schedules and sparked debates about fair compensation. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s reelection ignited fresh discussions about cultural identity and artistic resistance. Against this backdrop, many of this year’s films wrestled with themes of power, identity and survival — art imitating life in a deeply fractured time.
Consider writer-director Mike Leigh’s latest opus, “Hard Truths,” an undeniably affecting drama about a British woman navigating a torrent of emotional duress. The 81-year-old auteur, known for his improvisational filmmaking style, and getting financiers to fund his vision without reading a single word of the script, defied conventional production standards to bring his project to life.
“Hard Truths” is nearly universally acclaimed, boasting a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and cementing its status as one of the year’s most lauded dramas.
But it’s not just indie filmmakers overcoming the odds – smaller studios are doing what they can to stay on par with streaming companies.
Even for a studio as cool as A24, known for championing auteur-driven work, the year was an uphill battle, with films like the boldly controversial “Civil War” struggling to reap box office returns. Where the studio has gained Oscar attention, it’s been with acquired titles like the Colman Domingo-led “Sing Sing” after its TIFF debut in 2023, and then picking up earlier this year, Brady Corbet’s $6 million historical epic “The Brutalist” and Luca Guadagnino’s period drama “Queer.” Even those acclaimed films weren’t box office winners in a market that often overlooks character-driven narratives.
Take Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio’s “In the Summers”: The Sundance sensation won the Grand Jury Prize and showcases a multigenerational cast of breakout talent, including star René Pérez. Yet it struggled to secure U.S. distribution, sitting in limbo for six months before Chicago-based Music Box Films stepped in. The boutique studio gave the film a limited theatrical release, followed by VOD — a modest rollout for a movie that should have been a slam dunk on the awards circuit.
How can David conquer Goliath in today’s market?
For every headline-grabbing flop like the $200 million “Joker: Folie à Deux,” there sits in the shadows a daring passion project like “Nickel Boys.” The $23 million adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-winning novel introduced the world to RaMell Ross’ visionary direction and has been embraced by critics. Then there’s Sean Baker’s “Anora,” the $6 million Cannes sensation about a stripper’s entanglement with a Russian oligarch’s son. It won the Palme d’Or, grossed over $25 million, and is a frontrunner for Oscar’s best picture prize.
Filmmakers like Baker, Ross and Leigh — and countless others fighting to tell stories that matter — prove that creativity is not easily silenced. In turbulent times, art continues to thrive.
As we sign off from 2024 and look ahead to 2025, this is the time of the year when our critics are weighing in on their best (and worst) films. Also, as part of the annual tradition, I’m including what my own Oscar ballot would look like if I were a voter. I disregard campaigns, criteria for eligibility in specific categories, and all the other factors that make art subjective. Many will disagree with these choices, but this list is mine (you can make yours, too). I’ve included recognition for casting directors, who will get their overdue spotlight at the 2027 season, along with deserved nods for stunts, first-time directors, and breakthrough performances.
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Best Picture
Image Credit: TIFF - “I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classics) – WINNER
Maria Carlota Fernandes, Walter Salles, Rodrigo Teixeira - “Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films)
Adam Elliot, Liz Kearney - “The Substance” (Mubi)
Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner - “Daughters” (Netflix)
Justin Benoliel, Laura Choi, James Cunningham, Kathryn Everett, Mindy Goldberg, Victor Kamwendo, Lisa Mazzotta, - “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation)
Jeff Hermann - “His Three Daughters” (Netflix)
Azazel Jacobs, Alex Orlovsky, Duncan Montgomery, Matt Aselton, Marc Marrie, Mal Ward, Lia Buman, Tim Headington, Jack Selby - “Wicked” (Universal Pictures)
Marc Platt, David Stone - “Sing Sing” (A24)
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton - “September 5” (Paramount Pictures)
Philipp Trauer, Thomas Wöbke, Tim Fehlbaum, Sean Penn, John Ira Palmer, John Wildermuth - “Flow” (Janus Films/Sideshow)
Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, Gregory Zalcman
Honorable mentions: “The Bikeriders” (Focus Features); “Better Man” (Paramount Pictures); “The Brutalist” (A24); “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.); “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix); “The Fire Inside” (Amazon MGM Studios); “Hard Truths” (Bleecker Street); “Nosferatu” (Focus Features); “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures); “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Neon)
- “I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classics) – WINNER
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Directing
Image Credit: Neon - Brady Corbet – “The Brutalist” (A24)
- Robert Eggers – “Nosferatu” (Focus Features)
- Coralie Fargeat – “The Substance” (Mubi)
- Mohammad Rasoulof – “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Neon) — WINNER
- RaMell Ross – “Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Honorable mentions: Jacques Audiard – “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix); Jon M. Chu – “Wicked” (Universal Pictures); Michael Gracey – “Better Man” (Paramount Pictures); Jeff Nichols – “The Bikeriders” (Focus Features); Walter Salles – “I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classics); Malcolm Washington – “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix); Denis Villeneuve – “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.)
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Actor in a Leading Role
Image Credit: ©Searchlight Pictures/Courtesy - Kieran Culkin – “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures) — WINNER
- Colman Domingo – “Sing Sing” (A24)
- Sebastian Stan — “A Different Man” (A24)
- John David Washington – “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix)
- Misagh Zare – “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Neon)
Honorable mentions: Adrien Brody – “The Brutalist” (A24); André Holland – “Exhibiting Forgiveness” (Roadside Attractions); Josh O’Connor – “Challengers” (Amazon MGM Studios); René Pérez – “In the Summers” (Music Box Films); Jesse Plemons – “Kinds of Kindness” (Searchlight Pictures)
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Actress in a Leading Role
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection - Cynthia Erivo – “Wicked” (Universal Pictures)
- Ariana Grande – “Wicked” (Universal Pictures)
- Marianne Jean-Baptiste – “Hard Truths” (Bleecker Street) – WINNER
- Zoe Saldaña – “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)
- Fernanda Torres – “I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Honorable mentions: Nykiya Adams – “Bird” (Mubi); Carrie Coon – “His Three Daughters” (Netflix); Danielle Deadwyler – “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix); Karla Sofía Gascón – “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix); Angelina Jolie – “Maria” (Netflix); Demi Moore – “The Substance” (Mubi); Margaret Qualley – “The Substance” (Mubi); Saoirse Ronan – “The Outrun” (Sony Pictures Classics); Tilda Swinton – “The Room Next Door” (Sony Pictures Classics); Zendaya – “Challengers” (Amazon MGM Studios)
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Actor in a Supporting Role
Image Credit: A24 - Tommy Dewey – “Saturday Night” (Sony Pictures)
- Brian Tyree Henry – “The Fire Inside” (Amazon MGM Studios)
- Adam Pearson – “A Different Man” (A24)
- Sean San José – “Sing Sing” (A24) — WINNER
- Jay O. Sanders – “His Three Daughters” (Netflix)
Honorable mentions: Ray Fisher – “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix); John Magaro – “September 5” (Paramount Pictures); Guy Pearce – “The Brutalist” (A24); Jason Schwartzman – “Queer” (A24); Bill Skarsgård – “Nosferatu” (Focus Features); Denzel Washington – “Gladiator II” (Paramount Pictures)
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Actress in a Supporting Role
Image Credit: Bleecker Street - Michele Austin – “Hard Truths” (Bleecker Street) — WINNER
- Monica Barbaro – “A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight Pictures)
- Jamie Lee Curtis – “The Last Showgirl” (Roadside Attractions)
- Divya Prabha – “All We Imagine as Light” (Janus Films/Sideshow)
- Mahsa Rostami – “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Neon)
Honorable mentions: Leonie Benesch – “September 5” (Paramount Pictures); Olivia Colman – “Wicked Little Letters” (Sony Pictures Classics); Selena Gomez – “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix); Adriana Paz — “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix); Saoirse Ronan – “Blitz” (Apple Original Films); Isabella Rossellini – “Conclave” (Focus Features)
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Original Screenplay
Image Credit: Courtesy of Mubi - “His Three Daughters” (Netflix) — Azazel Jacobs
- “In the Summers” (Music Box Films) — Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
- “Memoirs of a Snail” (IFC Films) – Adam Elliot
- “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures) – Jesse Eisenberg
- “The Substance” (Mubi) — Coralie Fargeat — WINNER
Honorable mentions: “Hard Truths” (Bleecker Street) – Mike Leigh; “Thelma” (Magnolia Pictures) – Josh Margolin; “Wicked Little Letters” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Jonny Sweet; “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Neon) — Mohammad Rasoulof; “September 5” (Paramount Pictures) — Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David
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Adapted Screenplay
Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics - “The Bikeriders” (Focus Features) — Jeff Nichols (based on “The Bikeriders” by Danny Lyon)
- “I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Murilo Hauser, Heitor Lorega (based on “I’m Still Here” by Marcelo Rubens Paiva) — WINNER
- “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix) — Virgil Williams, Malcolm Washington (based on the play by August Wilson)
- “Wicked” (Universal Pictures) — Dana Fox, Winnie Holzman (based on musical “Wicked” by Stephen Schwartz, novel “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire and character from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum)
- “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation) — Chris Sanders (based on the series by Peter Brown)
Honorable mentions: “Conclave” (Focus Features) — Peter Straughan (based on “Conclave” by Robert Harris); “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) — Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts (based on the series by Frank Herbert); “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) — Jacques Audiard (based on “Listen” by Boris Razon); “The Fire Inside” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Barry Jenkins (based on “T-Rex” by Zackary Canepari, Drea Cooper); “Sing Sing” (A24) — Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John “Divine G” Whitfield (based on “The Sing Sing Follies” by John H. Richardson and “Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code” by Brent Buell)
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Animated Feature
Image Credit: ©IFC Films/Courtesy Everett Collection - “Flow” (Janus Films/Sideshow) — Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, Gregory Zalcman
- “Inside Out 2” (Pixar) — Kelsey Mann, Mark Nielsen
- “Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films) — Adam Elliot, Liz Kearney — WINNER
- “Transformers One” (Paramount Pictures) — Josh Cooley, Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Bay, Mark Vahradian
- “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation) — Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann
Honorable mentions: “Chicken for Linda!” (Gkids); “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” (Ketchup Entertainment); “Piece by Piece” (Focus Features); “That Christmas” (Netflix); “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Netflix)
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Production Design
Image Credit: Aidan Monaghan - “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) — Zsuzsanna Sipos, Shane Vieau, Patrice Vermette
- “Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films) — Bob Shea
- “Nosferatu” (Focus Features) – Craig Lathrop — WINNER
- “Queer” (A24) — Stefano Baisi, Monica Sallustio, Lisa Scoppa
- “Wicked” (Universal Pictures) — Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales
Honorable mentions: “The Brutalist” (A24) — Judy Becker; “Maria” (Netflix) — Tom Brown, Guy Hendrix Dyas, Sandro Piccarozzi; “Saturday Night” (Sony Pictures) — Jess Gonchor, Claudia Bonfe; “September 5” (Paramount Pictures) — Julian R. Wagner; “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation) – Raymond Zibach, Ritchie Sacilioc
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Cinematography
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures - “Better Man” (Paramount Pictures) – Erik A. Wilson — WINNER
- “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) – Greig Fraser
- “Longlegs” (Neon) — Andrés Arochi Tinajero
- “Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM Studios) – Jomo Fray
- “Queer” (A24) — Sayombhu Mukdeeprom
Honorable mentions: “Bird” (Mubi) – Robbie Ryan; “I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Adrian Teijido; “Nosferatu” (Focus Features) — Jarin Blaschke; “September 5” (Paramount Pictures) — Markus Förderer; “Stopmotion” (IFC Films/Shudder) — Léo Hinstin; “The Substance” (Mubi) — Benjamin Kracun
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Costume Design
Image Credit: Aidan Monaghan - “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) — Jacqueline West
- “Gladiator II” (Paramount Pictures) — Janty Yates — WINNER
- “Saturday Night” (Sony Pictures) — Danny Glicker
- “The Substance” (Mubi) — Emmanuelle Youchnovski
- “Wicked” (Universal Pictures) — Paul Tazewell
Honorable mentions: “Better Man” (Paramount Pictures) — Cappi Ireland; “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) — Virginie Montel; “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (Warner Bros.) — Jenny Beavan; “Maria” (Netflix) — Massimo Cantini Parrini; “Queer” (A24) — J.W. Anderson
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Film Editing
Image Credit: Jürgen Olczyk - “Daughters” (Netflix) — Troy Josiah Lewis, Adelina Bichis
- “Saturday Night” (Sony Pictures) — Nathan Orloff, Shane Reid
- “September 5” (Paramount Pictures) — Hansjörg Weißbrich — WINNER
- “The Substance” (Mubi) — Coralie Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, Valentin Feron
- “Will & Harper” (Netflix) — Monique Zavistovski
Honorable mentions: “Better Man” (Paramount Pictures) — Jeff Groth; “Challengers” (Amazon MGM) — Marco Costa; “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) — Joe Walker; “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures) — Robert Nassau; “We Grown Now” (Sony Pictures Classics) – Stephanie Filo
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Makeup and Hairstyling
Image Credit: Cannes Film Festival - “A Different Man” (A24) — Mike Marino, Sarah Graalman, Aaron Saucier
- “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) — Julia Floch Carbonel, Simon Livet
- “Kinds of Kindness” (Searchlight Pictures) — Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, Josh Weston
- “Maria” (Netflix) — Heike Merker, Adruitha Lee, Pamela Goldammer, Arjen Tuiten
- “The Substance” (Mubi) — Pierre-Olivier Persin — WINNER
Honorable mentions: “Bob Marley: One Love” (Paramount Pictures); “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.); “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (Warner Bros.); “Nosferatu” (Focus Features); “Wicked” (Universal Pictures)
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Sound
Image Credit: Giles Keyte /© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection - “Nosferatu” (Focus Features) — Damian Volpe, Stephen Little, David Giammarco, Paul Cotterell, Jakub Čech
- “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix) — Onnalee Blank, Brian Tarlecki, Ando Johnson, Paul Reed
- “Saturday Night” (Sony Pictures) — William Files, Lee Gilmore, Tom Ozanich, William Files, Steve Morrow
- “Wicked” (Universal Pictures) — Nancy Nugent Title, John Marquis, Andy Nelson, Simon Hayes — WINNER
- “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation) — Randy Thom, Gary A. Rizzo, Leff Lefferts, Brian Chumney
Honorable mentions: “Better Man” (Paramount Pictures) — Will Files, Warren Hendriks, Paul Pirola, Andy Nelson, Luke Schwarzweller, Greg P. Russell, Tom Marks, Guntis Sics; “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) — Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill; “Gladiator II” (Paramount Pictures) — Matthew Collinge, Danny Sheehan, Paul Massey, Stéphane Bucher; “Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM/Orion) — Mark LeBlanc, Tony Volante, Daniel Timmons; “Transformers One” (Paramount Pictures)
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Visual Effects
Image Credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection - “Better Man” (Paramount Pictures) — Luke Millar
- “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) – Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, Gerd Nefzer — WINNER
- “Stopmotion” (IFC Films/Shudder) — Daniel Karlsson
- “Tuesday” (A24) — Andrew Simmonds, Mike Stillwell
- “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation) — Jeff Budsberg
Honorable mentions: “Deadpool & Wolverine” (Marvel Studios); “Gladiator II” (Paramount Pictures); “Inside Out 2” (Pixar); “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Netflix); “Wicked” (Universal Pictures)
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Original Score
Image Credit: DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures - “The Brutalist” (A24) — Daniel Blumberg
- “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) — Hans Zimmer
- “Flow” (Janus Films/Sideshow) — Gints Zilbalodis, Rihards Zalupe
- “Queer” (A24) — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
- “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation) — Kris Bowers — WINNER
Honorable mentions: “IF” (Paramount Pictures) — Michael Giacchino; “Nosferatu” (Focus Features) — Robin Carolan; “The Room Next Door” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Alberto Iglesias; “Saturday Night” (Sony Pictures) — Jon Batiste; “The Substance” (Mubi) — Raffertie
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Original Song
Image Credit: Netflix - “Blitz” (Apple Original Films) — “Winter Coat” by Nicholas Britell, Steve McQueen, and Taura Stinson
- “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) — “El Alegato” by Zoe Saldaña, Clément Ducol and Camille — WINNER
- “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) – “Mi Camino” by Selena Gomez, Clément Ducol and Camille
- “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) — “Papá” by- Juan Pablo Monterrubio, Karla Sofia Gascón, Clément Ducol and Camille
- “Kneecap” (Sony Pictures Classics) — “Sick In The Head” by Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí, Adrian Louis Richard Mcleod, and Toddla T
Honorable mentions: “Piece by Piece” (Focus Features) – “It’s Happening” by Pharrell Williams; “Sing Sing” (A24) — “Like a Bird” by Abraham Alexander, Brandon Marcel & Adrian Quesada; “Transformers One” (Paramount Pictures) — “If I Fall” by Brian ‘Are We Dreaming’ Tyler, Quavious ‘Quavo’ Keyate Marshall, Tyrone ‘Ty Dolla $ign’ Griffin Jr. & Nicholas James McGuinn; “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation) — “Kiss the Sky” by Delacey, Jordan Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack & Ali Tamposi; “Will & Harper” (Netflix) — “Harper and Will Go West” by Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig & Josh Greenbaum
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Documentary Feature
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix - “Daughters” (Netflix) — Angela Patton, Natalie Rae — WINNER
- “The Greatest Night in Pop” (Netflix) — Amit Dey, Larry Klein, Harriet Sternberg, Lionel Richie, Bruce Eskowitz, George Hencken & Julia Nottingham
- “No Other Land” (ImmerGuteFilme) — Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor, Fabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning
- “Skywalkers: A Love Story” (Netflix) — Jeff Zimbalist, Maria Bukhonina, Tamir Ardon, Chris Smith, Nick Spicer
- “Will & Harper” (Netflix) — Josh Greenbaum, Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Chris Leggett, Rafael Marmor
Honorable mentions: “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” (Paramount Pictures); “Frida” (Amazon MGM Studios); “Porcelain War” (Picturehouse) — Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev, Aniela Sidorska, Paula DuPré Pesmen; “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” (Netflix); “Sugarcane” (National Geographic Documentary Films) — Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie
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International Feature
- “The Devil’s Bath” (IFC Films/Shudder) from Austria
- “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) from France
- “Flow” (Janus Films and Sideshow) from Latvia
- “I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classics) from Brazil — WINNER
- “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Neon) from Germany
Honorable mentions: “All We Imagine as Light” (Janus Films/Sideshow) from India; “The Girl with the Needle” (Mubi) from Denmark; “Kneecap” (Sony Pictures Classics) from Ireland
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Breakthrough Performance
Image Credit: Neon - Nykiya Adams – “Bird” (Mubi)
- Adria Arjona — “Hit Man” (Netflix)
- Monica Barbaro — “A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight Pictures)
- Karla Sofía Gascón – “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)
- Fred Hechinger — “Thelma” (Magnolia Pictures)
- Clarence Maclin – “Sing Sing” (A24)
- René Pérez – “In the Summers” (Music Box Films)
- Mikey Madison – “Anora” (Neon) — WINNER
- Brandon Wilson — “Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM Studios)
- Anjana Vasan – “Wicked Little Letters” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Honorable mentions: Yura Borisov — “Anora” (Neon); Drew Starkey — “Queer” (A24); Maisy Stella – “My Old Ass” (Amazon MGM Studios); Izaac Wang — “Dìdi” (Focus Features); Zoe Ziegler, “Janet Planet” (A24)
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First-Time Director
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix - Titus Kaphar – “Exhibiting Forgiveness” (Roadside Attractions)
- Josh Margolin – “Thelma” (Magnolia Pictures)
- Angela Patton and Natalie Rae – “Daughters” (Netflix)
- Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio – “In the Summers” (Music Box Films)
- Malcolm Washington – “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix) — WINNER
Honorable mentions: Annie Baker – “Janet Planet” (A24); William Goldenberg – “Unstoppable” (Amazon MGM Studios); Anna Kendrick – “Woman of the Hour” (Netflix); Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie – “Sugarcane” (National Geographic Documentary Films); Dev Patel – “Monkey Man” (Universal Pictures); Sean Wang – “Dìdi” (Focus Features)
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Casting
Image Credit: PAGE 114 – WHY NOT PRODUCTIONS – - “Anora” (Neon) — Sean Baker
- “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) — Christel Baras, Carla Hool
- “The Fire Inside” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Francine Maisler
- “Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Victoria Thomas
- “Sing Sing” (A24) — Rita Powers
Honorable mentions: “Bird” (Mubi); “Exhibiting Forgiveness” (Roadside Attractions); “Hard Truths” (Bleecker Street); “I Saw the TV Glow” (A24); “We Grown Now” (Sony Pictures Classics)
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Stunts
Image Credit: © Universal Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection - “Better Man” (Paramount Pictures) — Nicholas Daines, Isaac Hamon, Slavisa Ivanovic, Chris Weir
- “Deadpool & Wolverine” (Marvel Studios) — Colin Follenweider, Liang Yang
- “The Fall Guy” (Universal Pictures) — Chris O’Hara
- “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (Warner Bros.) — Mark Tearle, Tim Wong
- “Monkey Man” (Universal Pictures) — Udeh Nans — WINNER
Honorable mentions: “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.); “Gladiator II” (Paramount Pictures); “Twisters” (Universal Pictures); “Unstoppable” (Amazon MGM Studios); “Wicked” (Universal Pictures)
