Wednesday, January 14, 2015

The (Probably) Final FAC

Welcome to this special Wednesday edition of The Film Awards Clearinghouse with less than 24 hours to go before the announcement of Oscar nominations...

THE (PROBABLY) FINAL FAC

Here's the last posting of the 21 Feature categories nomination predictions.

The FAC uses the published predictions of the following to develop its list of likely Oscar nominees:

Kristopher Tapley/InContention/HitFix
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Bred Brevet/Rope of Silicon
Nathaniel Rogers/Film Experience
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood
Peter Knegt/IndieWire
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter


Telluride #41 films are Bold (with their last rating in parentheses followed by the original FAC ranking from Vol 1. back on  ).

Today, I update the eight major categories:

BEST PICTURE



1) Boyhood (1) (2)
2) Birdman (2) (1)
3) The Imitation Game (3) (3)
4) The Theory of Everything (5) (6)
5) Selma (4)
6) The Grand Budapest Hotel (6) (10)
7) Whiplash (7)
8) Gone Girl (9) (8)
9) Nightcrawler (11)

If The Academy follows form from the last three years, this would be the cut off at nine nominations.

10) American Sniper (13)
11) Foxcatcher (10) (4)
12) Unbroken (8) (5)
13) Into the Woods (12)
14) Interstellar (14) (7)
15) Mr. Turner (15) (9)


Comment:"Selma" seems to be taking a small hit in the estimation of this collective of Oscarologists probably due the lack of a PGA nomination and The BAFTA snubbing that happened earlier this week.  "Nightcrawler" and "American Sniper" both seem to have realistic chances to get a Best Picture nomination although I continue to cross my fingers for Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher".

"Unbroken's" fall from favor appears to be complete.


BEST DIRECTION

1) Richard Linklater/Boyhood (1) (2)
2) Alejandro Inarritu/Birdman (2) (1)
3) Ava DuVernay/Selma (3)
4) Morten Tyldum/The Imitation Game (4) (6)
5) Wes Anderson/The Grand Budapest Hotel (5) (9)

6) David Fincher/Gone Girl (6)
7) Damien Chazelle/Whiplash (7)
8) Clint Eastwood/American Sniper (9)
9) Bennett Miller/Foxcatcher (8) (3)
10) James Marsh/The Theory of Everything (13)

Comment: The "Selma" slide doesn't show any effect in this category.  Marsh rebounds a little and Jolie seems to be done.


BEST ACTOR



1) Michael Keaton/Birdman (1) (1)
2) Eddie Redmayne/The Theory of Everything (2) (4)
3) Benedict Cumberbatch/The Imitation Game (4) (2)
4) David Oyelowo/Selma (3) (6)
5) Jake Gyllenhaal/Nightcrawler (5)

6) Steve Carell/Foxcatcher (6) (3)
7) Ralph Fiennes/The Grand Budapest Hotel (8) (7)
8) Timothy Spall/Mr. Turner(7) (5)
9) Bradley Cooper/American Sniper (9)
10) Oscar Isaac/A Most Violent Year (10)

Comment:  Oyelowo may have suffered a bit.  Top three seem to be solid and then the next four: Oyelowo, Gyllenhaal, Carell and Fiennes fighting for that last two spots.


BEST ACTRESS

1) Julianne Moore/Still Alice (1) (8)
2) Reese Witherspoon/Wild (2) (1)
3) Felicity Jones/The Theory of Everything (3) (4)
4) Rosamund Pike/Gone Girl (4) (3)
5) Jennifer Aniston/Cake (5)

6) Amy Adams/Big Eyes (7) (2)
7) Marion Cotillard/Two Days, One Night (6)
8) Hilary Swank/The Homesman (8) (6)
9) Emily Blunt/Into the Woods (9)
10) Shailene Woodley/The Fault in Our Stars (10) (7)


Comment: The category may be locked with these top five.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1) JK Simmons/Whiplash (1) (1)
2) Edward Norton/Birdman (2) 
3) Ethan Hawke/Boyhood (3) (4)
4) Mark Ruffalo/Foxcatcher (4) (3)
5) Robert Duvall/The Judge (5) (8)

6) Josh Brolin/Inherent Vice (6) (5)
7) Tom Wilkinson/Selma (7) (7)
8) Miyavi/Unbroken (8)
9) Christoph Waltz/Big Eyes (9)
10) Steve Carell/Foxcatcher (NR)

Comment:  Carell's nomination in this category by the Brits sent up a flare that there could be some sentiment that he should be in the same category on Thursday morning and so, for the first time, he appears in Supporting.  Honestly, though, the top five are really solid.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS



1) Patricia Arquette/Boyhood (1) (1)
2) Emma Stone/Birdman (3) (4)
3) Kiera Knightley/The Imitation Game (4) (2)
4) Meryl Streep/Into the Woods (2)
5) Jessica Chastain/A Most Violent Year (5) (8)

6) Laura Dern/Wild (6) (3)
7) Rene Russo/Nightcrawler (10)
8) Tilda Swinton/Snowpiercer (7)
9) Naomi Watts/St. Vincent (8)
10) Carmen Ejogo/Selma (9) (9)

Comment:  Meryl Streep with a late slide...giving Laura Dern a bit of life.  Rene Russo is also very, very hot.  Don't be stunned if she has the fifth spot Thursday morning.


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1) The Imitation Game (1) (2)
2) Gone Girl (2) (6)
3) The Theory of Everything (3) (3)
4) Wild (4) (8)
5) American Sniper (7) (4)

6) Inherent Vice (5) (5)
7) Whiplash (NR)
8) Unbroken (6) (1)
9) Into the Woods (8) (7)
10) Still Alice (9)

Comment:  The revelation that "Whiplash" was categorized by The Academy as an Adapted script has this and the Original Screenplay race reflecting a new reality at the 11th hour.  Next to JK Simmons, a screenplay nomination has always been the second best possibility for a "Whiplash" Oscar nomination.  So, it shows up here at #7 in its first appearance in the category it will actually be eligible for.   I suspect it gets a nomination here and bumps "Wild" or "Sniper".



BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1) Boyhood (1) (2)
2) Birdman (2) (1)
3) The Grand Budapest Hotel (3) (4)
4) Nightcrawler (6)
5) Selma (5) (9)

6) Foxcatcher (7) (3)
7) Mr. Turner (8) (5)
8) A Most Violent Year (9) (7)
9) The LEGO Movie (10)
10) Wild Tales (11)

Comment:  "Whiplash's" departure from this category opens a chance for "Foxcatcher" to hop back in.


ANIMATED FEATURE

1) The LEGO Movie
2) How to Train a Your Dragon 2
3) Big Hero 6
4) The Boxtrolls
5) The Story of Princess Kaguya

6) The Book of Life
7) The Song of the Sea
8) Rio 2
9) Cheatin'
10) The Penguins of Madagascar

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE



1)  Citizenfour
2) Life Itself
3) Keep On Keepin' On
4) The Last Days of Vietnam
5) The Overnighters

6) The Case Against 8
7) Virunga
8) Finding Vivan Maier
9) Tales of the Grim Sleeper
10) Salt of the Earth


Foreign Language Film



1) Ida (TFF #40)
2) Wild Tales 
3) Force Majeure
4) Leviathan
5) Timbuktu

6) Tangerines
7) The Liberator
8) Accused
9) Corn Island


CINEMATOGRAPHY



1) Birdman
2) Mr. Turner
3) Unbroken
4) Interstellar
5) The Theory of Everything

6) Selma
7) The Grand Budapest Hotel
8) Gone Girl
9) A Most Violent Year
10) Into the Woods


COSTUMES



1) Into the Woods
2) Mr. Turner
3) The Grand Budapest Hotel
4) Malificent
5) Selma

6) Big Eyes
7) The Imitation Game
8) The Theory of Everything
9) Exodus; Gods and Kings
10) Inherent Vice


FILM EDITING



1) Boyhood
2) Birdman
3) The Imitation Game
4) Whiplash
5) Gone Girl

6) Selma
7) Unbroken
8) Foxcatcher
9) Interstellar
10) American Sniper


BEST MAKEUP/HAIR



1) The Grand Budapest Hotel
2) Guardians of the Galaxy
3) Foxcatcher

4) Malificent
5) The Theory of Everything
6) Noah
7) The Amazing Spiderman 2


ORIGINAL SCORE



1) The Theory of Everything
2) The Imitation Game
3) Interstellar
4) Gone Girl
5) Unbroken

6) The Grand Budapest Hotel
7) The Judge
8) The Homesman
9) How to Train Your Dragon 2
10) Fury


ORIGINAL SONG


1) Glory/Selma
2) Lost Stars/Begin Again
3) Everything is Awesome/The LEGO Movie
4) Mercy is/Noah
5) Big Eyes/ Big Eyes

6) Miracle/Unbroken
7) Yellow Flicker Beat/Hunger Games; Mockingjay Part One
8) I'm not Gonna Miss You/Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
9) Split the Difference/Boyhood
10) Opportunity/Annie


PRODUCTION DESIGN



1) The Grand Budapest Hotel
2) Into the Woods
3) Mr. Turner
4) Birdman
5) The Imitation Game

6) Interstellar
7) Malificent
8) Unbroken
9) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
10) Snowpiercer


SOUND EDITING



1) Interstellar
2) Fury
3) Unbroken
4) Godzilla
5) Birdman

6) American Sniper
7) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
8) Guardians of the Galaxy
9) Transformers 4
10) Into the Woods


SOUND MIXING

1) Into the Woods
2) Unbroken
3) Transformers 4
4) Interstellar
5) Get On Up

6) Fury
7) American Sniper
8) Whiplash
9) Guardians of the Galaxy
10) The Hobbit; The Battle of the Five Armies

VISUAL EFFECTS

1) Interstellar
2) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
3) Guardians of the Galaxy
4) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
5) Godzilla

6) Transformers 4
7) X-Men: Days of Future Past
8) Malificent
9) Captain America; The Winter Soldier
10) Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb


NOTE: There appears, in the late going, to be a surge in "American Sniper's" direction.  A lot of pundits now think it's a likely Best Picture nomination and potentially more.  Don't be surprised if it pops up Thursday morning.  "Sniper"  could see as many as seven nominations.  


TELLURIDE #41 OSCAR BREAKDOWN



If The FAC was 100% accurate (and it's NOT...remember, past experience has shown The FAC to be 75-80% accurate on Oscar nomination morning with about 80% of the "misses' coming from the #6 spot in each category...except for Best Picture, of course)...

Anyway, if The FAC is 100% accurate, here's what would be the breakdown:

Telluride #41 Films would have 28 nominations ("Ida" in foreign film would go back to add to the TFF #40 total...which sits at 34 as a result) with another 12 possibilities.

They'd be spread as such:

"Birdman" Ten nominations (the most of any film and likely the only film with double digit nominations): Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Production Design and Sound Editing.  

"The Imitation Game" Eight nominations (the second largest number of nominations of any film):  Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Original Score and Production Design.  It could also be nominated for Best Costumes.

"Mr. Turner" Three nominations: Cinematography, Costumes and Production Design.  "Turner" could also get into the act with nominations for Best Actor and Original Screenplay.

"Foxcatcher" Two nominations: Supporting Actor and Makeup/Hair.  "Foxcatcher" has one of the larger "possibility" profiles of any film with "maybes" for Picture, Director, Actor, Original Screenplay and Film Editing.

"Wild": Two nominations: Actress and Original Screenplay.  Also a "maybe" for: Supporting Actress.

Foreign Films : "Wild Tales" and "Leviathan" with the aforementioned TFF #40 title, "Ida", a likely nominee.

Documentary Feature:  "Keep on Keepin' On" looks like a a nominees with "Tales of the Grim Sleeper" and "Salt of the Earth" as also possibles.  You can semi-add "Life Itself" as it screened in Telluride the night before the festival opened in Elks Park.

Two other TFF titles have possible Oscar nominations.  "The Homesman" is still in the mix for Best Actress and Best Original Score and "Two Days, One Night" could also see a Best Actress nomination for Marion Cotillard.

Non-Telluride films are led by "Boyhood", "Selma", "The Theory of Everything" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel" all with six probable nominations.

Expected to get five noms are: "Unbroken", "Interstellar" and "Gone Girl"

Four noms to" "Whiplash" and "Into the Woods"

Two nominations for: "The LEGO Movie", "How to Train Your Dragon 2", "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Godzilla"


FINAL PREDICTIONS FROM THE EXPERTS

I've linked someof final Oscar predictions from experts.  I'll update this list throughout the day so check back...

Peter Knegt of IndieWire:

 http://www.indiewire.com/article/for-your-consideration-final-2015-oscar-nomination-predictions-20150113


Tomris Laffly of Popcorn Business:




Kris Tapley and Greg Ellwood at HitFix/InContention:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/final-predictions-for-the-2015-oscar-nominations


Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/final-oscar-nomination-predictions-20150114

Jenelle Reilly/Variety:

http://variety.com/2015/film/awards/oscar-nomination-predictions-2015-1201405074/

Steve Pond/The Wrap:

http://www.thewrap.com/oscar-nomination-predictions-can-jennifer-aniston-and-jake-gyllenhaal-find-a-way-in/

Brad Brevet/Rope of Silcon:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/final-2015-oscar-nomination-predictions/


Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/awards/predictions/nominees/oscars/2015/oscars1142015


Sasha Stone/Awards Daily:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2015/01/awardsdailys-final-oscar-predictions/

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

FLASH: Directors Guild: Anderson, Eastwood, Inarritu, Linklater and Tyldum

DGA Nominates:  Wes Anderson/The Grand Budapest Hotel, Clint Eastwood/American Sniper, Alejandro Inarritu/Birdman, Richard Linklater/Boyhood and Morten Tyldum/The Imitation Game.

Monday, January 12, 2015

Golden Globes Results/Film Awards Clearinghouse Vol. 8-The Major Categories/BAFTA Nominations

Good Monday Everyone,


GOLDEN GLOBE RESULTS



Here are the results from last night's Golden Globe ceremony:

Best Pic Drama: Boyhood
Best Pic Comedy/Musical: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Actor Drama: Eddie Redmayne/Theory of Everything
Best Actress Drama: Julianne Moore/Still Alice
Best Actor Comedy/Musical: Michael Keaton/Birdman
Best Actress Comedy/Musical: Amy Adams/Big Eyes
Best Supporting Actor: JK Simmons/Whiplash
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette/Boyhood
Best Director: Richard Linklater/Boyhood
Best Screenplay: Birdman
Best Original Score: The Theory of Everything
Best Animated Film: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Best Foreign Language Film: Leviathan
Best Original Song: Glory from Selma


Of course, these results have no chance to impact the Oscar nominations because the nominating voting closed long before the GG ceremony last night.  These results could carry a bit of weight as Academy members get ready for the second wave of voting from Thursday's announced nominees for the actual Oscar winners.


Surprises from last night: "Grand Budapest's" Best Comedy/Musical win.  "How to Train Your Dragon 2" beating "the LEGO Movie" for Best Animated Film, "Leviathan" upsetting "Ida" for Best Foreign Language Film and "Birdman" edging "Boyhood" for Best Screenplay.


Recall that Telluride had 18 GG nominations total going into the ceremony last night:



"Birdman" led all films with seven nominations (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay and Score).

"The Imitation Game" had five (Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay and Score).

"Foxcatcher" was nominated three times (Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor).

Single nominations were captured by "Wild" "Ida" and "Leviathan".

Last night Telluride films won three Golden Globes:"Birdman's" Michael Keaton won Best Actor Comedy/Musical and the film also won Best Screenplay.  "Leviathan" won Best Foreign Language Film.

At the end of the evening Boyhood won three Globes: Best Pic/Drama, Director and Supporting Actress.  "Birdman" won two: Actor/Comedy-Musical and Screenplay.  "Theory of Everything" won two: Actor/Drama and Original Score.  No other film won more than a single Globe.  Tough night for "The Imitation Game" which went 0 for 5.

FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE VOL.8-THE MAJOR CATEGORIES

Here's the next to last posting prior to Oscar nomination morning on Thursday.  I'll post the final FAC on Wednesday morning.

The FAC uses the published predictions of the following to develop its list of likely Oscar nominees:

Kristopher Tapley/InContention/HitFix
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Bred Brevet/Rope of Silicon
Nathaniel Rogers/Film Experience
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood
Peter Knegt/IndieWire
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter


Telluride #41 films are Bold (with their last rating in parentheses followed by the original FAC ranking from Vol 1. back on  ).

Today, I update the eight major categories:

BEST PICTURE



1) Boyhood (1) (2)
2) Birdman (2) (1)
3) The Imitation Game (3) (3)
4) The Theory of Everything (5) (6)
5) Selma (4)
6) The Grand Budapest Hotel (6) (10)
7) Whiplash (7)
8) Gone Girl (9) (8)
9) Nightcrawler (11)

If The Academy follows form from the last three years, this would be the cut off at nine nominations.

10) American Sniper (13)
11) Foxcatcher (10) (4)
12) Unbroken (8) (5)
13) Into the Woods (12)
14) Interstellar (14) (7)
15) Mr. Turner (15) (9)


Comment:"Selma" seems to be taking a small hit in the estimation of this collective of Oscarologists probably due the lack of a PGA nomination and The BAFTA snubbing that happened earlier this week.  "Nightcrawler" and "American Sniper" both seem to have realistic chances to get a Best Picture nomination although I continue to cross my fingers for Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher".

"Unbroken's" fall from favor appears to be complete.


BEST DIRECTION

1) Richard Linklater/Boyhood (1) (2)
2) Alejandro Inarritu/Birdman (2) (1)
3) Ava DuVernay/Selma (3)
4) Morten Tyldum/The Imitation Game (4) (6)
5) Wes Anderson/The Grand Budapest Hotel (5) (9)

6) David Fincher/Gone Girl (6)
7) Damien Chazelle/Whiplash (7)
8) Clint Eastwood/American Sniper (9)
9) Bennett Miller/Foxcatcher (8) (3)
10) James Marsh/The Theory of Everything (13)

Comment: The "Selma" slide doesn't show any effect in this category.  Marsh rebounds a little and Jolie seems to be done.


BEST ACTOR



1) Michael Keaton/Birdman (1) (1)
2) Eddie Redmayne/The Theory of Everything (2) (4)
3) Benedict Cumberbatch/The Imitation Game (4) (2)
4) David Oyelowo/Selma (3) (6)
5) Jake Gyllenhaal/Nightcrawler (5)

6) Steve Carell/Foxcatcher (6) (3)
7) Ralph Fiennes/The Grand Budapest Hotel (8) (7)
8) Timothy Spall/Mr. Turner(7) (5)
9) Bradley Cooper/American Sniper (9)
10) Oscar Isaac/A Most Violent Year (10)

Comment:  Oyelowo may have suffered a bit.  Top three seem to be solid and then the next four: Oyelowo, Gyllenhaal, Carell and Fiennes fighting for that last two spots.


BEST ACTRESS

1) Julianne Moore/Still Alice (1) (8)
2) Reese Witherspoon/Wild (2) (1)
3) Felicity Jones/The Theory of Everything (3) (4)
4) Rosamund Pike/Gone Girl (4) (3)
5) Jennifer Aniston/Cake (5)

6) Amy Adams/Big Eyes (7) (2)
7) Marion Cotillard/Two Days, One Night (6)
8) Hilary Swank/The Homesman (8) (6)
9) Emily Blunt/Into the Woods (9)
10) Shailene Woodley/The Fault in Our Stars (10) (7)


Comment: The category may be locked with these top five.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1) JK Simmons/Whiplash (1) (1)
2) Edward Norton/Birdman (2) 
3) Ethan Hawke/Boyhood (3) (4)
4) Mark Ruffalo/Foxcatcher (4) (3)
5) Robert Duvall/The Judge (5) (8)

6) Josh Brolin/Inherent Vice (6) (5)
7) Tom Wilkinson/Selma (7) (7)
8) Miyavi/Unbroken (8)
9) Christoph Waltz/Big Eyes (9)
10) Steve Carell/Foxcatcher (NR)

Comment:  Carell's nomination in this category by the Brits sent up a flare that there could be some sentiment that he should be in the same category on Thursday morning and so, for the first time, he appears in Supporting.  Honestly, though, the top five are really solid.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS



1) Patricia Arquette/Boyhood (1) (1)
2) Emma Stone/Birdman (3) (4)
3) Kiera Knightley/The Imitation Game (4) (2)
4) Meryl Streep/Into the Woods (2)
5) Jessica Chastain/A Most Violent Year (5) (8)

6) Laura Dern/Wild (6) (3)
7) Rene Russo/Nightcrawler (10)
8) Tilda Swinton/Snowpiercer (7)
9) Naomi Watts/St. Vincent (8)
10) Carmen Ejogo/Selma (9) (9)

Comment:  Meryl Streep with a late slide...giving Laura Dern a bit of life.  Rene Russo is also very, very hot.  Don't be stunned if she has the fifth spot Thursday morning.


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1) The Imitation Game (1) (2)
2) Gone Girl (2) (6)
3) The Theory of Everything (3) (3)
4) Wild (4) (8)
5) American Sniper (7) (4)

6) Inherent Vice (5) (5)
7) Whiplash (NR)
8) Unbroken (6) (1)
9) Into the Woods (8) (7)
10) Still Alice (9)

Comment:  The revelation that "Whiplash" was categorized by The Academy as an Adapted script has this and the Original Screenplay race reflecting a new reality at the 11th hour.  Next to JK Simmons, a screenplay nomination has always been the second best possibility for a "Whiplash" Oscar nomination.  So, it shows up here at #7 in its first appearance in the category it will actually be eligible for.   I suspect it gets a nomination here and bumps "Wild" or "Sniper".



BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1) Boyhood (1) (2)
2) Birdman (2) (1)
3) The Grand Budapest Hotel (3) (4)
4) Nightcrawler (6)
5) Selma (5) (9)
6) Foxcatcher (7) (3)
7) Mr. Turner (8) (5)
8) A Most Violent Year (9) (7)
9) The LEGO Movie (10)
10) Wild Tales (11)

Comment:  "Whiplash's" departure from this category opens a chance for "Foxcatcher" to hop back in.


BAFTA NOMINATIONS




As mentioned above, The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced their nominations earlier this week.  BAFTA is thought to give some insight as there is a significant dual membership with The Academy.  Here are The BAFTA nominations( Telluride #40 and #41 films nominated are Bold.  TFF has films with a combined 35 BAFTA nominations):



The complete list of this year's BAFTA Awards nominees is as follows:
BEST FILM


"Birdman," Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, James W. Skotchdopole

"Boyhood," Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland
"The Grand Budapest Hotel," Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson
"The Imitation Game," Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman
"The Theory of Everything," Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
"’71," Yann Demange, Angus Lamont, Robin Gutch, Gregory Burke
"The Imitation Game," Morten Tyldum, Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman, Graham Moore

"Paddington," Paul King, David Heyman
"Pride," Matthew Warchus, David Livingstone, Stephen Beresford
"The Theory of Everything," James Marsh, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten
"Under the Skin," Jonathan Glazer, James Wilson, Nick Wechsler, Walter Campbell

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
Elaine Constantine (Writer/Director), "Northern Soul"
Gregory Burke (Writer), Yann Demange (Director), "’71"
Hong Khaou (Writer/Director), "Lilting"
Paul Katis (Director/Producer), Andrew de Lotbinere (Producer), "Kajaki: The True Story"
Stephen Beresford (Writer), David Livingstone (Producer), "Pride"

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE



"Ida," Pawel Pawlikowski, Eric Abraham, Piotr Dzieciol, Ewa Puszczynska
"Leviathan," Andrey Zvyagintsev, Alexander Rodnyansky, Sergey Melkumov
"The Lunchbox," Ritesh Batra, Arun Rangachari, Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga

"Trash," Stephen Daldry, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Kris Thykier
"Two Days, One Night," Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd

DOCUMENTARY
"20 Feet from Stardom," Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, Gil Friesen
"20,000 Days on Earth," Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard
"CITIZENFOUR," Laura Poitras
"Finding Vivian Maier," John Maloof, Charlie Siskel
"Virunga," Orlando von Einsiedel, Joanna Natasegara

ANIMATED FILM
"Big Hero 6," Don Hall, Chris Williams
"The Boxtrolls," Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable
"The LEGO Movie," Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

DIRECTOR
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, "Birdman"
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
James Marsh, "The Theory of Everything"
Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY"Birdman," Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo
"Boyhood," Richard Linklater
"The Grand Budapest Hotel," Wes Anderson
"Nightcrawler," Dan Gilroy
"Whiplash," Damien Chazelle

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY



"American Sniper," Jason Hall
"Gone Girl," Gillian Flynn
"The Imitation Game," Graham Moore
"Paddington," Paul King
"The Theory of Everything," Anthony McCarten

LEADING ACTOR
Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"
Ralph Fiennes, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Nightcrawler"
Michael Keaton, "Birdman"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

 LEADING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, "Big Eyes"
Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"
Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"
Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

SUPPORTING ACTOR



Steve Carrell, "Foxcatcher"
Edward Norton, "Birdman"

Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"
Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"
J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emma Stone, "Birdman"
Imelda Staunton, "Pride"
Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"
Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
Rene Russo, "Nightcrawler"

ORIGINAL MUSIC
"Birdman," Antonio Sanchez
"The Grand Budapest Hotel," Alexandre Desplat
"Interstellar," Hans Zimmer
"The Theory of Everything," Jóhann Jóhannsson
"Under the Skin," Mica Levi

CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Birdman," Emmanuel Lubezki
"The Grand Budapest Hotel," Robert Yeoman
"Ida," Lukasz Zal, Ryzsard Lenczewski
"Interstellar," Hoyte van Hoytema
"Mr. Turner," Dick Pope

EDITING
Due to a tie in voting in this category, there are six nominatio
ns
"Birdman," Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione
"The Grand Budapest Hotel," Barney Pilling
"The Imitation Game," William Goldenberg
"Nightcrawler," John Gilroy
"The Theory of Everything," Jinx Godfrey
"Whiplash," Tom Cross

PRODUCTION DESIGN



"Big Eyes," Rick Heinrichs, Shane Vieau
"The Grand Budapest Hotel," Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock
"The Imitation Game," Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald
"Interstellar," Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis
"Mr. Turner," Suzie Davies, Charlotte Watts 

COSTUME DESIGN
"The Grand Budapest Hotel," Milena Canonero
"The Imitation Game," Sammy Sheldon Differ
"Into the Woods," Colleen Atwood
"Mr. Turner," Jacqueline Durran
"The Theory of Everything," Steven Noble


MAKE UP & HAIR
"The Grand Budapest Hotel," Frances Hannon
"Guardians of the Galaxy," Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, David White
"Into the Woods," Peter Swords King, J. Roy Helland
"Mr. Turner," Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener
"The Theory of Everything," Jan Sewell

SOUND
"American Sniper," Walt Martin, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman
"Birdman," Thomas Varga, Martin Hernández, Aaron Glascock, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño
"The Grand Budapest Hotel," Wayne Lemmer, Christopher Scarabosio, Pawel Wdowczak
"The Imitation Game," John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Stuart Hilliker, Martin Jensen
"Whiplash," Thomas Curley, Ben Wilkins, Craig Mann

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Erik Winquist, Daniel Barrett
"Guardians of the Galaxy," Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner, Nicolas Aithadi
"The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies," Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, R. Christopher White
"Interstellar," Paul Franklin, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley
"X-Men: Days of Future Past," Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Tim Crosbie, Cameron Waldbauer


BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
"The Bigger Picture," Chris Hees, Daisy Jacobs, Jennifer Majka
"Monkey Love Experiments," Ainslie Henderson, Cam Fraser, Will Anderson
"My Dad," Marcus Armitage

BRITISH SHORT FILM
"Boogaloo and Graham," Brian J. Falconer, Michael Lennox, Ronan Blaney
"Emotional Fusebox," Michael Berliner, Rachel Tunnard
"The Karaman Line," Campbell Beaton, Dawn King, Tiernan Hanby, Oscar Sharp
"Slap," Islay Bell-Webb, Michelangelo Fano, Nick Rowland
"Three Brothers," Aleem Khan, Matthieu de Braconier, Stephanie Paeplow

THE EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Jack O'Connell
Margot Robbie
Miles Teller
Shailene Woodley




MORE ON WEDNESDAY....



Thursday, January 8, 2015

Guilds, Guilds, Guilds/More Anticipated 2015 Film Lists/Upsizing Downsizing/Oscar Podcast

Good Thursday World!

GUILDS, GUILDS, GUILDS

The run up to the Golden Globes on Sunday and Oscar nominations announcement coming next week on Jan. 15 has included a slew of Guild announcements over the past few days.

Producers, Art Directors, Cinematographers, Costumes and Writers...all of which are included in the links below.

The PGA announcement probably gave a much needed boost to "Foxcatcher" as well as "American Sniper", "Gone Girl" and "Nightcrawler".  Harmed by the lack of Producers' nominations were: "Interstellar", "Unbroken" and possibly "Selma" which, again, seems to have suffered from a lack of screeners.





Here's the list and the "take" from The Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/producers-guilds-film-nominees-go-761108

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/what-pga-nominations-mean-oscar-761122

Art Directors Guild nominations are here from The Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/grand-budapest-hotel-woods-art-760886

American Society of Cinematography nominees from Awards Daily: (Unbroken, Birdman, Imitation Game, Mr. Turner and Grand Budapest)

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2015/01/the-asc-announces-cinematography-nominees/

Costume Designers Guild from HitFix/InContention:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/selma-interstellar-into-the-woods-pick-up-costume-designers-guild-nominations


Writers Guild of America from Awards Daily:



http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2015/01/writers-guild-announce-nominations/

Only two films seem to have hit all the Guilds at this point (with the Directors Guild still to announce on Jan. 13th) and they are "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The Imitation Game".  A number of possible Oscar screen writing contenders were ineligible for WGA consideration: "Birdman", "Selma", "Theory of Everything" for example.


MORE ANTICIPATED 2015 FILM LISTS









More and more outlets are posting their hopes and dreams about films for 2015 and those lists give insight into possible TFF #42 titles.  Today I'm looking at HitFix, Anne Thompson and The Playlist.  HitFix posted an additional list...I had their overall list linked last Monday.  The new HitFix list is what they label 25 "Prestige" titles.  Meanwhile, Anne Thompson posted 45 anticipated 2015 films and The Playlist list is 100 titles long.  I have linked all three sources below.

Telluride possibilities that show up in all three lists are:



Justin Kurzel's "Macbeth" Why a TFF chance?  The Weinsteins and See Saw films as its producers.  See Saw has had "The King's Speech" "Shame" and "Tracks" at past TFFs.

Jeff Nichols' "Midnight Special"...I haven't mentioned this film in a Telluride context until now but HitFix's Kristopher Tapley specifically mentions Telluride as a possibility.



"Carol" from Todd Haynes.  Why TFF?  Haynes was at T-ride in 2007, it's from TWC.  There's a lot of thought that it could play Cannes which is often a precursor to a Telluride play.

Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" is on all three lists and on my T-ride watch list despite knowing that the window for QT to have it ready for Labor Day would be tight.  However, as I've written before, I have to believe that if a version of the film is ready and because he's filming 10 miles outside of of the 'Ride...despite the fact that he's never played Telluride...I think it could happen.



And Alejandro G. Ianrritu's "The Revenant".  Just like Tarantino, this is subject to tight timing as it's filming right now but I believe if Inarritu has a workable print, he'll play Telluride as he has for "Babel", "Biutiful" and "Birdman".


Telluride possibles that were named by both HitFix and The Playlist include:
Jean Marc Vallee's "Demolition" (HitFix suggests it's a Telluride possibility),
Gus Van Sant's "The Sea of Trees"...GVS was, at one time, a fairly common fixture at Telluride but hasn't had a film there since 2003's "Elephant",
Cary Fukunaga's "Beasts of No Nation"...HitFix calls it a Cannes possibility,
Derek Cianfrance's "The Light Between Oceans" mostly because Participant Media is one of the production firms behind it (and "Beasts" as well) and their films occasionally play Telluride,
Richard Linklater's "That's What I'm Talking About", his "spiritual sequel" to "Dazed and Confused" which I include here largely because of the HitFix perception that it'll be making the fest circuit,
Scott Cooper's "Black Mass" which HitFix calls a Telluride possibility.




Thompson and The Playlist both list Werner Herzog's "Queen of the Desert" on their respective lists. (frankly, I'd be more stunned if it DOESN'T play at Telluride) and Tom Tykwer's "A Hologram for the King" originally written by Telluride regular and past guest director Dave Eggers.

Single mentions from The Playlists' much longer list that I think have some T-ride potential:

"Suffragette", "The Last Face", "Forsaken", "Truth", "Tale of Tales", "Icon", "Spotlight", "Our Brand is Crisis" and "Sicario".

Here are the links to all three of these lists:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/25-most-anticipated-prestige-films-of-2015-hateful-eight-knight-of-cups-carol

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/45-films-were-looking-forward-to-in-2015-20150105

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-100-most-anticipated-films-of-2015-20150105



UPSIZING DOWNSIZING



A few weeks back I wrote about Alexander Payne's likely next directing gig.  The film is called "Downsizing" and is set to star Matt Damon and begin shooting this fall.  News broke yesterday that past Payne collaborator Reese Witherspoon (who I was this close to ...holds hands a foot apart...at this year's fest).  Witherspoon starred in Payne's "Election".  I've linked a number of posts about the casting announcement from yesterday:

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/reese-witherspoon-downsizing-casting-matt-damon-1201395244/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/reese-witherspoon-reunites-alexander-payne-761716

http://www.thewrap.com/reese-witherspoon-joins-matt-damon-in-alexander-paynes-downsizing/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/reese-witherspoon-is-back-on-for-alexander-paynes-sci-fi-social-satire-downsizing-20150107

Put this one down for TFF #43.

OSCAR PODCAST



As we round the turn toward Oscar nominations check out Sasha Stone's Awards Daily podcast for this week here:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/oscarpodcast/?p=6906




Monday, January 5, 2015

And Now for 2015: The Film Awards Clearinghouse Vol. 7 (21 Major Categories)/The Telluride #41 Oscar Breakdown/Updating the Opening T-ride #42 Salvo/Rudderless Kudos


Welcome to the first Monday of 2015...feels like it, doesn't it?

AND NOW FOR 2015: THE FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE VOL. 7 (21 MAJOR CATEGORIES)



Ten days from Oscar nominations and here's the most complete FAC of the season.   I'll try to get the Short Form Films before the nomination announcement.

The FAC uses the published predictions of the following to develop its list of likely Oscar nominees:

Kristopher Tapley/InContention/HitFix
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Bred Brevet/Rope of Silicon
Nathaniel Rogers/Film Experience
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood
Peter Knegt/IndieWire
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter


Telluride #41 films are Bold (with their last rating in parentheses were applicable).


BEST PICTURE



1) Boyhood (1)
2) Birdman (2)
3) The Imitation Game (3)
4) Selma (4)
5) The Theory of Everything (5)
6) The Grand Budapest Hotel (6)
7) Whiplash (7)
8) Unbroken (9)
9) Gone Girl (10)

Note here:  The Academy has nominated nine films in each of the last three years, so I'm calling this the cutoff point for a Best Picture nomination.  The other BP possibilities are:

10) Foxcatcher (8)
11) Nightcrawler (12)
12) Into the Woods (11)
13) American Sniper (NR)
14) Interstellar (13)
15) Mr. Turner (14)

Hot: "American Sniper" apparently has set well with some Academy screenings.

Not: "Foxcatcher" which seems to be too "cool" in tone and "A Most Violent Year".


DIRECTION



1) Richard Linklater/Boyhood (1)
2) Alejandro G. Inarritu/Birdman
3) Ava DuVernay/Selma (3)
4) Morten Tyldum/The Imitation Game (4)
5) Wes Anderson/The Grand Budapest Hotel (5)
6) David Fincher/Gone Girl (6)
7) Damien Chazelle/Whiplash (7)
8) Bennett Miller/Foxcatcher (8)
9) Clint Eastwood (NR)
10) Angelina Jolie/Unbroken (9)

Hot: Eastwood...underscoring the positive buzz around "Sniper"

Not: James Marsh/The Theory of Everything.


BEST ACTOR



1) Michael Keaton/Birdman (1)
2) Eddie Redmayne/The Theory of Everything (2)
3) David Oyelowo/Selma (4)
4) Benedict Cumberbatch/The Imitation Game (3)
5) Jake Gyllenhaal/Nightcrawler (6)
6) Steve Carell/Foxcatcher (5)
7) Timothy Spall/Mr. Turner (7)
8) Ralph Fiennes/The Grand Budapest Hotel (8)
9) Bradley Cooper/American Sniper (NR)
10) Oscar Isaac/A Most Violent Year (9)

Hot: Cooper/Sniper

Not: Chadwick Boseman/Get on Up


BEST ACTRESS



1) Julianne Moore/Still Alice (1)
2) Reese Witherspoon/Wild (2)
3) Felicity Jones/The Theory of Everything (3)
4) Rosamund Pike/Gone Girl (4)
5) Jennifer Aniston/Cake (5)
6) Marion Cotillard/Two Days, One Night (8)
7) Amy Adams/Big Eyes (6)
8) Hilary Swank/The Homesman (7)
9) Emily Blunt/Into the Woods (9)
10) Shailene Woodley/The Fault in Our Stars (10)

Hot: Cotillard

Not:  Adams and Swank who continue to slide, ever so slightly, out of the picture.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR



1) JK Simmons/Whiplash (1)
2) Edward Norton/Birdman (2)
3) Ethan Hawke/Boyhood (3)
4) Mark Ruffalo/Foxcatcher (4)
5) Robert Duvall/The Judge (5)
6) Josh Brolin/Inherent Vice (8)
7) Tom Wilkinson/Selma (6)
8) Miyavi/Unbroken (9)
9) Christoph Waltz/Big Eyes (7)
10) Chris Pine/Into the Woods (10)

Hot: Brolin

Not: Waltz


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS



1) Patricia Arquette/Boyhood (1)
2) Meryl Streep/Into the Woods (2)
3) Emma Stone/Birdman (3)
4) Kiera Knightley/The Imitation Game (4)
5) Jessica Chastain/A Most Violent Year (5)
6) Laura Dern/Wild (6)
7) Tilda Swinton/Snowpiercer (8)
8) Naomi Watts/St. Vincent (NR)
9) Carmen Ejogo/Selma (7)
10) Rene Russo/Nightcrawler (NR)

Hot: Wattts and Russo

Not: Ejogo, Anna Kendrick and Chastain's "Interstellar" performance.


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY



1) The Imitation Game (3)
2) Gone Girl (2)
3) The Theory of Everything (1)
4) Wild (4)
5) Inherent Vice (6)
6) Unbroken (8)
7) American Sniper (NR)
8) Into the Woods (9)
9) Still Alice (7)
10) Obvious Child (NR)

Hot: The Imitation Game. American Sniper and Obvious Child

Not: The Theory of Everything, Unbroken and Still Alice


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY



1)  Boyhood (1)
2) Birdman (2)
3) The Grand Budapest Hotel (5)
4)  Whiplash (3)
5) Selma (4)
6) Nightcrawler (NR)
7) Foxcatcher (6)
8) Mr. Turner (8)
9) A Most Violent Year (7)
10) The LEGO Movie (9)

Hot: The Grand Budapest and Nightcrawler

Not: A Most Violent Year and Wild Tales


ANIMATED FEATURE

1) The LEGO Movie
2) How to Train a Your Dragon 2
3) Big Hero 6
4) The Boxtrolls
5) The Story of Princess Kaguya
6) The Book of Life
7) The Song of the Sea
8) Rio 2
9) Cheatin'
10) The Penguins of Madagascar

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE



1)  Citizenfour
2) Life Itself
3) Keep On Keepin' On
4) The Last Days of Vietnam
5) The Overnighters
6) The Case Against 8
7) Virunga
8) Finding Vivan Maier
9) Tales of the Grim Sleeper
10) Salt of the Earth


Foreign Language Film



1) Ida (TFF #40)
2) Wild Tales 
3) Force Majeure
4) Leviathan
5) Timbuktu
6) Tangerines
7) The Liberator
8) Accused
9) Corn Island


CINEMATOGRAPHY



1) Birdman
2) Mr. Turner
3) Unbroken
4) Interstellar
5) The Theory of Everything
6) Selma
7) The Grand Budapest Hotel
8) Gone Girl
9) A Most Violent Year
10) Into the Woods


COSTUMES



1) Into the Woods
2) Mr. Turner
3) The Grand Budapest Hotel
4) Malificent
5) Selma
6) Big Eyes
7) The Imitation Game
8) The Theory of Everything
9) Exodus; Gods and Kings
10) Inherent Vice


FILM EDITING



1) Boyhood
2) Birdman
3) The Imitation Game
4) Whiplash
5) Gone Girl
6) Selma
7) Unbroken
8) Foxcatcher
9) Interstellar
10) American Sniper


Makeup/Hair



1) The Grand Budapest Hotel
2) Guardians of the Galaxy
3) Foxcatcher
4) Malificent
5) The Theory of Everything
6) Noah
7) The Amazing Spiderman 2


ORIGINAL SCORE



1) The Theory of Everything
2) The Imitation Game
3) Interstellar
4) Gone Girl
5) Unbroken
6) The Grand Budapest Hotel
7) The Judge
8) The Homesman
9) How to Train Your Dragon 2
10) Fury


ORIGINAL SONG


1) Glory/Selma
2) Lost Stars/Begin Again
3) Everything is Awesome/The LEGO Movie
4) Mercy is/Noah
5) Big Eyes/ Big Eyes
6) Miracle/Unbroken
7) Yellow Flicker Beat/Hunger Games; Mockingjay Part One
8) I'm not Gonna Miss You/Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
9) Split the Difference/Boyhood
10) Opportunity/Annie


PRODUCTION DESIGN



1) The Grand Budapest Hotel
2) Into the Woods
3) Mr. Turner
4) Birdman
5) The Imitation Game
6) Interstellar
7) Malificent
8) Unbroken
9) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
10) Snowpiercer


SOUND EDITING



1) Interstellar
2) Fury
3) Unbroken
4) Godzilla
5) Birdman
6) American Sniper
7) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
8) Guardians of the Galaxy
9) Transformers 4
10) Into the Woods


SOUND MIXING

1) Into the Woods
2) Unbroken
3) Transformers 4
4) Interstellar
5) Get On Up
6) Fury
7) American Sniper
8) Whiplash
9) Guardians of the Galaxy
10) The Hobbit; The Battle of the Five Armies

VISUAL EFFECTS

1) Interstellar
2) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
3) Guardians of the Galaxy
4) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
5) Godzilla
6) Transformers 4
7) X-Men: Days of Future Past
8) Malificent
9) Captain America; The Winter Soldier
10) Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb


TELLURIDE #41 OSCAR BREAKDOWN



If The FAC was 100% accurate (and it's NOT...remember, past experience has shown The FAC to be 75-80% accurate on Oscar nomination morning with about 80% of the "misses' coming from the #6 spot in each category...except for Best Picture, of course)...

Anyway, if The FAC is 100% accurate, here's what would be the breakdown on Jan. 15:

Telluride #41 Films would have 28 nominations ("Ida" in foreign film would go back to add to the TFF #40 total...which sits at 34 as a result) with another 12 possibilities.

They'd be spread as such:

"Birdman" Ten nominations (the most of any film and likely the only film with double digit nominations): Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Production Design and Sound Editing.  

"The Imitation Game" Eight nominations (the second largest number of nominations of any film):  Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Original Score and Production Design.  It could also be nominated for Best Costumes.

"Mr. Turner" Three nominations: Cinematography, Costumes and Production Design.  "Turner" could also get into the act with nominations for Best Actor and Original Screenplay.

"Foxcatcher" Two nominations: Supporting Actor and Makeup/Hair.  "Foxcatcher" has one of the larger "possibility" profiles of any film with "maybes" for Picture, Director, Actor, Original Screenplay and Film Editing.

"Wild": Two nominations: Actress and Original Screenplay.  Also a "maybe" for: Supporting Actress.

Foreign Films : "Wild Tales" and "Leviathan" with the aforementioned TFF #40 title, "Ida", a likely nominee.

Documentary Feature:  "Keep on Keepin' On" looks like a a nominees with "Tales of the Grim Sleeper" and "Salt of the Earth" as also possibles.  You can semi-add "Life Itself" as it screened in Telluride the night before the festival opened in Elks Park.

Two other TFF titles have possible Oscar nominations.  "The Homesman" is still in the mix for Best Actress and Best Original Score and "Two Days, One Night" could also see a Best Actress nomination for Marion Cotillard.

Non-Telluride films are led by "Boyhood", "Selma", "The Theory of Everything" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel" all with six probable nominations.

Expected to get five noms are: "Unbroken", "Interstellar" and "Gone Girl"

Four noms to" "Whiplash" and "Into the Woods"

Two nominations for: "The LEGO Movie", "How to Train Your Dragon 2", "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Godzilla"

The film with most "possible" nominations without currently sitting in ANY nomination spot is "American Sniper" with seven possibilities.  I'll bet it gets some on Jan. 15th.

I'll provide some updates in the next couple of posts on the major categories and a FINAL FAC on Jan 14.


UPDATING THE OPENING T-RIDE #42 SALVO



On Dec. 29th I posted a link to a Jeffrey Wells/Hollywood Elsewhere piece about anticipated films for 2015 and any clues therein about potential TFF #42 titles.  Wells re-visited the topic days later with more film and information, so I'm doing the same.  Wells' updated musings are here:



I posted both Inarritu's "The Revenant" and Cooper's "Black Mass" as initial TFF possibilities from Wells' original list.  Now, from his expanded list, let's add:

David Gordon Green's "Our Brand is Crisis".  Warner Brothers is distributing and, as I wrote in the Dec. 29th post, I think WB will back in Telluride this fall with something.  It's also produced, in part, by George Clooney, thereby invoking my "Unified Clooney Theory".

"Demolition" from "Wild" director Jean Marc Vallee and Fox Searchlight.  Jake Gyllenhaal comes to Telluride?  Maybe.  If the film's any good, Gylly could be in serious Oscar consideration again this time next year.

Todd Haynes "Carol" which I mentioned earlier this year as a TFF #41 possibility.  The Weinsteins have the distribution and Haynes played in Telluride in 2007 with "I'm Not Here".  Please invite Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara...thank you.

"The Hateful Eight".  Quentin Tarantino is shooting this outside of Telluride right now.  Weinsteins have the distribution.  Though QT wouldn't normally be on the Telluride potential list, I find it hard to believe that, if it's ready, he'd fail to unveil it in the town that hosted the actual making of the film.

Werner Herzog's "Queen of the Desert"...My expectation at this point is that it'll play either Cannes or Venice and then Telluride.

"Macbeth" from Justin Kurzel, which I had in my 2014 Telluride speculation.  Now, I'm thinking maybe Cannes then Telluride in 2015.  It's also a Weinstein joint.


Also, the gang at HitFix posted their first attempt at laying out 40 films to anticipate for 2015.  You can find it here:



Titles included that echo the Wells post:

"Carol"
"The Revenant"
"Black Mass" (listed as "Untitled Whitey Bulger Project)
"The Hateful Eight"


RUDDERLESS KUDOS



William H. Macy's "Rudderless" (and MTFB obsession) made another end of 2014 top ten list.  This one from Zach Hollwedel at The Playlist: