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October 15, 2012 10:31 AM
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Previewing the Gotham Award Nominations: Which Films Will Make The Cut Thursday?
Do they even qualify? Maybe. Though some, like British production "Anna Karenina," Spanish production "The Impossible," and studio releases like "Argo" and "Looper," we can probably count out for sure.
• Nicolas Jarecki's "Arbitrage" (FILM PAGE)
• Benh Zeitlin's "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (FILM PAGE)
• Richard Linklater's "Bernie" (FILM PAGE)
• Craig Zobel's "Compliance" (FILM PAGE)
• Whit Stilman's "Damsels in Distress" (FILM PAGE)
• Ira Sachs' "Keep The Lights On" (FILM PAGE)
• Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" (FILM PAGE)
• Ava DuVernay's "Middle of Nowhere" (FILM PAGE)
• Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" (FILM PAGE)
• David Chase's "Not Fade Away" (FILM PAGE)
• Stephen Chbosky's "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (FILM PAGE)
• Gus Van Sant's "Promised Land" (FILM PAGE)
• Jake Schreier's "Robot and Frank" (FILM PAGE)
• Colin Trevorrow's "Safety Not Guaranteed" (FILM PAGE)
• Ben Lewin's "The Sessions" (FILM PAGE)
• Mike Birbiglia's "Sleepwalk With Me" (FILM PAGE)
• James Ponsoldt's "Smashed" (FILM PAGE)
• Zal Batmanglij's "Sound of My Voice" (FILM PAGE)
• Lynn Shelton's "Your Sister's Sister" (FILM PAGE)
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And then there's the "breakthrough" categories (actor and filmmaker), which has been confusing in the past: Greta Gerwig was considered a "breakthrough performance" for "Greenberg," despite being well known in the independent film world. Ben Foster was named for "The Messenger" in 2009, even though he'd had many notable previous roles.
That said, there's no shortage of possibilities this year in any category. Roughly, it seems like the best feature race could boil down to any of the following 20 films, baring any of them don't end up qualifying:
• Benh Zeitlin's "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (FILM PAGE)
• Richard Linklater's "Bernie" (FILM PAGE)
• Craig Zobel's "Compliance" (FILM PAGE)
• Whit Stilman's "Damsels in Distress" (FILM PAGE)
• Ira Sachs' "Keep The Lights On" (FILM PAGE)
• Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" (FILM PAGE)
• Ava DuVernay's "Middle of Nowhere" (FILM PAGE)
• Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" (FILM PAGE)
• David Chase's "Not Fade Away" (FILM PAGE)
• Stephen Chbosky's "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (FILM PAGE)
• Gus Van Sant's "Promised Land" (FILM PAGE)
• Jake Schreier's "Robot and Frank" (FILM PAGE)
• Colin Trevorrow's "Safety Not Guaranteed" (FILM PAGE)
• Ben Lewin's "The Sessions" (FILM PAGE)
• Mike Birbiglia's "Sleepwalk With Me" (FILM PAGE)
• James Ponsoldt's "Smashed" (FILM PAGE)
• Zal Batmanglij's "Sound of My Voice" (FILM PAGE)
• Lynn Shelton's "Your Sister's Sister" (FILM PAGE)
Also, remember these films come Independent Spirit Award time, as they should also make up the bulk of nominees there (save "The Master" and "Silver Linings" which definitely have budgets that exceed Spirit Award rules).
It's been a fantastic year for American independent film -- and perhaps a fairly Oscar friendly one as well.
Of the 20 noted, a few have significant chances at a best picture nomination come Oscar time ("Beasts of the Southern Wild," "The Master," "Silver Linings," and perhaps "Hitchcock," "Promised Land," though we haven't seen them yet). Sundance favorites like "Compliance," "Middle of Nowhere," and "Sleepwalk With Me might prove a little too independently minded for Academy tastes (especially given the multitude of heavyweight studio options not being mentioned here), but that is why awards like the Gothams and Spirits are important.
Just for fun, Indiewire took a stab at predicting tomorrow's nominations (though we didn't attempt the "best film not playing at a theater near you" category, if only because that one's ten times as impossible to figure out as the rest). You can find those predictions on the next page. Check back with us Thursday morning for the actual nominees.
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4 Comments
Michael | October 15, 2012 4:27 PM
Hey Peter - thanks for your response!
The Loneliest Planet was directed by an American citizen and produced by a Brooklyn based production company. How is it ineligible?
Michael | October 15, 2012 4:09 PM
Sad so few female directors are represented in the narrative categories.
Surprised Julia Loktev's The Loneliest Planet and Rick Alverson's The Comedy, both of which have had strong festival runs but don't open theatrically until later this month (The Loneliest Planet) and November (The Comedy) are not mentioned as contenders.
Slim | October 15, 2012 3:16 PM
Any good reason that "Killer Joe" isn't yet part of this discussion? It was decidedly indie, had some of the best reviews of the year, in particular for its ensemble cast, with Matthew McConaughey, Gina Gershon, and Juno Temple all getting the best notices of their careers so far. Plus, it was considered a comeback of sorts for a legendary director. (Personally, it was my favorite film of the year, so yeah, I'm advocating.)