BAFTA Longlists: "Emilia Pérez" rises, Jolie falls

by Cláudio Alves

Jacques Audiard's EMILIA PÉREZ scored 15 mentions in the BAFTA longlists.

Just when you think you're starting to get a grip on the season, here come the BAFTAs to throw a wrench into the proceedings. Well, in some cases, they just confirm what most already suspected. Consider the way Emilia Pérez dominates their longlists - an expected outcome if I've ever seen one - as well as the love for Conclave, Anora, The Brutalist, and a few others. The snubs are more glaring, like Angelina Jolie missing in the Best Actress final ten, or the complete shut-out of September 5 which, until now, seemed like a solid contender for at least three Oscar nominations – Picture, Original Screenplay, Editing. Truth be told, it might still get them all, but this is a stumble in their race for gold, nevertheless.

More commentary and the complete BAFTA longlists after the jump…

Please be aware that BAFTA did away with their jury save system for the nominations but not the longlists. Seven slots of each longlist go to the top vote-getters, and three are selected afterward by a jury. In Best Director, there are rules in place to secure gender parity in this phase of the vote.

Best Film 

• ANORA
• THE APPRENTICE
• THE BRUTALIST
• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• CONCLAVE
• DUNE: PART TWO
• EMILIA PÉREZ
• KNEECAP
• THE SUBSTANCE
• WICKED

The five to six Best Picture Oscar frontrunners made it as expected. A Complete Unknown continues its ascension, and The Substance proves its strength with more industry honors. Notably, A Real Pain and Sing Sing are absent, though not totally shut out of the longlists. As mentioned before, September 5 is absent altogether, while Nickel Boys managed only one nod down the line, unsurprisingly missing here. The big shockers, if we can call them that, are The Apprentice and Kneecap. I've always had a feeling that Abbasi's film would go down better with folks beyond American borders, and it's nice to be proven right, while Kneecap continues the blaze of glory that started earlier this season with its BIFA victories.

Best Director

• Jacques Audiard, EMILIA PÉREZ
• Sean Baker, ANORA
• Edward Berger, CONCLAVE
• Brady Corbet, THE BRUTALIST
• Coralie Fargeat, THE SUBSTANCE
• Nora Fingscheidt, THE OUTRUN
• Payal Kapadia, ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
• Ellen Kuras, LEE
• Alice Rorhrwacher, LA CHIMERA
• Denis Villeneuve, DUNE: PART TWO 

This feels like the end of the line for Ridley Scott. True, the demand for gender parity might have hurt his chances here, but he's a beloved figure of British cinema with seven BAFTA nominations to his name. On the other hand, you could argue that he was only once nominated for the Best Director BAFTA, so this might mean nothing. We shall see. In other news, due to eligibility rules and release differences worldwide, La Chimera gets a well-deserved mention here. 

Best Actress

• Marisa Abela, BACK TO BLACK
• Amy Adams, NIGHTBITCH
• Cynthia Erivo, WICKED
• Karla Sofía Gascón, EMILIA PÉREZ
• Marianne Jean-Baptiste, HARD TRUTHS
• Nicole Kidman, BABYGIRL
• Mikey Madison, ANORA
• Demi Moore, THE SUBSTANCE
• Saoirse Ronan, THE OUTRUN
• Kate Winslet, LEE

This race continues to be a volatile concoction, ready to explode at any moment. Angelina Jolie's snub is the big story here. However, it's worth mentioning that Spencer was completely ignored by BAFTA back in 2021, so they don't seem especially fond of Pablo Larraín's diva biopic project. Pamela Anderson's absence is almost as shocking, considering who else they shortlisted from The Last Showgirl. Alas, no Fernanda Torres will be alarming for most I'm Still Here fans, though they should face despair with a tinge of hope. Back in 2021, Penélope Cruz didn't make the BAFTA longlist, yet Sony Pictures Classics secured her that Oscar nomination. The same could happen to the Brazilian thespian. Indeed, since 2020, there has always been at least one acting nomination that materializes on Oscar morning after missing the BAFTA longlists. In Best Actress, those lucky ladies were Andra Day, the aforementioned Cruz, and Andrea Riseborough.

Best Actor

• Kingsley Ben-Adir, BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE
• Adrien Brody, THE BRUTALIST
• Timothée Chalamet, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• Daniel Craig, QUEER
• Colman Domingo, SING SING
• Ralph Fiennes, CONCLAVE
• Hugh Grant, HERETIC
• Jude Law, FIREBRAND
• Dev Patel, MONKEY MAN
• Sebastian Stan, THE APPRENTICE

I have a feeling Stan just earned himself a BAFTA nomination to match his Globes one, positioning The Apprentice as his main vehicle going into the Oscars. Let's see if the Academy voters bite, despite the controversy that would surely emerge from them doing so. In other news, on account of this race's more stable nature in comparison to Best Actress, there are no snubs to report, just delightful surprises. I'm especially chuffed at Patel and Law's presence. I guess the only significant exclusion is Cillian Murphy, who is even better in Small Things Like These than in the movie that got him the Oscar last season.

Best Supporting Actress

• Michele Austin, HARD TRUTHS
• Jamie Lee Curtis, THE LAST SHOWGIRL
• Selena Gomez, EMILIA PÉREZ
• Ariana Grande, WICKED
• Felicity Jones, THE BRUTALIST
• Adriana Paz, EMILIA PÉREZ
• Margaret Qualley, THE SUBSTANCE
• Isabella Rossellini, CONCLAVE
• Zoë Saldaña, EMILIA PÉREZ
• Emily Watson, SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE

At long last, an awards group remembers to honor the actual best performance in Emilia Pérez. Three cheers for Adriana Paz! Besides her inclusion, it's worth pointing out Curtis, who seemed like she could ride the coattails of her leading lady earlier in the season but now gets longlisted without Anderson to match. Danielle Deadwyler and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor's absence would be more meaningful if not for the BAFTAs' history. Ronan missing out with Blitz is compensated by her presence in the Best Actress longlist.

Best Supporting Actor

• Yura Borisov, ANORA
• Kieran Culkin, A REAL PAIN
• Harris Dickinson, BABYGIRL
• Mark Eydelshteyn, ANORA
• Clarence Maclin, SING SING
• Edward Norton, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• Guy Pearce, THE BRUTALIST
• Jeremy Strong, THE APPRENTICE
• Stanley Tucci, CONCLAVE
• Denzel Washington, GLADIATOR II 

Is this the year Denzel Washington finally gets nominated for a BAFTA? We'll have to wait and see, but his chances seem higher than usual. It's also worth pointing out that this is the BAFTA category where an Oscar contender often gets snubbed yet still shows up in the Academy's lineup. In recent years, this has happened to Sterling K. Brown, Brian Tyree Henry, Judd Hirsch, and Lakeith Stanfield. So, if you're hoping for a surprise nod for the September 5 men, Adam Pearson or others, don't despair. Hope is everlasting...well, until January 17th.

Best Casting

• ANORA
• THE APPRENTICE
• BACK TO BLACK
• BLITZ
• THE BRUTALIST
• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• CONCLAVE
• EMILIA PÉREZ
• KNEECAP
• WICKED 

Where is Sing Sing? Anyway, Kneecap ending up here despite casting its real-life subjects as themselves feels like a ballsy move, but I don't hate it. Saturday Night found dead in a ditch.

Best Original Screenplay

• ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
• ANORA
• THE APPRENTICE
• THE BRUTALIST
• CHALLENGERS
• CIVIL WAR
• HERETIC
• KNEECAP
• A REAL PAIN
• THE SUBSTANCE

This is a big get for All We Imagine as Light, and it's notable how Challengers still shows up despite an overall disappointing BAFTA longlist performance. Mike Leigh's Hard Truths is a noteworthy absence though, weirdly enough, AMPAS' writers branch is much fonder of the auteur than the British Academy. He wasn't BAFTA-nominated for either Another Year or Happy-Go-Lucky, for example.

Best Adapted Screenplay

• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• CONCLAVE
• DUNE: PART TWO
• EMILIA PÉREZ
• LEE
• NICKEL BOYS
• NIGHTBITCH
• THE OUTRUN
• SING SING
• WICKED

Nickel Boys gets its only mention here, which might mean nothing considering some of the BAFTAs' history. Indeed, Sing Sing is something of a surprise despite being well-positioned to get that Oscar nomination. That said, such fates might result from an exceptionally shallow pool of contenders. After all, Lee and Nightbitch made it, too. And yet, where is The Room Next Door?

Best Editing

• ANORA
• CHALLENGERS
• CIVIL WAR
• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• CONCLAVE
• DUNE: PART TWO
• EMILIA PÉREZ
• GLADIATOR II
• KNEECAP
• THE SUBSTANCE  

Kneecap would make such a fun nominee that I'm actually rooting for it at this point. September 5 would be the big snub here, if not for the fact it was shut out by the British Academy. Still, it's a likely Oscar contender, and its absence on nomination morning would be genuinely shocking.

Best Cinematography

• ANORA
• THE BRUTALIST
• CIVIL WAR
• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• CONCLAVE
• DUNE: PART TWO
• EMILIA PÉREZ
• GLADIATOR II
• NOSFERATU
• THE SUBSTANCE

A list so baffling, I'm surprised they didn't find space for Wicked's lousy lensing. Gladiator II? Really? Anyway, Nickel Boys misses here, which should ring alarm bells for those invested in that campaign. That said, I'm more surprised to see Blitz missing the longlist.

Best Production Design

• BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
• BLITZ
• THE BRUTALIST
• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• CONCLAVE
• DUNE: PART TWO
• GLADIATOR II
• NOSFERATU
• THE SUBSTANCE
• WICKED

A spectacular longlist, even with the Romans and folk singers included. Honestly, with how much they adored Emilia Pérez, it's notable that they didn't list it here. After all, despite its contemporary setting, the entire thing depends on studio-bound sets, actual Mexico a faraway mirage for the French filmmakers.

 

Best Costume Design 

• BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
• BLITZ
• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• CONCLAVE
• DUNE: PART TWO
• EMILIA PÉREZ
• FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA
• GLADIATOR II
• NOSFERATU
• WICKED 

Sad to see The Substance get ignored again, especially when they still found space to longlist Emilia Pérez. If that damned red suit earns it a Best Costume Design Oscar nomination, I might self-combust from outrage. Then again, it'd be nice to see more contemporary-set narratives triumph in this particular race.

Best Make-Up & Hair

• THE APPRENTICE
• BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
• BLITZ
• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• DUNE: PART TWO
• EMILIA PÉREZ
• JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX
• NOSFERATU
• THE SUBSTANCE
• WICKED 

Damn, the BAFTAs were truly uninterested in A Different Man. How you can look at both Stan vehicles and think The Apprentice has the best makeup is baffling to me, but the British Academy is accustomed to such bouts of insanity. Raise a glass to the handful of Joker: Folie à Deux fans out there. They got a rare win today.

Best Special Visual Effects

• ALIEN: ROMULUS
• BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
• BETTER MAN
• CIVIL WAR
• DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
• DUNE: PART TWO
• FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA
• GLADIATOR II
• KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
• WICKED 

So many CGI simians vying for gold this year, a strange but not unwelcome trend. In other news, I'm starting to wonder about Alien: Romulus which keeps popping up in these effects' categories, even when other, somewhat buzzier flicks, miss out.

Best Original Score 

• BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
• BLITZ
• THE BRUTALIST
• CONCLAVE
• EMILIA PÉREZ
• GLADIATOR II
• NOSFERATU
• THE OUTRUN
• THE SUBSTANCE
• THE WILD ROBOT 

Seeing The Substance here feels like the biggest indicator of how much the British Academy fell for Fargeat's body horror fantasia. Glad to see Blitz recognizd and the nightmarish howls of Nosferatu, too. Also, Wicked is notably absent after nabbing a surprise place in the Oscar shortlist, somehow meeting eligibility rules despite so much of John Powell's work being derived from the pre-existing songs and overture.

Best Sound

• BLITZ
• THE BRUTALIST
• CIVIL WAR
• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• CONCLAVE
• DUNE: PART TWO
• EMILIA PÉREZ
• GLADIATOR II
• THE SUBSTANCE
• WICKED 

Congrats to the British Academy for being better judges of sonic excellence than their American counterparts. This list is much more interesting than AMPAS', even as both skew toward music-centered pictures. I especially love the Civil War and Substance mentions. Talk about some sickening sound effects in the latter's case, so queasy that merely thinking about them might make your stomach churn uneasily.

Outstanding British Film 

• BACK TO BLACK
• BIRD
• BLITZ
• CIVIL WAR
• CONCLAVE
• GLADIATOR II
• HARD TRUTHS
• KNEECAP
• LEE
• LOVE LIES BLEEDING
• THE OUTRUN
• PADDINGTON IN PERU
• WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL
• WE LIVE IN TIME
• WICKED LITTLE LETTERS

All the usual suspects are accounted for, except for Better Man. I must also confess that I continue to be mystified by every bit of acclaim Back to Black manages to scrounge up. That misbegotten biopic might be my pick for worst of the year.

Best Animated Film 

• DESPICABLE ME 4
• FLOW
• INSIDE OUT 2
• MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
• MOANA 2
• THAT CHRISTMAS
• WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL
• THE WILD ROBOT 

No notable absences, though it's always sad to see how resistant the British Academy is to non-Anglophone animation. I imagine Flow got here through its overwhelming buzz and the fact it's silent rather than in a "foreign" language. This race needs more variety and fewer sequels.

Best Documentary

• THE BIBI FILES
• BLACK BOX DIARIES
• DAUGHTERS
• ELTON JOHN: NEVER TOO LATE
• I AM: CELINE DION
• MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL & PRESSBURGER
• NO OTHER LAND
• THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF IBELIN
• SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY
• WILL & HARPER 

It's always worth remembering just how unique the Academy's documentary branch truly is. They're almost alone in their rejection of celebrity-focused bio-like docs, as we can attest by comparing this list to the Oscar shortlist. That only makes the repeated titles all the more notable.

Best Film Not in the English Language

• ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
• BLACK DOG
• THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
• EMILIA PÉREZ
• FLOW
• THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE
• I'M STILL HERE
• KNEECAP
• LA CHIMERA
• THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

All We Imagine as Light, Black Dog, The Count of Monte Cristo, and La Chimera never got to compete for the Best International Film Oscar because their countries decided to submit other movies instead. The BAFTAs aren't ruled by the same process as AMPAS, so they're freer to recognize such works. For those hoping for world cinema to make a stronger impression this season, the way I'm Still Here and Seed of the Sacred Fig were only longlisted here is discouraging.

Outstanding Children's and Family Film

• FLOW
• KENSUKE'S KINGDOM
• PIECE BY PIECE
• SPELLBOUND
• THAT CHRISTMAS
• WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL
• THE WILD ROBOT
• YOUNG WOMAN AND THE SEA

This is a new category, making for a fascinating case study. Personally, I wager that if this race is to be dominated by animated films also vying for the other specialized awards, is it even worth the trouble? So far, it feels redundant.

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

• BRING THEM DOWN
• GRAND THEFT HAMLET
• HOARD
• KNEECAP
• MONKEY MAN
• ON FALLING
• SANTOSH
• SISTER MIDNIGHT
• THE TASTE OF MANGO
• THE TEACHER 

I'm overjoyed to see On Falling secure a mention from the BAFTAs, even if it doesn't go beyond this longlist stage. Same goes for Dev Patel's directorial debut, Monkey Man, whose merits were ignored by the British Academy apart from that Best Actor mention.

Outstanding British Short Animation

• ADIÓS
• MEE AND BURD
• MOG'S CHRISTMAS
• PLUNGE
• THREE HARES
• WANDER TO WONDER

It's always to see which shorts that compete for BAFTAs are also among the Oscar shortlists. In this case, we only find one point of overlap in Wander to Wonder.

Outstanding British Short Film

• THE BAN
• CLODAGH
• THE FLOWERS STAND SILENTLY, WITNESSING
• HOMEWORK
• MARION
• MILK
• ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS
• SISTER WIVES
• STOMACH BUG
• WOODLICE 

We find another connection between the Oscar shortlists and BAFTA longlists. AMPAS tends to like short films from the British Isles, which could spell good fortune in Clodagh's future.

What do you make of the BAFTA longlists? Tell us your favorite surprise inclusion and the snub that most saddened you.

Comments

[Mr Ripley79]

The Substance is really happening,I never thought it would be embraced so widely.

I now think Gascon is winning Best Actress,it is a significant thing for todays times and it doesn't bother me that she is trans like it seems to bother others,I thought she was fabulous in both the early male scenes and the later scenes and i'm no fan of the film.

Bafta has always liked Curtis but Anderson missing is a bit puzzling.

Marisa Abela is a shock for Best Actress but it is UK film with primary UK talent and has been out for months,I thought she was ok but never quite captured Amy.

Ronan got in for the right performance,Adams and Winslet have done better than most expected way back in October and both of them are great in their films.

I think The Room Next Door's chances are finished

Torres has a slim chance but Kidman and Baptisite just made themselves more viable for the 5th slot.

Why would it be controversial for someone doing his job by playing a real life person extremely well.

Pleased for Challengers in editing and Civil War in sound

I thought Moore was going to be stumbling here but it's Jolie who I never thought was a threat,she's fine in Maria but it's not the revelatory can't be denied performance I expected and the lip syncing would make RuPaul lose his wig.

The Brutalist is a snub for editing which is odd.

I'm glad Gladiator II missed out,it's ok as entertainment but it should not be near any awards inc Denzel who is hamming despite being entertaining.

Maclin nodded for Sing Sing shows the strength of his performance despite the film missing.

Alien Romulus is probably doing well due to it's use of practical sfx where possible.

I don't think Culkin is the slam dunk yet,Norton is waiting in the wings.

Best Actor is Fiennes vs Chalamet here.

[Robert G]

A crumb of appreciation for Love Lies Bleeding. Delicious.

[Fabio Dantas Flappers]

HIGHLIGHTS IMHO

Jamie Lee Curtis in, even with Anderson out. I told you so. She can surprise everyone.

Jolie out. Man, that's really great! The next will be Erivo. I can't believe these two will be nominated only for hype. They deserve noting!

"Challengers" missing original score? Really? Absurd! The same for "The Substance" missing Visual Effects.

And extremely sad for the lack of love for "A Real Pain".

In the end, "Colclave", "The Brutalist", "Emilia Pérez", "A Complete Unknown" and "The Substance" are extremely strong.
I was expecting "A Complete Unknown" recognition, not only in BAFTA, but in all major awards. But I never, never would expect "The Substance" going so so far... Really beyond expectations.

[Roge]

Worth mentioning that, despite ultimately getting zero nominations, KStew actually DID make the BAFTA longlist for Spencer, and the film got three other mentions: British Film, Costume Design, and Score. Jolie and Maria actually did get nothing.

[McGill]

I was happy to see Kingsley Ben-Adir for Bob Marley:One Love and Michelle Austin for Hard Truths.

Bob Marley: One Love and A Complete Unknown (Bob Dylan) seemed similar to me in quality and I liked them both. I did find One Love more moving and involving, and I preferred Ben-Adir’s intense deep dive to Chalamet (although again, liked them both, happy they are nominated).

And it’s nice to see Michelle Austin nominated as Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s sister in Hard Truths. It acknowledges the balance and depth Austin adds to the story.

I was sad to not see Agnieska Holland nominated for directing The Green Border. But perhaps distribution was different in the UK and the film opened last year?

And I was also a little sad that Marielle Heller missed a nomination for directing Nightbitch. But in directing and acting, when great skill is used to make things look easy, the artistry can be overlooked.

[Dave in Hollywood]

Guy Pearce missing out seems like a bigger snub to me than Angelina Jolie missing for Maria. I had him pegged as runner-up to Culkin in that category. And isn't Australian sort of honorary British?

[Mr Ripley79]

I never noticed the Pearce snub,I think he'll make it but am coming round to Norton being the Osar winner.

[Cláudio Alves]

Roge -- Thank you for mentioning that. It just highlights how much MARIA didn't resonate with BAFTA voters. Then again, it's also worth mentioning that, though EL CONDE was nominated for the Best Cinematography Oscar last season, it didn't appear in the BAFTA longlists at all.

Dave in Hollywood -- That was a mistake on my part. When transcribing the press release, I accidentally skipped over Pearce, leaving Best Supporting Actor with only nine finalists. After reading your comment, I fixed it. Thank you for your attentiveness.

Mr Ripley79 -- See my above response.

[Mr Ripley79]

Thankyou Claudio,I still think Norton is winning and wouldn't be surprised to see Denzel snubbed.

[Kris]

Are you absolutely sure that "Maria" was even submitted to BAFTA. I mean there are clear signs that neither that film nor for example "The room next door" were. Even if they had missed out these films in any other categories, they would not have missed The room next door's score in a shortlist of 10.
And in leading actress category BAFTA says, that members of the Acting chapter voted to determine the longlist, of which the top seven were automatically longlisted. A longlisting jury selected a further three performances from those ranked 8-13 in the chapter vote, to create a longlist of 10.

This time 82 performances were submitted for consideration, but was Jolie (and Anderson... and Swinton too) among these?

Can you share a link to the list of submissions - to know if Jolie really missed out or she was just simply not submitted?

[Cláudio Alves]

Kris -- There's no reason to believe either wasn't submitted, considering they are represented by UK distributors with other longlisted titles. Moreover, they both qualify under BAFTA's current rules. We have access to such regulations but not to complete lists. Not at the time, at least. The most I could find were mentions of MARIA being in the BAFTA screener platform, but nothing from an official source.

You also mention Anderson, which is odd. THE LAST SHOWGIRL appeared on the Best Supporting Actress longlist, so it was obviously submitted.

And regarding THE ROOM NEXT DOOR missing in score, consider it wasn't the only buzzy contender to be snubbed there. CHALLENGERS - which appeared in other longlists - has received even more acclaim and nominations for its music, yet it is also absent in this particular category.

[Gallavich]

The thing I love the most is that probably this year we will have two horrors with multiple nominations. It will opens the door

[Kris]

Claudio - thank you for your thoughts!

Indeed, I missed Last showgirl in the supporting category (I personally though Anderson did a really bad acting job there anyways...so rightfully they left her out :))

But yeah, if Maria was in their streaming platform, then I can understand the worry about Jolie... darn, that they do not realease the full subission lists, as in BAFTA they have to really submit in each category separately, where they hope to be recognized. But Jolie's "singing-acting" really was not good at all, even when the rest of her acting and characterization was supurb.

I'd figure, they would also get Tilda on a shortlist from The room next door, but that they did not get that score on the shortlist discredits that jury's competence.