The Film Experience

Mikey Madison crashes into the Best Actress race thanks to BAFTA.

Last weekend marked the rapid ascendance of Anora as the Oscar Best Picture frontrunner. This past week's guilds honors haven't dispelled that notion, though BAFTAs might have, with Conclave taking the top prize from the British Academy. Will the race come down between a doomed Vegas wedding and a Vatican election, or will another contender rise with SAG next Sunday? From social media controversies to precursor disharmony, his season has been uncommonly chaotic and I, for one, am loving this sense of unpredictability. As much as we like to presume otherwise, this isn't a numbers game and stats exist to be broken. So let's break them…

We have a bunch of winners to consider this weekend, including two awards bodies where I get to cast my vote. For succinctness, I've excised the Hollywood guild's TV honors since big screen honors are the priority right now at The Film Experience. We're starting with the Brits.

BAFTA FILM AWARDS

Best Film: CONCLAVE
Best Director: Brady Corbet, THE BRUTALIST
Best Actress: Mikey Madison, ANORA
Best Actor: Adrien Brody, THE BRUTALIST
Best Supporting Actress: Zoë Saldaña, EMILIA PÉREZ
Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, A REAL PAIN
Best Casting: Sean Baker & Samantha Quan, ANORA
Best Original Screenplay: Jesse Eisenberg, A REAL PAIN
Best Adapted Screenplay: Peter Straughan, CONCLAVE
Best Editing: Nick Emerson, CONCLAVE
Best Cinematography: Lol Crawley, THE BRUTALIST
Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley & Lee Sandales, WICKED
Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell, WICKED
Best Make-up & Hair: THE SUBSTANCE
Best Special Visual Effects: DUNE: PART TWO
Best Original Score: Daniel Blumberg, THE BRUTALIST
Best Sound: DUNE: PART TWO
Best Animated Film: WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL
Best Children's & Family Film: WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL
Best Documentary: SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY
Best Film Not in the English Language: EMILIA PÉREZ
Outstanding British Film: CONCLAVE
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: Rich Peppiatt, KNEECAP
Outstanding British Short Animation: WANDER TO WONDER
Outstanding British Short Film: ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS
EE Rising Star Award: David Jonsson

After DGA and PGA, Sean Baker seemed to be the industry's darling, but the British Academy looked elsewhere for its top honors. It shakes the race, though Anora remains the Best Picture frontrunner. Its claim on the Best Director prize is more uncertain, however, with Corbet showing he can succeed with his industry peers. The same is true of the Original Screenplay race, where Anora lost to A Real Pain. Remember when it lost the CCA to The Substance despite winning Picture? This really is an odd season.

Nevertheless, the Palme d'Or winner took home Best Actress, stopping Demi Moore's sweep. Suddenly, Madison feels competitive for the Oscar win, and Torres' profile keeps rising thanks to Sony Pictures Classics' tireless campaign. The other acting categories feel more locked up, even if SAG goes wild and diverges from the season's norm. Chalamet losing here, despite BAFTA's infatuation with his movie, is especially telling. The Oscar is Brody's to lose.

Elsewhere, the Emilia Pérez PR kerfuffle didn't hurt its chances in Supporting Actress and Non-English Language Film. Audiard making sure to mention Karla Sofía Gascón's name in his acceptance speech might have. It's interesting how it lost the music award to The Brutalist. Could we be heading to a Best Original Song upset on Oscar night?

In other news, the Wallace & Gromit double dipping might spell doom for Flow's chances. Many were hoping for a repeat of last season when The Boy and the Heron took the Globes and BAFTA prizes before the Oscar, defeating a big Hollywood opponent. Right now, The Wild Robot seems better poised to take the little golden man all the industry covets.

DORIAN AWARDS

Film of the Year: THE SUBSTANCE
LGBTQ Film of the Year: I SAW THE TV GLOW
Director of the Year: Coralie Fargeat, THE SUBSTANCE
Film Performance of the Year: Demi Moore, THE SUBSTANCE
Supporting Film Performance of the Year: Ariana Grande, WICKED
Screenplay of the Year: Justin Kuritzkes, CHALLENGERS
LGBTQ Screenplay of the Year: Jane Schoenbrun, I SAW THE TV GLOW
Animated Film of the Year: FLOW
Documentary of the Year: WILL & HARPER
LGBTQ Documentary of the Year: WILL & HARPER
Non-English Language Film of the Year: I'M STILL HERE
LGBTQ Non-English Film of the Year: EMILIA PÉREZ
Unsung Film of the Year: PROBLEMISTA
Unsung LGBTQ Film of the Year: THE PEOPLE'S JOKER
Genre Film of the Year: THE SUBSTANCE
Film Music of the Year: CHALLENGERS
Visually Striking Film of the Year: NICKEL BOYS
Campiest Flick: THE SUBSTANCE
"We're Wilde About You!" Rising Star Award: Jonathan Bailey
Wilde Artist Award: Colman Domingo
GALECA LGBTQIA+ Film Trailblazer: Cynthia Erivo

Multiple Team Experience members are part of GALECA and get to vote for the Dorians. Overall, we can be proud of a good slate of winners. Sure, I have one major objection, but it's easy enough to overlook. Those wins for Problemista and The People's Joker are the stuff dreams are made of, and it's nice to see all three major Wicked stars get honored through different categories. Long live the Dorians! Long live GALECA!! And long live queer cinema in all its wondrous forms!!!

INTERNATIONAL CINEPHILE SOCIETY

Best Picture:

ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT, Payal Kapadia
THE BEAST, Bertrand Bonello
NICKEL BOYS, RaMell Ross
HARD TRUTHS, Mike Leigh
MISERICORDIA, Alain Guiraudie
AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE, Albert Serra
TO A LAND UNKNOWN, Mahdi Fleifel
GRAND TOUR, Miguel Gomes
EVIL DOES NOT EXIST, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
CAUGHT BY THE TIDES, Jia Zhangke
THE OTHER WAY AROUND, Jonás Trueba
THE ROOM NEXT DOOR, Pedro Almodóvar
THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, Mohammad Rasoulof
THE BRUTALIST, Brady Corbet
CHALLENGERS, Luca Guadagnino
MEGALOPOLIS, Francis Ford Coppola
ANORA, Sean Baker
I SAW THE TV GLOW, Jane Schoenbrun
JUROR #2, Clint Eastwood
THE SUBSTANCE, Coralie Fargeat

Best Director: Payal Kapadia, ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
Runner-Up: Bertrand Bonello, THE BEAST

Best Actress: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, HARD TRUTHS
Runner-Up: Léa Seydoux, THE BEAST

Best Actor: Mahmood Bakri, TO A LAND UNKNOWN and Abou Sangaré, SOULEYMANE'S STORY (tie)

Best Supporting Actress: Michele Austin, HARD TRUTHS
Runner-Up: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, NICKEL BOYS

Best Supporting Actor: Aram Sabbagh, TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Runner-Up: Adam Pearson, A DIFFERENT MAN

Best Ensemble: ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
Runner-Up: HARD TRUTHS

Best Original Screenplay: Mike Leigh, HARD TRUTHS
Runner-Up: Payal Kapadia, ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT

Best Adapted Screenplay: Joslyn Barnes & RaMell Ross, NICKEL BOYS
Runner-Up: Bertrand Bonello, Guillaume Bréaud & Benjamin Charbit, THE BEAST

Best Editing: Albert Serra & Artur Tort, AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE
Runner-Up: Yang Chao, Matthieu Laclau & Xudong Lin, CAUGHT BY THE TIDES

Best Cinematography: Jomo Fray, NICKEL BOYS
Runner-Up: Artur Tort, AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE

Best Production Design: Katia Wyszkop, THE BEAST
Runner-Up: Stefani Baisi, QUEER

Best Score: Hiromi Uehara, BLUE GIANT
Runner-Up: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, CHALLENGERS

Best Sound Design: Nahuel Palenque, PEPE
Runner-Up: Nicolas Becker, DAHOMEY

Best Animated Film: FLOW
Runner-Up: SANATORIUM UNDER THE SIGN OF THE HOURGLASS

Best Documentary: AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE
Runner-Up: NO OTHER LAND

Best Debut Film: BLUE SUN PALACE
Runner-Up: GHOST TRAIL

Breakthrough Performance: Abou Sangaré, SOULEYMANE'S STORY
Runner-Up: Mikey Madison, ANORA

I'm very proud of being an ICS member. Its winners are always so cool and, in the past, served as an excellent guide for less buzzy titles worth exploring. This year, I'd heartily recommend a great many of these honorees. Indeed, if you love the art of acting, all our winners and runners-up are essential viewing.

Also, check out that incredible Best Score winner. Blue Giant also took this category at the 12th Team Experience Awards. Stay tuned for updates on that front, for we're announcing our nominees for the 13th annual awards on Tuesday. Any predictions on your part, dear reader?

ANNIE AWARDS

Best Feature: THE WILD ROBOT
Best Feature – Independent: FLOW
Best Special Production: ORION AND THE DARK
Best Short Subject: WANDER TO WONDER
Best Direction – Feature: Chris Sanders, THE WILD ROBOT
Best Voice Acting – Feature: Lupita Nyong'o, THE WILD ROBOT
Best Writing – Feature: Matïss Kaza & Gints Zilbalodis, FLOW
Best Music – Feature: Kris Bowers, THE WILD ROBOT
Best FX – Feature: THE WILD ROBOT
Best Character Animation – Feature: Fabio Lignini, THE WILD ROBOT
Best Character Animation – Live Action: KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Best Character Design – Feature: Genevieve Tsai, THE WILD ROBOT
Best Production Design – Feature: Ritchie Sacilioc & Raymond Zibach, THE WILD ROBOT
Best Storyboarding – Feature: Habib Louati, THE WILD ROBOT
Best Editorial – Feature: THE WILD ROBOT

Once again, The Wild Robot keeps consolidating its status as an Oscar frontrunner. Flow remains its biggest adversary, an independent animation phenomenon unlike anything we've seen for such a small picture. Weirdly enough, the Latvian film's biggest win here isn't so much the Independent Feature award it was always bound to take. Instead, it's the writing category, where it managed to defeat The Wild Robot despite having no dialogue whatsoever – a rarity in the realm of feature animation, though not nearly as special if we broaden our scope to shorts.

ART DIRECTORS GUILD

Period Feature Film: Craig Lathrop, NOSFERATU
Fantasy Feature Film: Nathan Crowley, WICKED
Contemporary Feature Film: Suzie Davies, CONCLAVE
Animated Feature Film: Raymond Zibach, THE WILD ROBOT

It feels significant that The Brutalist couldn't win against Nosferatu. Some folks have been predicting a Lincoln-like upset, where Best Production Design goes to Corbet's film instead of Wicked – since the sets are so central to the narrative – but these guild results suggest otherwise.

ASSOCIATION OF MOTION PICTURE SOUND

Excellence in Sound for a Feature Film: DUNE: PART TWO

I've been holding on to the idea that either Wicked or A Complete Unknown will take Best Sound. AMPAS has always favored music-centered films in this category. But maybe it was Dune all along, repeating its predecessor's victory. I guess I'll believe it when I see it. Its meager nomination haul, even if it did include a Best Picture nod, doesn't support more optimistic readings of the sci-fi epic's Oscar prospects.

BRITISH SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Cinematography in a Feature Film: Lol Crawley, THE BRUTALIST
Operators Award: Karsten Bloch Jacobsen & Simon Finney, WICKED

The critics mostly favored Nosferatu in their cinematography prizes, but The Brutalist might be about to take the Oscar. The Best Picture boost will help it, though it might also benefit Dune: Part Two. This race isn't allergic to repeated honors, sometimes sticking to their favorite for years on end. Could Fraser be Lubezki 2.0?

CASTING SOCIETY OF AMERICA

Feature – Bid Budget Comedy: WICKED
Feature – Big Budget Drama: A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
Feature – Animation: THE WILD ROBOT
Feature – International: EMILIA PÉREZ
Feature – Studio or Independent Comedy: MY OLD ASS
Feature – Studio or Independent Drama: CONCLAVE
Feature – Low Budget Comedy or Drama: JANET PLANET

For a Best Picture frontrunner, Anora has struggled to make an impression with the guilds past its important DGA and PGA wins. It wasn't even a nominated for these Artio Awards. One wonders if this could presage a loss with SAG, where Wicked, A Complete Unknown, Emilia Pérez, and Conclave are all vying for the Ensemble prize. In other words, is Anora like Best Pictures of the past, or are we looking at a repeat of 1917's awards season?

COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD

Excellence in Contemporary Film: Lisy Christl, CONCLAVE
Excellence in Period Film: Linda Muir, NOSFERATU
Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film: Paul Tazewell, WICKED

I confess I was rooting for a Substance upset in contemporary costumes but all of this makes sense, honoring Oscar nominees in every category. A re-watch of Conclave made me re-appreciate Christl's work, which I already liked in the first round, so this victory is no reason to get butthurt about. As ever, I'm delighted by any trophy Nosferatu gets.

MAKE-UP ARTISTS AND HAIR STYLISTS GUILD

Best Contemporary Make-Up: THE SUBSTANCE
Best Period and/or Character Make-Up: WICKED
Best Special Make-Up Effects: THE SUBSTANCE
Best Contemporary Hair Styling: THE LAST SHOWGIRL
Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling: WICKED

Speaking of Nosferatu, the make-up artists and hair stylists were not hot for bat boy Orlok. This changes nothing in terms of Oscar predictions, of course. The Substance remains the frontrunner, with Wicked solidifying its position as likely runner-up.

SET DECORATORS SOCIETY OF AMERICA

Contemporary Feature Film: Cynthia Sleiter, CONCLAVE
Period Feature Film: Regina Graves, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
Fantasy or Sc-Fi Film: Lori Mazuer & David Morison, BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Comedy or Musical Feature Film: Lee Sandales, WICKED

Another curious loss for The Brutalist, where one would think it'd get an easy win. Also, three cheers for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice getting a win thanks to this guild's decision to put Wicked in their Comedy or Musical race rather than Fantasy. I really thought Tim Burton's movie could make it to the Oscars earlier in the season.

SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS AND LYRICISTS

Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film: Kris Bowers, THE WILD ROBOT
Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film: Daniel Blumberg, THE BRUTALIST
Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production: Diane Warren for "The Journey," THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT
Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross for "Compress/Repress," CHALLENGERS
David Raksin Award for Emerging Talent: Andrea Datzman, INSIDE OUT 2

Emilia Pérez might be facing some backlash in Hollywood because that Challengers win would have probably been theirs if not for the controversy. But you know what Oscar-nominated song prevailed? Diane Warren's latest bid for gold. I might write about it later on a post of its own, but, at this point, AMPAS might as well give it to her. Considering the competition, it wouldn't even be an outrageous robbery. And we all know she wants it. Few in Oscar history have wanted it as much as Diane Warren.

VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY

Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature: KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature: CIVIL WAR
Visual Effects in an Animated Feature: THE WILD ROBOT
Character in a Photoreal Feature: Robbie Williams in BETTER MAN
Character in an Animated Feature: Roz in THE WILD ROBOT
Environment in a Photoreal Feature: The Arrakeen Basin in DUNE: PART TWO
Environment in an Animated Feature: The Forest in THE WILD ROBOT
CG Cinematography: Arrakis in DUNE: PART TWO
Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project: Renaissance Space Station in ALIEN: ROMULUS
Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature: Atomic Explosion and Wormriding in DUNE: PART TWO
Effects Simulation in an Animated Feature: THE WILD ROBOT
Compositing & Lighting in a Feature: Wormriding, Geidi Prime and the Final Battle in DUNE: PART TWO
Emerging Technology Award: Neural Performance Toolset in HERE

How did Dune lose the main prize after taking so many smaller, more specific, categories? That feels like something of an upset within the rarefied world of guild honors. Another interesting tidbit is just how well The Wild Robot did. Maybe it came closer to that Best Visual Effects Oscar nomination than most supposed. It wouldn't have been an undeserved honor had it nabbed another nomination. The painterly render of particle effects took my breath away in theaters.

WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA

Best Original Screenplay: Sean Baker, ANORA
Best Adapted Screenplay: Joslyn Barnes & RaMell Ross, NICKEL BOYS
Best Documentary Screenplay: Mark Monroe, JIM HENSON: IDEA MAN

The WGA is always a dubious precursor for pundits since many Oscar contenders are deemed ineligible due to guild rules. Nevertheless, Anora beat A Real Pain, one of its big rivals in the race for Oscar gold. As for Nickel Boys, the only other Oscar-nominated script in the WGA lineup was A Complete Unknown. However, there were other Best Picture contenders – Dune: Part Two and Wicked. One could suppose those titles would have trumped Ross' film, which has had some difficulty getting noticed with the industry awards. A win on Oscar night would be a dream and a shock like none other. It could also guarantee its distribution in many international markets where it's been unable to find a foothold – at the moment, there's still no Portuguese release, for example, and it's going straight to Amazon Prime in Australia.

AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF CINEMA & TELEVISION

Best Film: BETTER MAN
Best Director: Michael Gracey, BETTER MAN
Best Actress: Nicole Kidman, BABYGIRL
Best Actor: Ralph Fiennes, CONCLAVE
Best Supporting Actress: Zoë Saldaña, EMILIA PÉREZ
Best Supporting Actor: Guy Pearce, THE BRUTALIST
Best Screenplay: Jesse Eisenberg, A REAL PAIN

Better Man was the big winner at the AACTAs, where a few Oscar contenders got some more trophies for their haul. Best Actress is another story since this is one of the few places Kidman managed a victory. This is undoubtedly due to home advantage, but her work in Babygirl earns the plaudits and then some. It's a pity this silver screen goddess can never get AMPAS to notice her bolder turns. They only ever nominate her when the adventuress actress recedes into more conventional material.

IRISH FILM & TELEVISION ACADEMY

Best Film: SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE
Best Director: Rich Peppiatt, KNEECAP
Best Actress: Saoirse Ronan, THE OUTRUN
Best Actor: Cillian Murphy, SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE
Best Supporting Actress: Saoirse Ronan, BLITZ
Best Supporting Actor: Brian F. O'Byrne, CONCLAVE
Best Casting: Carla Stronge, KNEECAP
Best Script: Enda Walsh, SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE
Best Editing: Julian Ulrichs & Chris Gill, KNEECAP
Best Cinematography: Robbie Ryan, BIRD
Best Production Design: Susie Cullen, ABIGAIL
Best Costume Design: Zjena Glamocanin, KNEECAP
Best Hair & Make-Up: Sandra Kelly & Tom McInerney, THE APPRENTICE
Best Original Music: Die Hexen, FRÉWAKA
Best Sound: Aza Hand & Hugo Parvery, ODDITY
Best Documentary: THE FLATS
Best Animated Short Film: DEMBAYA
Best Live-Action Short Film: CLODAGH
Best International Film: CONCLAVE
Best International Actress: Demi Moore, THE SUBSTANCE
Best International Actor: Ralph Fiennes, CONCLAVE

You have to love it when home team advantage helps some films and artists finally score some well-deserved recognition at the heart of the awards season. Critics and Oscar precursors did Small Things Like These so dirty. Cillian Murphy is even more impressive there than in the part that got him the Academy Award. And that script! Same thing could be said about Ronan and the brilliant Robbie Ryan. He can probably count on future Oscar honors for his Lanthimos collaborations, but his work with Andrea Arnold will always be closer to my heart.

What do you make of this chaotic season? Are you into the mayhem or would you rather have a more traditional run to the Oscars?