The DGA shakes things up with a Mangold nomination

by Cláudio Alves

The guilds are going wild for James Mangold's A COMPLETE UNKNOWN.

The Directors Guild of America has had its say, nudging the awards season in one clear direction. And that is the way for A Complete Unknown, James Mangold's latest biopic which has amassed strong box office numbers and now is a threat for a Best Director Oscar nomination. Nathaniel was right to predict him in our first round of Team Experience punditry. But along with Mangold's inclusion come many notorious absences, including Jon M. Chu, whose best chance at a major Best Director prize was this guild honor whose tastes run closer to the Hollywood mainstream than the Academy's branch tends to be. Denis Villeneuve and Coralie Fargeat are also nowhere to be found, while RaMell Ross and Payal Kapadia were only honored in the First Feature category. 

Discover the complete list of DGA nominees after the jump…

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Oscar Volley: Venice and Cannes loom over Best Director

Here's Nathaniel R and Elisa Giudici on the Best Director race...

ANORA, Sean Baker | © NEON

NATHANIEL: Elisa, my far away friend, I miss attending festivals with you. One of the greatest joys of film festivals, as opposed to normal moviegoing / movie coverage, is that it's a departure. It's both more intimate (you're choosing a bunch of films to watch alone even if you're discussing them later with strangers and friends) and more expansive: generally speaking you see films from all over the world (if you're doing it right) and it's more auteur-focused. The latter brings us to today's volley topic: BEST DIRECTOR...

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An Early Look at the Best Director Oscar Race

by Eric Blume

Will THE BRUTALIST's "big bold vision" secure Brady Corbet his first Oscar nomination?

While The Film Experience writers gear up for their own Oscar predictions, I (probably like you) spend my time on several other industry sites to see what the current predictions are.  

This is a super fun time of the year, because nobody is out with citations or nominations, so it's not yet thuddeningly predictable.  Which makes it all the more surprising is that everywhere I read, almost ALL the forecasters seem to have the same five names listed as our nominees for the Best Director Oscar...

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TIFF '24: Contrarian takes on "Anora" and "Emilia Perez"

by Cláudio Alves

Sometimes, you find yourself going with the flow, becoming another among a million other voices with the same stated opinion. Such fate can be frustrating, but so can the reverse. When consensus consolidates, being on the other side looking in is just as irritating as picturing oneself as the metaphorical sheep following the flock. Contrarianism isn't fun in and of itself, especially when it manifests as a hostile take against a barrage of love. This TIFF, I've found myself in the minority regarding two Cannes prize-winners already praised to high heaven by our beloved Elisa Giudici. Indeed, one of them is so adored it's already considered a contender for the festival's Audience Award cum Oscar barometer. It's time to explain why neither Anora nor Emilia Pérez convinced me of their merits…

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Cannes Diary: Palme d'Or winner "Anora"

by Elisa Giudici

Sean Baker takes the Palme d'Or for "Anora" © Sameer Al Doumy / AFP

“I've been working towards this goal for thirty years.” So says Sean Baker as he leaps from his seat in the Lumière theater upon hearing the announcement of his Palme d’Or victory. He thanks Francis Ford Coppola and David Cronenberg, dedicates his film to sex workers, and champions indie cinema meant to be experienced in theaters -- the best experience, he says, “despite what some tech multinationals want us to believe.”

He knows his life as a filmmaker is about to change. The victory of Anora is the culmination of a long journey for a filmmaker who has merged a vibrant, funny, commercial approach with serious themes and auteur rigor. From his speech—one of the best ever delivered by a Palme winner—it’s clear that he is a great storyteller first and foremost...

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