Category: Special Coverage

2020 Oscar Shortlist Announced

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists for the 92nd Annual Academy Awards in nine categories, narrowing the field dramatically and giving us an even better indication of what the Oscar race will look like when nominations are announced on January 13.

There aren’t any big surprises here or major snubs here, though we do see the continuing trend of popular biographical documentaries (Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am and Ask Dr. Ruth) overlooked in favor of the political documentaries. And while the omission of Alejandro Landes’s Monos is certainly regrettable, the current list of shortlisted films for International Feature Film is still incredibly strong.

Here are all of the films shortlisted for Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, International Feature Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, and Visual Effects.

American Factory, Directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert | Netflix

Documentary Feature

      • Advocate
      • American Factory
      • The Apollo
      • Apollo 11
      • Aquarela
      • The Biggest Little Farm
      • The Cave
      • The Edge of Democracy
      • For Sama
      • The Great Hack
      • Honeyland
      • Knock Down the House
      • Maiden
      • Midnight Family
      • One Child Nation
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl), Directed by Carol Dysinger | A&E TV

Documentary Short Subject

      • After Maria
      • Fire in Paradise
      • Ghosts of Sugar Land
      • In the Absence
      • Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
      • Life Overtakes Me
      • The Nightcrawlers
      • St. Louis Superman
      • Stay Close
      • Walk Run Cha-Cha
The Painted Bird, Directed by Václav Marhoul | Distributed by IFC Films

International Feature Film

      • Czech Republic – The Painted Bird
      • Estonia – Truth and Justice
      • France – Les Misérables
      • Hungary – Those Who Remained
      • North Macedonia – Honeyland
      • Poland – Corpus Christi
      • Russia – Beanpole
      • Senegal – Atlantics
      • South Korea – Parasite
      • Spain – Pain and Glory
Little Women, Directed by Greta Gerwig | Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics

Makeup and Hairstyling

      • 1917
      • Bombshell
      • Dolemite Is My Name
      • Downton Abbey
      • Joker
      • Judy
      • Little Women
      • Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
      • Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
      • Rocketman
Marriage Story, Directed by Noah Baumbach | Netflix

Music (Original Score)

      • 1917
      • Avengers: Endgame
      • Bombshell
      • The Farewell
      • Ford v Ferrari
      • Frozen II
      • Jojo Rabbit
      • Joker
      • The King
      • Little Women
      • Marriage Story
      • Motherless Brooklyn
      • Pain and Glory
      • Star War: The Rise of Skywalker
      • Us
Wild Rose, Directed by Tom Harper | Distributed by NEON

Music (Original Song)

      • Aladdin – “Speechless”
      • The Black Godfather – “Letter to My Godfather”
      • The Bronx USA – “Da Bronx”
      • Frozen II – “Into the Unknown”
      • Harriet – “Stand Up”
      • The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part – “Catchy Song”
      • The Lion King – “Never Too Late”
      • The Lion King – “Spirit”
      • Motherless Brooklyn – “Daily Battles”
      • Parasite – “A Glass of Soju”
      • Rocketman – “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again”
      • Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am – “High Above the Water”
      • Toy Story 4 – “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away”
      • Wild Rose – “Glasgow”
The Physics of Sorrow, Directed by Theodore Ushev | Distributed by the National Film Board of Canada

Animated Short Film

      • Dcera (Daughter)
      • Hair Love
      • He Can’t Live without Cosmos
      • Hors Piste
      • Kitbull
      • Memorable
      • Mind My Mind
      • The Physics of Sorrow
      • Sister
      • Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days
The Neighbor's Window, Directed by Marshall Curry

Live Action Short Film

      • Brotherhood
      • The Christmas Gift
      • Little Hands
      • Miller & Son
      • Nefta Football Club
      • The Neighbor’s Window
      • Refugee
      • Saria
      • A Sister
      • Sometimes, I Think About Dying
The Irishman, Directed by Martin Scorsese | Netflix

Visual Effects

      • 1917
      • Alita: Battle Angel
      • Avengers: Endgame
      • Captain Marvel
      • Cats
      • Gemini Man
      • The Irishman
      • The Lion King
      • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
      • Terminator: Dark Fate

2020 Golden Globe Award Nominations

This morning, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has announced the nominees for the 2020 Golden Globe Awards. Leading the nominees is Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story with six nominations (Motion Picture – Drama, Actress – Drama, Actor – Drama, Screenplay, Score, Actress in a Supporting Role), followed closely by Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, each with five nominations.

The Golden Globes are voted on by members of the HFPA, an organization comprised of journalists who cover the film industry for publications around the world. With the ceremony broadcast on network television and combining awards for the Motion Picture and Television industries, it’s one of the highest profile awards ceremonies in the lead-up to the Academy Awards and has a hand in shaping the end-of-year awards conversation – even if their own winners are rather pedestrian and outright baffling at times.

The Farewell, Directed by Lulu Wang | Distrubuted by A24

Among the larger controversies arising from this year’s crop of nominees is the lack of representation from female and African American filmmakers in the top awards categories (Motion Picture, Screenplay, Director). It’s nice to see some actors of color nominated across several categories, and it is refreshing to see Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite secure nominations for Foreign Language Film, Director, and Screenplay – especially considering the fact that South Korean films have traditionally been shut out of many Western awards ceremonies. And the Foreign Language category itself is more inclusive – with two female filmmakers receiving nominations (The Farewell and Portrait of a Lady on Fire), as well as a filmmaker of color (Les Misérables).

At the end of the day, while most of us in the online film community may not like the Golden Globes and may want to turn up our noses at the nominees and winners, the truth is that these nominations do influence the films that Academy Award voters will prioritize. And the added prestige of these awards seasons films means that your average moviegoer is more likely to seek out some of these films that are slightly more adventurous and risky than their usual Friday night blockbuster.

And as far as I’m concerned, that’s all for the better.

Here is the complete list of Golden Globe Nominees in the Motion Picture Categories:

Marriage Story, Directed by Noah Baumbach | Netflix

Best Motion Picture – Drama

    • 1917
    • The Irishman
    • Joker
    • Marriage Story
    • The Two Popes
A still from the film DOLEMITE IS MY NAME.
Dolemite Is My Name, Directed by Craig Brewer | Netflix

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

    • Dolemite Is My Name
    • Jojo Rabbit
    • Knives Out
    • Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
    • Rocketman
Harriet, Directed by Kasi Lemmons | Focus Features

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

    • Cynthia Erivo – Harriet
    • Scarlett Johannson – Marriage Story
    • Saoirse Ronan – Little Woman
    • Charlize Theron – Bombshell
    • Renée Zellweger – Judy
Pain and Glory, Directed by Pedro Almodóvar | Sony Pictures Classics

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

    • Christian Bale – Ford v Ferrari
    • Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
    • Adam Driver – Marriage Story
    • Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
    • Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes
Knives Out, Directed by Rian Johnson | Lionsgate

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

    • Awkwafina – The Farewell
    • Cate Blanchett – Where’d You Go Bernadette?
    • Ana de Armas – Knives Out
    • Beanie Feldstein – Booksmart
    • Emma Thompson – Late Night
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, Directed by Quentin Tarantino | Sony Pictures Classics

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

    • Daniel Craig – Knives Out
    • Roman Griffin Davis – Jojo Rabbit
    • Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
    • Taron Egerton – Rocketman
    • Eddie Murphy – Dolemite Is My Name
Parasite, Directed by Bong Joon-Ho | Neon

Best Director – Motion Picture

    • Bong Joon-Ho – Parasite
    • Sam Mendes – 1917
    • Todd Phillips – Joker
    • Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
    • Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
The Irishman, Directed by Martin Scorsese | Netflix

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

    • Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story
    • Bong Joon-Ho and Jin Won-Han – Parasite
    • Anthony McCarten – The Two Popes
    • Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
    • Steven Zaillian – The Irishman
Les Misérables, Directed by Ladj Ly | Amazon Studios

Best Foreign Language Film

    • The Farewell
    • Les Misérables
    • Pain and Glory
    • Parasite
    • Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Missing Link, Directed by Chris Butler | Laika

Best Animated Feature

    • Frozen 2
    • How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
    • The Lion King
    • The Missing Link
    • Toy Story 4
Little Women, Directed by Greta Gerwig | Sony Pictures Classics

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

    • Alexandre Desplat – Little Women
    • Hildur Gudnadóttir – Joker
    • Randy Newman – Marriage Story
    • Thomas Newman – 1917
    • Daniel Pemberton – Motherless Brooklyn
Rocketman, Directed by Dexter Fletcher | Paramount Pictures

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

    • Cats – “Beautiful Ghosts”
    • Frozen 2 – “Into the Unknown”
    • Harriet – “Stand Up”
    • The Lion King – “Spirit”
    • Rocketman – “I’m Gonna Love Me Again”
The Reported, Directed by Scott Z. Burns | Amazon Studios

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

    • Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell
    • Annette Bening – The Report
    • Laura Dern – Marriage Story
    • Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers
    • Margot Robbie – Bombshell
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Directed by Marielle Heller | Sony Pictures Classics

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

    • Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
    • Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
    • Al Pacino – The Irishman
    • Joe Pesci – The Irishman
    • Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood