It seems that awards season on this blog just ended, however, assembling those nominees is a year-long process. So the cycle begins anew with posts at the end of the month and master lists offline in preparation for the big dates of the award’s calendar year. A collection of most, if not all titles viewed, can be seen on my Letterboxd.

Eligible Titles

Creep
Vacation
We Are Still Here
The Stranger
Paper Towns
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Father’s Chair
Ant-Man
Aferim!
13 Minutes
Self/less
Minions
7 Days in Hell
The Culling
Human Capital
Reckless
Terminator Genisys
Big Game

Best Picture

13 Minutes
Human Capital
Reckless

Best Foreign Film

Father’s Chair
Aferim!
13 Minutes
Human Capital
Reckless
Big Game

Best Documentary

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

Most Overlooked Picture

As intimated in my Most Underrated announcement this year, I’ve decided to make a change here. Rather than get caught up in me vs. the world nonsense and what a film’s rating is on an aggregate site, the IMDb or anywhere else, I want to champion smaller, lesser-known films. In 2011 with the selection of Toast this move was really in the offing. The nominees from this past year echo that fact. So here, regardless of how well-received something is by those who’ve seen it, I’ll be championing indies and foreign films, and the occasional financial flop from a bigger entity.

We Are Still Here
Father’s Chair
Aferim!
13 Minutes
Human Capital
Reckless
Big Game

Best Director

Aferim!
13 Minutes
7 Days in Hell
Human Capital
Reckless
Big Game

Best Actress

Sarah Chronis Reckless
Barbara Crampton We Are Stil Here
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi Human Capital
Cara Delevigne Paper Towns 
Christina Applegate Vacation

Best Actor

Jay Duplass Creep
Ed Helms Vacation
Andrew Sensenig We Are Still Here
Nat Wolff Paper Towns
Wagner Moura Father’s Chair
Teodor Corban Aferim!
Christian Friedel 13 Minutes
Fabrizio Bentivoglio Human Capital
Marwan Kenzari Reckless
Samuel L. Jackson Big Game

Best Supporting Actress

Connie Neer We Are Still Here
Cara Delevigne Paper Towns
Mariana Lima Father’s Chair
Katarina Schüttler 13 Minutes
Natalie Martinez Self/less
Matilde Gioli Human Capital
Jaz Sinclair Paper Towns 

Best Supporting Actor

Skyler Gisondo Vacation
Monte Markham We Are Still Here
Austin Abrams Paper Towns
Justice Smith Paper Towns
Michael Douglas Ant-Man
Burghart Klaußner 13 Minutes
Ben Kingsley Self/less
Kit Harington 7 Days in Hell
Fabrizio Gifuni Human Capital
Tygo Gernandt Reckless
Arnold Schwarzenneger Terminator Genisys

Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Leading Role

Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Leading Role

Onni Tommila Big Game

Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Supporting Role

Catherine Missal Vacation
Meg Crosbie Paper Towns
Jayne-Lynne Kinchen Self/less
Abby Ryder Forston Ant-Man 

Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Supporting Role

Steele Stebbins Vacation

Best Cast

Vacation
We Are Still Here
Paper Towns
Ant-Man
Aferim!
13 Minutes
Human Capital
Reckless

Best Youth Ensemble

Vacation

Best Original Screenplay

We Are Still Here
13 Minutes
7 Days in Hell
Big Game

Best Adapted Screenplay

Vacation
Paper Towns
Aferim!
Human Capital
Reckless

Best Score

13 Minutes
Human Capital
Reckless
Big Game
Ant-Man

Best Editing

13 Minutes
Self/less
Human Capital
Reckless
Big Game

Best Sound Editing/Mixing

Ant-Man
13 Minutes
Human Capital
Reckless
Terminator Genisys
Big Game

Best Cinematography

We Are Still Here
Aferim!
13 Minutes
Human Capital
Reckless

Best Art Direction

We Are Still Here
Paper Towns
Aferim!
13 Minutes
Human Capital
Reckless

Best Costume Design

We Are Still Here
Ant-Man
Aferim!
13 Minutes
7 Days in Hell
Human Capital
Reckless
Big Game

Best Makeup

We Are Still Here
7 Days in Hell
Human Capital
Big Game

Best Visual Effects

We Are Still Here
Ant-Man

Best (Original) Song

“Kiss from a Rose” Vacation
“Look Outside” Paper Towns
“Summer Breeze”Vacation
“Walley World Theme” Vacation
“Universal Fanfare” Minions

I commented last year that there was a film that had me reconsidering the soundtrack as a potential category. It’s happened again so I will be tracking it and seeing if it’s worth re-including this year.

Best Soundtrack

Vacation
Paper Towns

Every so often over the years I’ve had occasion to award Special Jury Prizes for certain films for miscellaneous je nes sais quoi that can’t always be pigeonholed into one category. While I may be a jury of one I can will expand and give an additional award when I see fit.

This post is the only one on the site that collects all past Special Jury Prizes.

2020

For Kino Maquee a virtual cinema platform that has helped 150 arthouses during the pandemic.

2016

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

When I was young, in my teens most likely (based on how it looked in my mind) I daydreamed about death being no obstacle to a casting decision. Is a Ghost-Peter Cushing ready to headline a film? No, but knowing it would be there, it still had me in the first scene and I was surprised that they went there so much. It is marvelous.

Debra Paget, For Example

wins this award for exemplary for artistry of the video essay, and the best short of 2016. It was previously reviewed here.

This film is available to view on Fandor.

2014

Best Documentaries

To Dance Like a Man and Hillsborough

This year I decided against having a fully-fledged nomination process for Best Documentary owing to the fact that I just didn’t watch enough to warrant it. However, there were two that stood out that deserved special commendations. First, perhaps the most powerful film ESPN has produced for the 30 for 30 series: Hillsborough, which chronicles one of the most disastrous tragedy at a football (soccer) match ever and the fall out of it. Secondly, To Dance Like a Man which documents the training of three triplets in Cuba where ballet has a long standing tradition, where male dancers are renowned and prized. It’s also the film of the two that could be a call to action for young people watching that ballet does need them to be able to continue to thrive.

Best Short Film

Duet

There usually is a short that I find during the year that is good enough to honor here. This year I will do so for one very special metamorphic piece of animation I previously featured on Short Film Saturday. It’s quite short yet the reaction it elicits is powerful and nearly immediate. Enjoy!

2013

I tracked possibilities here. I didn’t award any. I should have.

2011

This year spawned a post of its own as I awarded two prizes one for the Short Film The Confession and another for The Harry Potter Franchise.

My specific thoughts on both can be found here.

2010

They were listed as TBA in the nominations but I didn’t end up awarding any.

2000

Not yet called Jury Awards but rather Special Achievement awards I awarded two: one for the re-release of The Exorcist and another to Billy Elliot.

My thoughts on that occasion can be found here.

Every so often over the years I’ve had occasion to award Special Jury Prizes for certain films for miscellaneous je nes sais quoi that can’t always be pigeonholed into one category. While I may be a jury of one I can will expand and give an additional award when I see fit.

Best Documentaries

To Dance Like a Man and Hillsborough

This year I decided against having a fully-fledged nomination process for Best Documentary owing to the fact that I just didn’t watch enough to warrant it. However, there were two that stood out that deserved special commendations. First, perhaps the most powerful film ESPN has produced for the 30 for 30 series: Hillsborough, which chronicles one of the most disastrous tragedy at a football (soccer) match ever and the fall out of it. Secondly, To Dance Like a Man which documents the training of three triplets in Cuba where ballet has a long standing tradition, where male dancers are renowned and prized. It’s also the film of the two that could be a call to action for young people watching that ballet does need them to be able to continue to thrive.

Best Short Film

Duet

There usually is a short that I find during the year that is good enough to honor here. This year I will do so for one very special metamorphic piece of animation I previously featured on Short Film Saturday. It’s quite short yet the reaction it elicits is powerful and nearly immediate. Enjoy!