AMPAS has released a list of 248 films this year that qualify for consideration as Best Picture. (Perhaps because of the tight economy, that’s down 10% from the 274 eligible films in 2009, and down 12% from 281 in 2008). Via press release, via Slashfilm, you’ll find the complete list after the cut — and ground rules for eligibility.
SKY 3D AWARD: FILM OF THE YEAR
Black Swan (Fox)
The Kids Are All Right (Universal)
The King’s Speech (Momentum)
The Social Network (Sony)
Toy Story 3 (Disney)
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan (Fox)
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – True Grit (Paramount)
David Fincher – The Social Network (Sony)
Christopher Nolan – Inception (Warner)
Apichatpong Weerasethakul – Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (New Wave)
THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR
127 Hours (Warner/Pathe)
The Arbor (Verve)
Another Year (Momentum)
The King’s Speech (Momentum)
Monsters (Vertigo)
Opening April 8, 2011, with Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander and Olivia Williams. Focus Features official synopsis, after the cut.
The Social Network, Black Swan, Carlos, and Winter’s Bone dominate IndieWire‘s annual poll of critics and movie writers.
Together those four films dominated many other categories in the poll. “Carlos” star Edgar Ramirez was named the best lead performance of the year, with “Social Network”‘s Jesse Eisenberg, “Black Swan”‘s Natalie Portman, and “Winter’s Bone”‘s Jennifer Lawrence following (interestingly, while Ramirez and Eisenberg were 1-2 in the genderless category, the following 7 slots all went to women). “Bone”“s John Hawkes was named the best supporting performance of the year, beating out “The Fighter”‘s Christian Bale, “Fish Tank”‘s Michael Fassbender, and “Animal Kingdom”‘s Jacki Weaver
The Social Network walks off with three top awards from the Chicago Film Critics’ Association, including Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay. Inception dreams up two awards, notably another Original Screenplay kudo for Chris Nolan, while Black Swan also takes two. And little indie Blue Valentine sees its director, Derek Cianfrance, finally getting some recognition as Most Promising Filmmaker.
Best Picture – “The Social Network”
Best Director – David Fincher for “The Social Network”
Best Adapted Screenplay – Aaron Sorkin for “The Social Network”
Best Original Screenplay – Chris Nolan for “Inception”
Best Actor – Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”
Best Actress – Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Best Supporting Actor – Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
Best Supporting Actress – Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Best Foreign Language Film – “A Prophet”
Best Documentary – “Exit Through the Gift Shop”
Best Animated Feature – “Toy Story 3″
Best Cinematography – Wally Pfister for “Inception”
Best Original Score – Clint Mansell for “Black Swan”
Most Promising Performer – Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone”
Most Promising Filmmaker – Derek Cianfrance for “Blue Valentine”
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It always happens every year a unique film like Black Swan starts hitting the mainstream. There is bound to be some sort of freak out as people see the film that is creating such a stir. There is never any guarantee that it will be a movie they respond to. I’m thinking of Christmas time cinema going. While I no longer believe this idea that the Academy voters are either too conventional, too infantile or too old to “get” great filmmaking, I do understand that there are a good many who will be freaked out by Black Swan nonetheless.
