Members of the “CODA” team at the 94th annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022. Pictured from left to right: producer Patrick Wachsberger, actor Eugenios Derbez, writer/director Siân Heder, actress Marlee Matlin, actor Troy Kotsur, actress Emilia Jones, actress Daniel Durant, actress Amy Forsyth, producer Philippe Rousselet and producer Fabrice Gianfereme. (Photo courtesy of ABC)
With three prizes, including Best Picture, Apple TV+’s drama “CODA” made Oscar history by being the first movie from a streaming service and the first movie with several deaf actors to win Best Picture. This historic victory happened at the 94th annual Academy Awards, which were presented at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022. Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes hosted the show, which was telecast in the U.S. on ABC. Eligible movies were those released in U.S. theaters between March 1 and December 31, 2021. The nominations and awards are voted for by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Troy Kotsur of “CODA” also made history by becoming the first deaf male actor to win an Oscar. Kotsur took the prize for Best Supporting Actor. Marlee Matlin, who was the first deaf actress to win an Oscar (Best Actress for 1986’s “Children of a Lesser God”), also starred in “CODA.” Kotsur and Matlin portray a married couple in “CODA,” an acronym for “child of dead adults.”
In “CODA,” a hearing teenager named Ruby Rossi (played by Emilia Jones) has parents named Frank and Jackie (played by Kotsur and Matlin) and an older brother named Leo (played by Daniel Durant), who are all deaf. Ruby has to decide if she will stay in their hometown of Gloucester, Massachusetts, to help in the family’s fishing business or pursue her dream of being a singer at Berklee College of Music.
“CODA” is a remake of the 2014 French film “La Famille Bélier,” thereby making “CODA” the second movie remake (after 2006’s “The Departed”) to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Unlike “La Famille Bélier,” which cast hearing actors as deaf people, “CODA” had deaf cast members in the roles of deaf people. “CODA” won all three of the Oscars for which it was nominated. In addition to Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor, the Oscar haul for “CODA” included Best Adapted Screenplay. “CODA” director Siân Heder adapted the screenplay.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ sci-fi remake of “Dune” won six of its 10 Oscar nominations: Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Production Design, Best Sound, Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects. Netflix’s Western drama “The Power of the Dog” went into the ceremony with the most nominations (12) and ended up winning just one: Best Director, for Jane Campion. The only other movie to win more than one Oscar at the ceremony was Searchlight Pictures’ Tammy Faye Bakker biopic “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”: Jessica Chastain won Best Actress, and the movie won the prize for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Ariana DeBose, Troy Kotsur and Jessica Chastain at the 94th annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022. (Photo courtesy of ABC)
Ariana DeBose became the first openly queer woman to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She won the prize for playing the role of Anita in the 2021 remake of “West Side Story,” which was DeBose’s acting debut in a feature film. It was the same role for which Rita Moreno won a history-making Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1961’s “West Side Story,” which made Moreno the first Latin person to win an Oscar. Moreno attended the Oscar ceremony in 2022, and she looked on with pride and joy when DeBose took the stage to accept the award.
Despite all the accolades during the show, it will probably be most remembered for an unscripted moment when “King Richard” star Will Smith went on stage and punched presenter Chris Rock in the face, after Rock made an insulting joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, looking like G.I. Jane because of her close-cropped, shaved head. Pinkett Smith went public in 2021 about shaving her head because she has alopecia, a condition which causes large clumps of hair on a head to fall out. Rock was on stage to present the award for Best Documentary Feature. According to Variety, Smith also yelled at Rock after slapping him: “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!”
This surprising altercation, which was followed by spurts of audio blocking and other technical interruptions to TV audiences, happened about 30 minutes before Smith won Best Actor for “King Richard,” in which he portrays Richard “Richie” Williams, the father and first tennis coach for tennis superstars Venus Williams and Serena Williams. Smith gave a tearful acceptance speech about protecting his family and being called to spread love.
Smith also said during the speech: “I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I’m not crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me. It’s about being able to shine a light on all of the people.” The Smith/Rock altercation is bound to be ranked as one of the most notorious moments in Oscar history.*
Other presenters at the show were Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Daniel Kaluuya, H.E.R., Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez, Jacob Elordi, Rachel Zegler, Tony Hawk, Kelly Slater, Shaun White, Stephanie Beatriz, Halle Bailey, Lily James and Naomi Scott, Naomi Scott, Tiffany Haddish, Simu Liu, Mila Kunis, Ruth E. Carter, Lupita Nyong’o, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Garner, Elliot Page J.K. Simmons, Shawn Mendes, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rami Malek, Tyler Perry, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bill Murray, Jill Scott, Sean Combs, Zoë Kravitz, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kevin Costner, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Anthony Hopkins, Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli.
There were also performances of four of the five songs competing in the Best Original Son category: Beyoncé opened the show with her Oscar-nominated “Be Alive” from “King Richard,” by performing the song at a tennis court in Compton, California, as a nod to where Venus Williams and Serena Williams got their start. Sebastián Yatra sang “Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto.” Reba McEntire sang “Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days.” Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell performed the title track to “No Time to Die,” which won the Oscar. Due to touring commitments, Van Morrison did not attend the ceremony to perform his Oscar-nominated song “Down to Joy.” Instead, there was a performance of the “Encanto” hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” by members of the “Encanto” cast with a special guest appearance by Megan Thee Stallion.
*April 1, 2022 UPDATE: After much controversy and media coverage of Smith’s physical assault of Rock at this Oscar ceremony, Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. Read the full story here.
*April 8, 2022 UPDATE: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that it is banning Smith from all Academy events for 10 years. Read the full story here.
Here is the complete list of winners and nominations for the 2022 Academy Awards:
*=winner
Best Picture
“Belfast,” Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas, producers
“CODA,” Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, producers*
“Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, producers
“Drive My Car,” Teruhisa Yamamoto, producer
“Dune,” Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter, producers
“King Richard,” Tim White, Trevor White and Will Smith, producers
“Licorice Pizza,” Sara Murphy, Adam Somner and Paul Thomas Anderson, producers
“Nightmare Alley,” Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Bradley Cooper, producers
“The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Roger Frappier, producers
“West Side Story,” Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producers
Best Director
Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”)
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”)
Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”)
Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”)*
Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”)
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”)
Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”)
Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick … Boom!”)
Will Smith (“King Richard”)*
Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”)
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”)*
Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”)
Penélope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”)
Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”)
Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”)
Troy Kotsur (“CODA”)*
Jesse Plemons (“The Power of the Dog”)
J.K. Simmons (“Being the Ricardos”)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Jessie Buckley (“The Lost Daughter”)
Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”)*
Judi Dench (“Belfast”)
Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”)
Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”)
Best Adapted Screenplay
“CODA,” screenplay by Siân Heder*
“Drive My Car,” screenplay by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe
“Dune,” screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth
“The Lost Daughter,” written by Maggie Gyllenhaal
“The Power of the Dog,” written by Jane Campion
Best Original Screenplay
“Belfast,” written by Kenneth Branagh*
“Don’t Look Up,” screenplay by Adam McKay; story by Adam McKay and David Sirota
“King Richard,” written by Zach Baylin
“Licorice Pizza,” written by Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Worst Person in the World,” written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
Best Cinematography
“Dune,” Greig Fraser*
“Nightmare Alley,” Dan Laustsen
“The Power of the Dog,” Ari Wegner
“The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Bruno Delbonnel
“West Side Story,” Janusz Kaminski
Best Film Editing
“Don’t Look Up,” Hank Corwin
“Dune,” Joe Walker*
“King Richard”, Pamela Martin
“The Power of the Dog,” Peter Sciberras
“Tick, Tick…Boom!” Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum
Best Sound
“Belfast,” Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri
“Dune,” Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett*
“No Time to Die,” Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey and Mark Taylor
“The Power of the Dog,” Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb
“West Side Story,” Tod A. Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson and Shawn Murphy
Best Original Score
“Don’t Look Up,” Nicholas Britell
“Dune,” Hans Zimmer*
“Encanto,” Germaine Franco
“Parallel Mothers,” Alberto Iglesias
“The Power of the Dog,” Jonny Greenwood
Best Original Song
“Be Alive” from “King Richard,” music and lyric by Dixson and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
“Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto,” music and lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda
“Down to Joy” from “Belfast,” music and lyric by Van Morrison
“No Time to Die” from “No Time to Die,” music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell*
“Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days,” music and lyric by Diane Warren
Best Animated Feature Film
“Encanto,” Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer*
“Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie
“Luca,” Enrico Casarosa and Andrea Warren
“The Mitchells vs. the Machines,” Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Kurt Albrecht
“Raya and the Last Dragon,” Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada, Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho
Best International Feature Film
“Drive My Car” (Japan)*
“Flee” (Denmark)
“The Hand of God” (Italy)
“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” (Bhutan)
“The Worst Person in the World” (Norway)
Best Documentary Feature
“Ascension,” Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy and Nathan Truesdell
“Attica,” Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry
“Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie
“Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein*
“Writing With Fire,” Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“Coming 2 America,” Mike Marino, Stacey Morris and Carla Farmer
“Cruella,” Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne and Julia Vernon
“Dune,” Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva von Bahr
“The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh*
“House of Gucci,” Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock and Frederic Aspiras
Best Costume Design
“Cruella,” Jenny Beavan*
“Cyrano,” Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran
“Dune,” Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan
“Nightmare Alley,” Luis Sequeira
“West Side Story,” Paul Tazewell
Best Production Design
“Dune,” production design: Patrice Vermette; set decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos*
“Nightmare Alley,” production design: Tamara Deverell; set decoration: Shane Vieau
“The Power of the Dog,” production design: Grant Major; set decoration: Amber Richards
“The Tragedy of Macbeth,” production design: Stefan Dechant; set decoration: Nancy Haigh
“West Side Story,” production design: Adam Stockhausen; set decoration: Rena DeAngelo
Best Visual Effects
“Dune,” Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer*
“Free Guy,” Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis and Dan Sudick
“No Time to Die,” Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner and Chris Corbould
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker and Dan Oliver
“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein and Dan Sudick
Best Documentary Short Subject
“Audible,” Matt Ogens and Geoff McLean
“Lead Me Home,” Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk
“The Queen of Basketball,” Ben Proudfoot*
“Three Songs for Benazir,” Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei
“When We Were Bullies,” Jay Rosenblatt
Best Animated Short Film
“Affairs of the Art,” Joanna Quinn and Les Mills
“Bestia,” Hugo Covarrubias and Tevo Díaz
“Boxballet,” Anton Dyakov
“Robin Robin,” Dan Ojari and Mikey Please
“The Windshield Wiper,” Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez*
Best Live-Action Short Film
“Ala Kachuu – Take and Run,” Maria Brendle and Nadine Lüchinger
“The Dress,” Tadeusz Łysiak and Maciej Ślesicki
“The Long Goodbye,” Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed*
“On My Mind,” Martin Strange-Hansen and Kim Magnusson
Kodi Smit-McPhee and Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Power of the Dog” (Photo by Kirsty Griffin/Netflix)
Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson in “Dune” (Photo by Chiabella James/Warner Bros. Pictures)
Netflix’s Western drama “The Power of the Dog” and Warner Bros. Pictures’ sci-fi remake “Dune” were the biggest winners at the 75th annual BAFTA Film Awards, which were presented at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 13, 2022. Rebel Wilson hosted the ceremony, which was televised in the United Kingdom on BBC and in the U.S. on BBC America. Eligible films were those released in the United Kingdom in 2021.
“The Power of the Dog” took the prize for Best Film, while Jane Campion received the Best Director prize for helming “The Power of the Dog.” Meanwhile, “Dune” went into the ceremony with the most nominations (11) and ended up winning five BAFTA Film Awards: Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects.
Here is the complete list of winners and nominations for the 2022 BAFTA Film Awards:
*=winner
Best Film
“Belfast” “Don’t Look Up” “Dune” “Licorice Pizza” “The Power of the Dog”*
Outstanding British Film
“After Love” “Ali & Ava” “Belfast”* “Boiling Point” “Cyrano” “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” “House of Gucci” “Last Night in Soho” “No Time to Die” “Passing”
Best Director
Aleem Khan, “After Love” Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, “Drive My Car” Audrey Diwan, “Happening Paul Thomas Anderson, “Licorice Pizza” Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”* Julia Ducournau, “Titane”
Best Leading Actor
Adeel Akhtar, “Ali & Ava” Mahershala Ali, “Swan Song” Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog” Leonardo DiCaprio, “Don’t Look Up” Stephen Graham, “Boiling Point” Will Smith, “King Richard”*
Best Leading Actress
Lady Gaga, “House of Gucci” Alana Haim, “Licorice Pizza” Emilia Jones, “CODA” Renate Reinsve, “The Worst Person in the World” Joanna Scanlan, “After Love”* Tessa Thompson, “Passing”
Best Supporting Actor
Mike Faist, “West Side Story” Ciarán Hinds, “Belfast” Troy Kotsur, “CODA”* Woody Norman, “C’mon C’mon” Jesse Plemons, “The Power of the Dog” Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”
Best Supporting Actress
Caitríona Balfe, “Belfast” Jessie Buckley, “The Lost Daughter” Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”* Ann Dowd, “Mass” Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard” Ruth Negga, “Passing”
Best Adapted Screenplay
“CODA,” Siân Heder* “Drive My Car,” Ryûsuke Hamaguchi “Dune,” Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve “The Lost Daughter,” Maggie Gyllenhaal “The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion
Best Original Screenplay
“Being the Ricardos,” Aaron Sorkin “Belfast,” Kenneth Branagh “Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay “King Richard,” Zach Baylin “Licorice Pizza,” Paul Thomas Anderson*
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
“After Love,” Aleem Khan (writer/director) “Boiling Point,” James Cummings (writer), Hester Ruoff (producer) [also written by Philip Barantini and produced by Bart Ruspoli] “The Harder They Fall” – Jeymes Samuel (writer/director) [also written by Boaz Yakin]* “Keyboard Fantasies” – Posy Dixon (writer/director), Liv Proctor (producer) “Passing” – Rebecca Hall (writer/director)
Original Score
“Being the Ricardos,” Daniel Pemberton “Don’t Look Up,” Nicholas Britell “Dune,” Hans Zimmer* “The French Dispatch,” Alexandre Desplat “The Power of the Dog,” Jonny Greenwood
Cinematography
“Dune,” Greig Fraser* “Nightmare Alley,” Dan Laustsen “No Time to Die,” Linus Sandgren “The Power of the Dog,” Ari Wegner “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Bruno Delbonnel
Film Not in the English Language
“Drive My Car,” Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Teruhisa Yamamoto* “The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino, Lorenzo Mieli “Parallel Mothers,” Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar “Petite Maman,” Céline Sciamma, Bénédicte Couvreur “The Worst Person in the World,” Joachim Trier, Thomas Robsahm
Documentary
“Becoming Cousteau,” Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan “Cow,” Andrea Arnold, Kat Mansoor “Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström “The Rescue,” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, John Battsek, P. J. Van Sandwijk “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, Joseph Patel*
Animated Film
“Encanto,” Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino, Clarke Spencer* “Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Monica Hellström “Luca,” Enrico Casarosa, Andrea Warren “The Mitchells vs the Machines,” Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Casting
“Boiling Point,” Carolyn Mcleod “Dune,” Francine Maisler “The Hand of God,” Massimo Appolloni, Annamaria Sambucco “King Richard,” Rich Delia, Avy Kaufman “West Side Story,” Cindy Tolan*
Production Design
“Cyrano,” Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer “Dune,” Patrice Vermette, Zsuzsanna Sipos* “The French Dispatch,” Adam Stockhausen, Rena Deangelo “Nightmare Alley,” Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau “West Side Story,” Adam Stockhausen, Rena Deangelo
Best Costume Design
“Cruella,” Jenny Beavan* “Cyrano,” Massimo Cantini Parrini “Dune,” Robert Morgan, Jacqueline West “The French Dispatch,” Milena Canonero “Nightmare Alley,” Luis Sequeira
Best Make Up and Hair
“Cruella,” Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne “Cyrano,” Alessandro Bertolazzi, Siân Miller “Dune,” Love Larson, Donald Mowat “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, Justin Raleigh* “House of Gucci,” Frederic Aspiras, Jane Carboni, Giuliano Mariana, Sarah Nicole Tanno
Best Editing
“Belfast,” Úna Ní Dhonghaíle “Dune,” Joe Walker “Licorice Pizza,” Andy Jurgensen “No Time to Die,” Tom Cross, Elliot Graham* “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” Joshua L. Pearson
Best Sound
“Dune,” Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Doug Hemphill, Theo Green, Ron Bartlett* “Last Night in Soho,” Colin Nicolson, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin, Dan Morgan “No Time to Die,” James Harrison, Simon Hayes, Paul Massey, Oliver Tarney, Mark Taylor “A Quiet Place Part II,” Erik Aadahl, Michael Barosky, Brandon Proctor, Ethan Van Der Ryn “West Side Story,” Brian Chumney, Tod Maitland, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom
Best Visual Effects
“Dune,” Brian Connor, Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Gerd Nefzer* “Free Guy,” Swen Gillberg, Brian Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis, Daniel Sudick “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” Aharon Bourland, Sheena Duggal, Pier Lefebvre, Alessandro Ongaro “The Matrix Resurrections,” Tom Debenham, Hew J Evans, Dan Glass, J. D. Schwaim “No Time to Die,” Mark Bokowski, Chris Corbould, Joel Green, Charlie Noble
British Short Animation
“Affairs of the Art,” Joanna Quinn, Les Mills “Do Not Feed the Pigeons,” Jordi Morera* “Night of the Living Dread,” Ida Melum, Danielle Goff, Laura Jayne Tunbridge, Hannah Kelso
British Short Film
“The Black Cop,” Cherish Oteka* “Femme,” Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Sam Ritzenberg, Hayley Williams “The Palace,” Jo Prichard “Stuffed,” Theo Rhys, Joss Holden-rea “Three Meetings of the Extraordinary Committee,” Michael Woodward, Max Barron, Daniel Wheldon
Kodi Smit-McPhee and Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Power of the Dog” (Photo by Kirsty Griffin/Netflix)
With 12 nods, the Netflix drama “The Power of the Dog” is the top nominee for the 94th Annual Academy Awards, which will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022. ABC will have the U.S. telecast of the show. The nominations were announced on February 8, 2022, by Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Jordan.
The nominations for “The Power of the Dog” are Best Picture; Best Actor (for Benedict Cumberbatch); Best Director (for Jane Campion); two nods for Best Supporting Actor (for Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee); Best Supporting Actress (for Kirsten Dunst); Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Film Editing; Best Cinematography; Best Production Design; Best Original Score; and Best Sound. The movie, which is set in 1925 Montana, is about a rancher family that is plagued by jealousy, toxic masculinity and homophobia. Dunst and Plemons are a couple in real life (and they portray a married couple in “The Power of the Dog”), so their nominations are a rare situation where a co-star couple received Oscar nominations for the same movie.
The other contenders for Best Picture are Focus Features’ “Belfast,” Apple Studios’ “CODA,” Netflix’s “Don’t Look Up,” Janus Films/Bitters End’s “Drive My Car,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Dune,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ “King Richard,” United Artists/Focus Features’ “Licorice Pizza,” Searchlight Pictures’ “Nightmare Alley” and 20th Century Studios’ “West Side Story.” The 2021 remake of “Dune” had the second-highest number of Oscar nominations this year (10 nods), followed by “Belfast” and “West Side Story,” which had seven nods each. (Click here to read Culture Mix’s reviews of all these movies that are nominated for Best Picture.)
The awards are voted for by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For the 2022 ceremony, eligible movies were those released in the U.S. cinemas in 2021. As of 2022, the Academy is requiring the Best Picture category to have 10 nominees. From 2009 to 2021, the rule was that there could be five to 10 movies per year nominated for Best Picture.
Snubs and Surprises
Lady Gaga and Jared Leto in “House of Gucci” (Photo by Fabio Lovino/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.)
It’s been an unpredictable awards season for the Best Actress category. Lady Gaga of MGM/United Artists’ “House of Gucci” has been getting nominated at every major award ceremony for movies—except for the Academy Awards, where she was widely predicted to get a nomination. Meanwhile, Kristen Stewart of Neon’s “Spencer” was chosen by many awards pundits as an early frontrunner for a Best Actress Oscar, but Stewart’s performance in “Spencer” ultimately failed to get nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the BAFTA Film Awards—two major award shows that often indicate who will be Oscar winners and Oscar nominees. Despite those snubs, Stewart scored her first Oscar nomination for “Spencer,” when many awards pundits counted her out of the Oscar race because of the SAG and BAFTA snubs. Stewart’s nomination for Best Actress is the only Oscar nod for “Spencer.”
The category of Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress had a few snubs and surprises. Caitríona Balfe of “Belfast” was getting nominated at every major award show for movies—except for the Academy Awards. Instead, “Belfast” co-star Judi Dench got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, even though Dench was passed over in this category for “Belfast” at other major award shows. For “The Power of the Dog,” Best Supporting Actor nominee Smit-McPhee was widely predicted to get an Oscar nomination, but “Power of the Dog” co-star/Oscar nominee Plemons failed to get a Best Supporting Actor nod at other major awards shows, except for the BAFTAs. Meanwhile, Jared Leto of “House of Gucci” was shut out of an Oscar nomination for the Best Supporting Actor category for this movie. Leto has been nominated at other award shows for “House of Gucci,” which got an expected Oscar nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling that includes the much-talked-about prosthetic makeup that Leto wore in the movie. (It’s the only Oscar nod for “House of Gucci.”)
Movies that have been getting awards or nominations elsewhere were completely snubbed by the Academy Awards. They include the Netflix drama “Passing,” the Focus Features comedy “The French Dispatch,” the Netflix drama “The Harder They Fall” and the A24 drama “C’mon C’mon.” Movies that win the Academy Award for Best Picture always get a screenplay Oscar nomination too. That’s why “Nightmare Alley” and “West Side Story” (which are both remake films) have little or no chance to win Best Picture, since both movies failed to get Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay. In the category of Best Film Editing, “Belfast” and “West Side Story” were snubbed, even though both movies were widely predicted to get Oscar nods in that category. And although “Dune” earned a massive 10 Oscar nominations, one of them wasn’t for director Denis Villeneuve in the Best Director category, although he did get an expected Best Adapted Screenplay nod for co-writing the movie.
Some of the biggest surprise nominations came from international films. Neon’s Danish movie “Flee” (directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen) made Oscar history for being the first movie to get Oscar nominations for Best International Feature Film, Best Animated Feature and Best Documentary Feature. While many pundits had floated the possibility that these three nominations would happen for “Flee,” many people predicted that “Flee” would get one or two Oscar nominations. “Flee” is an Afghan refugee’s first-hand account of his life, which is depicted in animated form. He currently lives in Denmark and used an alias in the movie to protect his privacy. Neon’s Norwegian drama “The Worst Person in the World” was expected to get a nomination for Best International Feature Film, but a surprise nomination came when the movie got an Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay. “The Worst Person in the World” was written by Joachim Trier (the movie’s director) and Eskil Vogt.
Diversity and Inclusion
Aunjanue Ellis, Mikayla Bartholomew, Will Smith, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton and Daniele Lawson in “King Richard” (Photo by Chiabella James/Warner Bros. Pictures)
“The Power of the Dog” director Campion made Academy Awards history, by becoming the first woman to get two Oscar nominations for Best Director. She was previously nominated for 1993’s “The Piano,” but lost the award to “Schindler’s List” director Steven Spielberg. It’s a rematch of sorts for Campion and “West Side Story” director Spielberg, since they’re both nominated again for Best Director in the same year. In another male-dominated category (Best Cinematography), Ari Wegner of “The Power of the Dog” became the second woman ever to get an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography. The first woman to break this Best Cinematography gender barrier was Rachel Morrison, who was nominated for another Netflix period drama: 2017’s “Mudbound.”
Racial diversity is in every actor/actress category at 2022 Academy Awards, except for Best Supporting Actor. Black people are represented the most with “King Richard,” which has six nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor (for Will Smith); Best Supporting Actress (for Aunjanue Ellis); Best Original Screenplay; Best Film Editing; and Best Original Song (for Beyoncé’s “Be Alive”). “King Richard” is a biopic about Richard “Richie” Williams, the father and early coach of tennis superstars Venus Williams and Serena Williams.
Two African American-oriented films were nominated for Best Documentary Feature this year: Showtime’s “Attica” (directed by Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry) and Searchlight Pictures’ “Summer of Soul (…Or, The Revolution Could Not Be Televised”), directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Meanwhile, Denzel Washington scored his 10th Oscar nomination: Best Actor, for A24/Apple TV+’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” making him the most Oscar-nominated African American in Academy Awards history. Nine of his Oscar nominations are for acting, while one nomination is a Best Picture nod for being a producer of 2016’s “Fences.” Washington has won two Oscars: Best Actor (for 2001’s “Training Day”) and Best Supporting Actor (for 1989’s “Glory”).
Asians were represented the most with “Drive My Car,” a Japanese drama about a grieving widower who goes on a road trip with a young actress. “Drive My Car” earned four Oscar nods: Best Picture; Best Director (for Ryusuke Hamaguchi); Best Adapted Screenplay; and Best International Feature Film. As previously mentioned, “Flee” is about an Afghan refugee. Two other Asian-oriented movies were nominated for Best Documentary Feature: MTV Documentary Films’ “Ascension” (about consumerism in China) and Music Box Films’ “Writing With Fire” (about Indian female journalists). Chinese American director Jessica Kingdon is one of the nominees for “Ascension” while Indian American directors/producers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh are nominated for “Writing With Fire.”
Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” which takes place in China and has an all-Asian cast, is nominated for Best Animated Feature, but none of the nominated producers and directors of the movie is Asian. Pakastani British entertainer Riz Ahmed, who got an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in 2021 for the Amazon Studios drama “Sound of Metal,” is nominated for an Oscar in 2022—this time, for being a producer of “The Long Goodbye,” which is nominated for Best Live-Action Short. Meanwhile, Indian American producer Joseph Patel is one of the Best Documentary Feature nominees for “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).”
Hispanic/Latino people nominated for Oscars this year included Oscar-winning spouses Javier Bardem of “Being the Ricardos” (Best Actor) and Penélope Cruz of “Parallel Mothers” (Best Actress); Guillermo del Toro (Best Picture), for being one of the producers of “Nightmare Alley”; “Parallel Mothers” composer Alberto Iglesias (Best Original Score); “Raya and the Last Dragon” co-director Carlos López Estrada (Best Animated Feature); and Ariana DeBose of “West Side Story” (Best Supporting Actress). DeBose, who is multiracial (Hispanic, African American and white) in real life, depicts a Puerto Rican in the 2021 remake of “West Side Story” and is the only cast member and the only person of color to get an Oscar nomination for the movie. “West Side Story” is a musical about racial tensions between white people and Puerto Ricans in early 1960s New York City.
Disney’s Colombian-oriented animated film “Encanto” picked up three nominations: Best Animated Feature (whose nominees includes Latina producer Yvett Marino); Best Original Song (for “Dos Oruguitas,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda); and Best Original Score (for Germaine Franco, one of the few women ever nominated in this category). Meanwhile, there are Latino nominees in the short film categories: Best Animated Short nominees include writer/director Hugo Covarrubias and producer Tevo Díaz of “Bestia (Beast)” and writer/director Alberto Mielgo and producer Leo Sanchez of “The Windshield Wiper.” “Please Hold” director K.D. Dávila is nominated for Best Live-Action Short.
LGBTQ representation in the Oscar nominations can be found in the animated documentary “Flee” (whose subject is a gay Afghan refugee); Cruz’s queer character Janis Martínez Moreno in “Parallel Mothers” and Cumberbatch’s closeted gay character Phil Burbank in “The Power of the Dog.” In real life, Stewart of “Spencer” and DeBose of “West Side Story” identify as openly queer. The disabled community is represented by “CODA” (about a Massachusetts family of mostly deaf people), which got three nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (for real-life deaf actor Troy Kotsur); and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Here is the complete list of nominations for the 2022 Academy Awards:
Best Picture
“Belfast,” Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas, producers
“CODA,” Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, producers
“Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, producers
“Drive My Car,” Teruhisa Yamamoto, producer
“Dune,” Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter, producers
“King Richard,” Tim White, Trevor White and Will Smith, producers
“Licorice Pizza,” Sara Murphy, Adam Somner and Paul Thomas Anderson, producers
“Nightmare Alley,” Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Bradley Cooper, producers
“The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Roger Frappier, producers
“West Side Story,” Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producers
Best Director
Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”)
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”)
Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”)
Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”)
Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”)
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”)
Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”)
Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick … Boom!”)
Will Smith (“King Richard”)
Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”)
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”)
Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”)
Penélope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”)
Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”)
Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”)
Troy Kotsur (“CODA”)
Jesse Plemons (“The Power of the Dog”)
J.K. Simmons (“Being the Ricardos”)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Jessie Buckley (“The Lost Daughter”)
Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”)
Judi Dench (“Belfast”)
Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”)
Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”)
Best Adapted Screenplay
“CODA,” screenplay by Siân Heder
“Drive My Car,” screenplay by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe
“Dune,” screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth
“The Lost Daughter,” written by Maggie Gyllenhaal
“The Power of the Dog,” written by Jane Campion
Best Original Screenplay
“Belfast,” written by Kenneth Branagh
“Don’t Look Up,” screenplay by Adam McKay; story by Adam McKay and David Sirota
“King Richard,” written by Zach Baylin
“Licorice Pizza,” written by Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Worst Person in the World,” written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
Best Cinematography
“Dune,” Greig Fraser
“Nightmare Alley,” Dan Laustsen
“The Power of the Dog,” Ari Wegner
“The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Bruno Delbonnel
“West Side Story,” Janusz Kaminski
Best Film Editing
“Don’t Look Up,” Hank Corwin
“Dune,” Joe Walker
“King Richard”, Pamela Martin
“The Power of the Dog,” Peter Sciberras
“Tick, Tick…Boom!” Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum
Best Sound
“Belfast,” Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri
“Dune,” Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett
“No Time to Die,” Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey and Mark Taylor
“The Power of the Dog,” Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb
“West Side Story,” Tod A. Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson and Shawn Murphy
Best Original Score
“Don’t Look Up,” Nicholas Britell
“Dune,” Hans Zimmer
“Encanto,” Germaine Franco
“Parallel Mothers,” Alberto Iglesias
“The Power of the Dog,” Jonny Greenwood
Best Original Song
“Be Alive” from “King Richard,” music and lyric by Dixson and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
“Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto,” music and lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda
“Down to Joy” from “Belfast,” music and lyric by Van Morrison
“No Time To Die” from “No Time to Die,” music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
“Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days,” music and lyric by Diane Warren
Best Animated Feature Film
“Encanto,” Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer
“Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie
“Luca,” Enrico Casarosa and Andrea Warren
“The Mitchells vs. the Machines,” Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Kurt Albrecht
“Raya and the Last Dragon,” Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada, Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho
Best International Feature Film
“Drive My Car” (Japan)
“Flee” (Denmark)
“The Hand of God” (Italy)
“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” (Bhutan)
“The Worst Person in the World” (Norway)
Best Documentary Feature
“Ascension,” Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy and Nathan Truesdell
“Attica,” Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry
“Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie
“Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein
“Writing With Fire,” Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“Coming 2 America,” Mike Marino, Stacey Morris and Carla Farmer
“Cruella,” Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne and Julia Vernon
“Dune,” Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva von Bahr
“The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh
“House of Gucci,” Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock and Frederic Aspiras
Best Costume Design
“Cruella,” Jenny Beavan
“Cyrano,” Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran
“Dune,” Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan
“Nightmare Alley,” Luis Sequeira
“West Side Story,” Paul Tazewell
Best Production Design
“Dune,” production design: Patrice Vermette; set decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos
“Nightmare Alley,” production design: Tamara Deverell; set decoration: Shane Vieau
“The Power of the Dog,” production design: Grant Major; set decoration: Amber Richards
“The Tragedy of Macbeth,” production design: Stefan Dechant; set decoration: Nancy Haigh
“West Side Story,” production design: Adam Stockhausen; set decoration: Rena DeAngelo
Best Visual Effects
“Dune,” Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer*
“Free Guy,” Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis and Dan Sudick
“No Time to Die,” Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner and Chris Corbould
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker and Dan Oliver
“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein and Dan Sudick
Best Documentary Short Subject
“Audible,” Matt Ogens and Geoff McLean
“Lead Me Home,” Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk
“The Queen of Basketball,” Ben Proudfoot
“Three Songs for Benazir,” Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei
“When We Were Bullies,” Jay Rosenblatt
Best Animated Short Film
“Affairs of the Art,” Joanna Quinn and Les Mills
“Bestia,” Hugo Covarrubias and Tevo Díaz
“Boxballet,” Anton Dyakov
“Robin Robin,” Dan Ojari and Mikey Please
“The Windshield Wiper,” Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez
Best Live-Action Short Film
“Ala Kachuu – Take and Run,” Maria Brendle and Nadine Lüchinger
“The Dress,” Tadeusz Łysiak and Maciej Ślesicki
“The Long Goodbye,” Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed
“On My Mind,” Martin Strange-Hansen and Kim Magnusson
Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem and Timothée Chalamet in “Dune” (Photo by Chiabella James/Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)
With 11 nominations, the 2021 remake of the sci-fi movie “Dune” is the top nominee for the 75th Annual EE British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards. The ceremony, hosted by Rebel Wilson, will take place at Royal Albert Hall in London on March 13, 2022. BBC televises the show in the United Kingdom, and BBC America televises the show in the United States. Eligible films were those released in the United Kingdom in 2021.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Dune” is nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hair, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. “Dune” is a remake of 1984’s “Dune” and is based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The cast of “Dune” includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Charlotte Rampling and Jason Momoa.
Other movies with several BAFTA nominations include the Netflix drama “The Power of the Dog” (eight nods) and the Focus Features drama “Belfast” (six nods). Getting five nominations each are United Artists’ comedy/drama “Licorice Pizza” and 20th Century Studios’ “West Side Story” remake. All of these movies except for “West Side Story” are nominated for Best Film.
Snubs and Surprises
Kristen Stewart in “Spencer” (Photo courtesy of Neon)
Neon’s Princess Diana drama “Spencer” (directed by Pablo Larraín and starring Kristen Stewart) was completely shut out of the BAFTAs, by failing to get any nominations. The BAFTAs also snubbed Netflix’s Jonathan Larson biopic musical “Tick, Tick…Boom!” (directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield), even though the movie has been racking up nominations at all other major award shows for movies. Also left out of the BAFTA final nominations list, despite being nominated at many other award shows, are Denzel Washington of A24’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Olivia Colman of Netflix’s “The Lost Daughter,” Jessica Chastain of Searchlight Pictures’ “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Nicole Kidman of Amazon’s “Being the Ricardos” and Kirsten Dunst of “The Power of the Dog.”
And even though “Dune” and “Belfast” got several BAFTA nominations this year, Best Director was not one of them. However, as expected “Dune” director Denis Villenueve and “Belfast” director Kenneth Branagh did get screenplay nominations for their respective movies. Surprises in the Best Director category include Audrey Diwan for “Happening” and Julia Ducournau for “Titane,” because those movies did not get any other BAFTA nominations.
Altitude Films’ drama “Ali & Ava,” BBC Films’ drama “After Love” and Vertigo Releasing’s drama “Boiling Point,” which are all nominated for Best British Film, edged out some expected contenders in other categories. “After Love” director Aleem Khan is a nominee for Best Director, while “After Love” star Joanna Scanlan is nominated for Best Actress. In the Best Actor category, the nominees include “Ali & Ava” co-star Adeel Akhtar and “Boiling Point” star Stephen Graham.
Here is the complete list of nominations for the 2022 BAFTA Film Awards:
Best Film
“Belfast” “Don’t Look Up” “Dune” “Licorice Pizza” “The Power of the Dog”
Outstanding British Film
“After Love” “Ali & Ava” “Belfast” “Boiling Point” “Cyrano” “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” “House of Gucci” “Last Night in Soho” “No Time to Die” “Passing”
Best Director
Aleem Khan, “After Love” Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, “Drive My Car” Audrey Diwan, “Happening Paul Thomas Anderson, “Licorice Pizza” Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog” Julia Ducournau, “Titane”
Best Leading Actor
Adeel Akhtar, “Ali & Ava” Mahershala Ali, “Swan Song” Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog” Leonardo DiCaprio, “Don’t Look Up” Stephen Graham, “Boiling Point” Will Smith, “King Richard”
Best Leading Actress
Lady Gaga, “House of Gucci” Alana Haim, “Licorice Pizza” Emilia Jones, “CODA” Renate Reinsve, “The Worst Person in the World” Joanna Scanlan, “After Love” Tessa Thompson, “Passing”
Best Supporting Actor
Mike Faist, “West Side Story” Ciarán Hinds, “Belfast” Troy Kotsur, “CODA” Woody Norman, “C’mon C’mon” Jesse Plemons, “The Power of the Dog” Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”
Best Supporting Actress
Caitríona Balfe, “Belfast” Jessie Buckley, “The Lost Daughter” Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story” Ann Dowd, “Mass” Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard” Ruth Negga, “Passing”
Best Adapted Screenplay
“CODA,” Siân Heder “Drive My Car,” Ryûsuke Hamaguchi “Dune,” Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve “The Lost Daughter,” Maggie Gyllenhaal “The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion
Best Original Screenplay
“Being the Ricardos,” Aaron Sorkin “Belfast,” Kenneth Branagh “Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay “King Richard,” Zach Baylin “Licorice Pizza,” Paul Thomas Anderson
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
“After Love,” Aleem Khan (writer/director) “Boiling Point,” James Cummings (writer), Hester Ruoff (producer) [also written by Philip Barantini and produced by Bart Ruspoli] “The Harder They Fall” – Jeymes Samuel (writer/director) [also written by Boaz Yakin] “Keyboard Fantasies” – Posy Dixon (writer/director), Liv Proctor (producer) “Passing” – Rebecca Hall (writer/director)
Original Score
“Being the Ricardos,” Daniel Pemberton “Don’t Look Up,” Nicholas Britell “Dune,” Hans Zimmer “The French Dispatch,” Alexandre Desplat “The Power of the Dog,” Jonny Greenwood
Cinematography
“Dune,” Greig Fraser “Nightmare Alley,” Dan Laustsen “No Time to Die,” Linus Sandgren “The Power of the Dog,” Ari Wegner “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Bruno Delbonnel
Film Not in the English Language
“Drive My Car,” Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Teruhisa Yamamoto “The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino, Lorenzo Mieli “Parallel Mothers,” Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar “Petite Maman,” Céline Sciamma, Bénédicte Couvreur “The Worst Person in the World,” Joachim Trier, Thomas Robsahm
Documentary
“Becoming Cousteau,” Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan “Cow,” Andrea Arnold, Kat Mansoor “Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström “The Rescue,” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, John Battsek, P. J. Van Sandwijk “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, Joseph Patel
Animated Film
“Encanto,” Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino, Clarke Spencer “Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Monica Hellström “Luca,” Enrico Casarosa, Andrea Warren “The Mitchells vs the Machines,” Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Casting
“Boiling Point,” Carolyn Mcleod “Dune,” Francine Maisler “The Hand of God,” Massimo Appolloni, Annamaria Sambucco “King Richard,” Rich Delia, Avy Kaufman “West Side Story,” Cindy Tolan
Production Design
“Cyrano,” Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer “Dune,” Patrice Vermette, Zsuzsanna Sipos “The French Dispatch,” Adam Stockhausen, Rena Deangelo “Nightmare Alley,” Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau “West Side Story,” Adam Stockhausen, Rena Deangelo
Best Costume Design
“Cruella,” Jenny Beavan “Cyrano,” Massimo Cantini Parrini “Dune,” Robert Morgan, Jacqueline West “The French Dispatch,” Milena Canonero “Nightmare Alley,” Luis Sequeira
Best Make Up and Hair
“Cruella,” Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne “Cyrano,” Alessandro Bertolazzi, Siân Miller “Dune,” Love Larson, Donald Mowat “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, Justin Raleigh “House of Gucci,” Frederic Aspiras, Jane Carboni, Giuliano Mariana, Sarah Nicole Tanno
Best Editing
“Belfast,” Úna Ní Dhonghaíle “Dune,” Joe Walker “Licorice Pizza,” Andy Jurgensen “No Time to Die,” Tom Cross, Elliot Graham “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” Joshua L. Pearson
Best Sound
“Dune,” Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Doug Hemphill, Theo Green, Ron Bartlett “Last Night in Soho,” Colin Nicolson, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin, Dan Morgan “No Time to Die,” James Harrison, Simon Hayes, Paul Massey, Oliver Tarney, Mark Taylor “A Quiet Place Part II,” Erik Aadahl, Michael Barosky, Brandon Proctor, Ethan Van Der Ryn “West Side Story,” Brian Chumney, Tod Maitland, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom
Best Visual Effects
“Dune,” Brian Connor, Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Gerd Nefzer “Free Guy,” Swen Gillberg, Brian Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis, Daniel Sudick “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” Aharon Bourland, Sheena Duggal, Pier Lefebvre, Alessandro Ongaro “The Matrix Resurrections,” Tom Debenham, Hew J Evans, Dan Glass, J. D. Schwaim “No Time to Die,” Mark Bokowski, Chris Corbould, Joel Green, Charlie Noble
British Short Animation
“Affairs of the Art,” Joanna Quinn, Les Mills “Do Not Feed the Pigeons,” Jordi Morera “Night of the Living Dread,” Ida Melum, Danielle Goff, Laura Jayne Tunbridge, Hannah Kelso
British Short Film
“The Black Cop,” Cherish Oteka “Femme,” Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Sam Ritzenberg, Hayley Williams “The Palace,” Jo Prichard “Stuffed,” Theo Rhys, Joss Holden-rea “Three Meetings of the Extraordinary Committee,” Michael Woodward, Max Barron, Daniel Wheldon
Judi Dench, Jude Hill and Ciarán Hinds in “Belfast” (Photo by Rob Youngson/Focus Features)
Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler in “West Side Story” (Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios)
December 13, 2021
The following is a combination of press releases from the Critics Choice Association:
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced today the film category nominees for the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards. The winners will be revealed at the star-studded Critics Choice Awards gala hosted by Taye Diggs and Nicole Byer, which will broadcast LIVE on The CW and TBS on Sunday, January 9, 2022 from 7:00 – 10:00 pm ET (delayed PT – check local listings).*
*[December 22, 2021 UPDATE: The ceremony has been postponed until further notice, due to concerns over increasing COVID-19 infections, particiularly from the Omicron variant. The Critics Choice Association issued this statement: “After thoughtful consideration and candid conversations with our partners at The CW and TBS, we have collectively come to the conclusion that the prudent and responsible decision at this point is to postpone the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards, originally slated for January 9, 2022. We are in constant communication with LA County Health Officials, and we are currently working diligently to find a new date during the upcoming awards season in which to host our annual gala in-person with everyone’s safety and health remaining our top priority. We will be sharing additional details with our friends and colleagues throughout the entertainment industry as soon as we can.”]
*[January 13, 2022 UPDATE: The ceremony has been rescheduled for March 13, 2022.]
*[February 16, 2022 UPDATE: The ceremony will be held in Los Angeles and in London, to accommodate people who will attending the BAFTA Film Awards happening on the same night.]
“Belfast” from Focus Features and “West Side Story” from 20th Century Studios lead this year’s film contenders, earning 11 nominations each. In addition to Best Picture, “Belfast” racked up several acting nominations including Best Supporting Actor nods for both Jamie Dornan and Ciarán Hinds, Best Supporting Actress for Caitríona Balfe, Best Young Actor/Actress for Jude Hill, and Best Acting Ensemble, while Kenneth Branagh could take home both the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay trophies. “Belfast” also earned nominations for Haris Zambarloukos for Best Cinematography, Jim Clay and Claire Nia Richards for Best Production Design, and Úna Ní Dhonghaíle for Best Editing.
Steven Spielberg received a Best Director nomination for his Best Picture contender “West Side Story.” Two of the film’s standout performers, Ariana DeBose and Rita Moreno, will be vying for Best Supporting Actress, while Rachel Zegler is up for Best Young Actor/Actress. “West Side Story” also garnered a nomination for Best Acting Ensemble, and nods for Tony Kushner for Best Adapted Screenplay, Janusz Kaminski for Best Cinematography, Adam Stockhausen and Rena DeAngelo for Best Production Design, Sarah Broshar and Michael Kahn for Best Editing, and Paul Tazewell for Best Costume Design.
The list of Best Picture hopefuls featured several more films with impressive nomination counts, including “Dune” and “The Power of the Dog” which picked up ten each. “Licorice Pizza” and “Nightmare Alley” collected eight nominations apiece, followed by “King Richard” and “Don’t Look Up,” each with six. Rounding out the Best Picture nominees are “CODA” and “tick, tick…Boom!”
“We are so proud to be honoring this amazing list of films and the incredibly talented people who made them during this extremely challenging time,” said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin. “All eyes are going to be on the Fairmont Century Plaza red carpet and ballroom on January 9th, when the biggest stars in movies and television will be gathered to celebrate the best of the best in entertainment this past year. In the safest possible environment, it will mark the return of the kind of glitz and glamor we haven’t been able to enjoy in far too long.”
Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Brian Cox in “Succession” (Photo by Graeme Hunter/HBO)
HBO’s “Succession” leads this year’s TV contenders with eight nominations. In addition to Best Drama Series the show racked up a slew of acting nominations including nods for both Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Several of their co-stars also find themselves vying with each other, as Nicholas Braun, Kieran Culkin and Matthew Macfadyen all scored nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, while J. Smith-Cameron and Sarah Snook are both up for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
“Mare of Easttown” (HBO) and “Evil” (Paramount+) impressed with five nominations each. “Mare of Easttown” is up for Best Limited Series, with Kate Winslet nominated for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television, Evan Peters for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television, and both Julianne Nicholson and Jean Smart nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television. “Evil” is nominated for Best Drama Series, Mike Colter for Best Actor in a Drama Series, Katja Herbers for Best Actress in a Drama Series, and both Andrea Martin and Christine Lahti are up for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Several programs earned four nominations each, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu), “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+), “The Good Fight” (Paramount+), “This Is Us” (NBC), and “WandaVision” (Disney+).
“Although the industry is still recovering from the COVID-19 lockdown, you wouldn’t know it from the wealth of amazing television programs our nomination committees pored through to come up with this year’s nominees,” said Critics Choice Association TV Branch president Ed Martin. “We have even more choices than we did before the pandemic, for critics and viewers to embrace. While the streamers continue to break new ground with some wonderfully unexpected offerings, it has been an unusually strong year for all areas of television. We look forward to honoring the year’s finest shows at what promises to be our most exciting awards ceremony yet.”
The Critics Choice Awards are bestowed annually to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, they are the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations.
The 27th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. The CCA is represented by Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig.
Follow the 27th annual Critics Choice Awards on Twitter and Instagram @CriticsChoice and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 500 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
About The CW:
THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK launched in 2006 as America’s fifth broadcast network, with programming targeting younger viewers, a demographic highly sought after by advertisers. The CW, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, now broadcasts across the week, offering fourteen-hours of primetime programming, Monday through Sunday, beginning in Fall 2021. The CW’s primetime programming is also available to stream for free, without authentication, on the ad-supported CWTV.com and The CW app, now available on every major OTT platform. Additionally, The CW broadcasts a three-hour Saturday morning kids block. The CW’s digital network CW Seed launched in 2013 and offers original short-form digital content as well as past seasons of fan-favorite television series. For more information about the network and its programming, visit www.cwtvpr.com.
About TBS:
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FILM NOMINATIONS FOR THE 27TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
BEST PICTURE
Belfast
CODA
Don’t Look Up
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
tick, tick…Boom!
West Side Story
BEST ACTOR
Nicolas Cage – Pig
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog
Peter Dinklage – Cyrano
Andrew Garfield – tick, tick…Boom!
Will Smith – King Richard
Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth
BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter
Lady Gaga – House of Gucci
Alana Haim – Licorice Pizza
Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos
Kristen Stewart – Spencer
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jamie Dornan – Belfast
Ciarán Hinds – Belfast
Troy Kotsur – CODA
Jared Leto – House of Gucci
J.K. Simmons – Being the Ricardos
Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Caitríona Balfe – Belfast
Ariana DeBose – West Side Story
Ann Dowd – Mass
Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog
Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard
Rita Moreno – West Side Story
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Jude Hill – Belfast
Cooper Hoffman – Licorice Pizza
Emilia Jones – CODA
Woody Norman – C’mon C’mon
Saniyya Sidney – King Richard
Rachel Zegler – West Side Story
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Belfast
Don’t Look Up
The Harder They Fall
Licorice Pizza
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza
Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog
Guillermo del Toro – Nightmare Alley
Steven Spielberg – West Side Story
Denis Villeneuve – Dune
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza
Zach Baylin – King Richard
Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
Adam McKay, David Sirota – Don’t Look Up
Aaron Sorkin – Being the Ricardos
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog
Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Lost Daughter
Siân Heder – CODA
Tony Kushner – West Side Story
Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth – Dune
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Bruno Delbonnel – The Tragedy of Macbeth
Greig Fraser – Dune
Janusz Kaminski – West Side Story
Dan Laustsen – Nightmare Alley
Ari Wegner – The Power of the Dog
Haris Zambarloukos – Belfast
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Jim Clay, Claire Nia Richards – Belfast
Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau – Nightmare Alley
Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo – The French Dispatch
Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo – West Side Story
Patrice Vermette, Zsuzsanna Sipos – Dune
BEST EDITING
Sarah Broshar and Michael Kahn – West Side Story
Úna Ní Dhonghaíle – Belfast
Andy Jurgensen – Licorice Pizza
Peter Sciberras – The Power of the Dog
Joe Walker – Dune
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Jenny Beavan – Cruella
Luis Sequeira – Nightmare Alley
Paul Tazewell – West Side Story
Jacqueline West, Robert Morgan – Dune
Janty Yates – House of Gucci
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Cruella
Dune
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
House of Gucci
Nightmare Alley
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Dune
The Matrix Resurrections
Nightmare Alley
No Time to Die
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
BEST COMEDY
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Don’t Look Up
Free Guy
The French Dispatch
Licorice Pizza
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Encanto
Flee
Luca
The Mitchells vs the Machines
Raya and the Last Dragon
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A Hero
Drive My Car
Flee
The Hand of God
The Worst Person in the World
BEST SONG
Be Alive – King Richard
Dos Oruguitas – Encanto
Guns Go Bang – The Harder They Fall
Just Look Up – Don’t Look Up
No Time to Die – No Time to Die
BEST SCORE
Nicholas Britell – Don’t Look Up
Jonny Greenwood – The Power of the Dog
Jonny Greenwood – Spencer
Nathan Johnson – Nightmare Alley
Hans Zimmer – Dune
NOMINATIONS BY FILM FORTHE 27TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
A HERO – 1
Best Foreign Language Film
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar – 1
Best Comedy
Being the Ricardos – 3
Best Actress – Nicole Kidman
Best Supporting Actor – J.K. Simmons
Best Original Screenplay – Aaron Sorkin
Belfast – 11
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor – Jamie Dornan
Best Supporting Actor – Ciarán Hinds
Best Supporting Actress – Caitríona Balfe
Best Young Actor/Actress – Jude Hill
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director – Kenneth Branagh
Best Original Screenplay – Kenneth Branagh
Best Cinematography – Haris Zambarloukos
Best Production Design – Jim Clay, Claire Nia Richards
Best Editing – Úna Ní Dhonghaíle
C’mon C’mon – 1
Best Young Actor/Actress – Woody Norman
CODA – 4
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor – Troy Kotsur
Best Young Actor/Actress – Emilia Jones
Best Adapted Screenplay – Siân Heder
Cruella – 2
Best Costume Design – Jenny Beavan
Best Hair And Makeup
Cyrano – 1
Best Actor – Peter Dinklage
Don’t Look Up – 6
Best Picture
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Original Screenplay – Adam McKay, David Sirota
Best Comedy
Best Song – Just Look Up
Best Score – Nicholas Britell
Drive My Car – 1
Best Foreign Language Film
Dune – 10
Best Picture
Best Director – Denis Villeneuve
Best Adapted Screenplay – Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth
Best Cinematography – Greig Fraser
Best Production Design – Patrice Vermette, Zsuzsanna Sipos
Best Editing – Joe Walker
Best Costume Design – Jacqueline West, Robert Morgan
Best Hair And Makeup
Best Visual Effects
Best Score – Hans Zimmer
Encanto – 2
Best Animated Feature
Best Song – Dos Oruguitas
Flee – 2
Best Animated Feature
Best Foreign Language Film
Free Guy – 1
Best Comedy
House of Gucci – 4
Best Actress – Lady Gaga
Best Supporting Actor – Jared Leto
Best Costume Design – Janty Yates
Best Hair And Makeup
King Richard – 6
Best Picture
Best Actor – Will Smith
Best Supporting Actress – Aunjanue Ellis
Best Young Actor/Actress – Saniyya Sidney
Best Original Screenplay – Zach Baylin
Best Song – Be Alive
Licorice Pizza – 8
Best Picture
Best Actress – Alana Haim
Best Young Actor/Actress – Cooper Hoffman
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director – Paul Thomas Anderson
Best Original Screenplay – Paul Thomas Anderson
Best Editing – Andy Jurgensen
Best Comedy
Luca – 1
Best Animated Feature
Mass – 1
Best Supporting Actress – Ann Dowd
Nightmare Alley – 8
Best Picture
Best Director – Guillermo del Toro
Best Cinematography – Dan Laustsen
Best Production Design – Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau
Best Costume Design – Luis Sequeira
Best Hair And Makeup
Best Visual Effects
Best Score – Nathan Johnson
No Time to Die – 2
Best Visual Effects
Best Song – No Time to Die
Pig – 1
Best Actor – Nicolas Cage
Raya and the Last Dragon – 1
Best Animated Feature
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – 1
Best Visual Effects
Spencer – 2
Best Actress – Kristen Stewart
Best Score – Jonny Greenwood
The Eyes of Tammy Faye – 2
Best Actress – Jessica Chastain
Best Hair And Makeup
The French Dispatch – 2
Best Production Design – Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo
Best Comedy
The Hand of God – 1
Best Foreign Language Film
The Harder They Fall – 2
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Song – Guns Go Bang
The Lost Daughter – 2
Best Actress – Olivia Colman
Best Adapted Screenplay – Maggie Gyllenhaal
The Matrix Resurrections – 1
Best Visual Effects
The Mitchells vs the Machines – 1
Best Animated Feature
The Power of the Dog – 10
Best Picture
Best Actor – Benedict Cumberbatch
Best Supporting Actor – Kodi Smit-McPhee
Best Supporting Actress – Kirsten Dunst
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director – Jane Campion
Best Adapted Screenplay – Jane Campion
Best Cinematography – Ari Wegner
Best Editing – Peter Sciberras
Best Score – Jonny Greenwood
The Tragedy of Macbeth – 2
Best Actor – Denzel Washington
Best Cinematography – Bruno Delbonnel
The Worst Person in the World – 1
Best Foreign Language Film
tick, tick…Boom! – 2
Best Picture
Best Actor – Andrew Garfield
West Side Story – 11
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actress – Ariana DeBose
Best Supporting Actress – Rita Moreno
Best Young Actor/Actress – Rachel Zegler
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director – Steven Spielberg
Best Adapted Screenplay – Tony Kushner
Best Cinematography – Janusz Kaminski
Best Production Design – Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo
Best Editing – Sarah Broshar and Michael Kahn
Best Costume Design – Paul Tazewell
TELEVISION NOMINATIONS FOR THE 27TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
BEST DRAMA SERIES
Evil (Paramount+)
For All Mankind (Apple TV+)
The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Pose (FX)
Squid Game (Netflix)
Succession (HBO)
This Is Us (NBC)
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)
Mike Colter – Evil (Paramount+)
Brian Cox – Succession (HBO)
Lee Jung-jae – Squid Game (Netflix)
Billy Porter – Pose (FX)
Jeremy Strong – Succession (HBO)
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Uzo Aduba – In Treatment (HBO)
Chiara Aurelia – Cruel Summer (Freeform)
Christine Baranski – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Katja Herbers – Evil (Paramount+)
Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets (Showtime)
MJ Rodriguez – Pose (FX)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Nicholas Braun – Succession (HBO)
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Kieran Culkin – Succession (HBO)
Justin Hartley – This Is Us (NBC)
Matthew Macfadyen – Succession (HBO)
Mandy Patinkin – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Andrea Martin – Evil (Paramount+)
Audra McDonald – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Christine Lahti – Evil (Paramount+)
J. Smith-Cameron – Succession (HBO)
Sarah Snook – Succession (HBO)
Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is Us (NBC)
BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Great (Hulu)
Hacks (HBO Max)
Insecure (HBO)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
The Other Two (HBO Max)
Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Iain Armitage – Young Sheldon (CBS)
Nicholas Hoult – The Great (Hulu)
Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Kayvan Novak – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Elle Fanning – The Great (Hulu)
Renée Elise Goldsberry – Girls5eva (Peacock)
Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Sandra Oh – The Chair (Netflix)
Issa Rae – Insecure (HBO)
Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ncuti Gatwa – Sex Education (Netflix)
Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
Harvey Guillén – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Brandon Scott Jones – Ghosts (CBS)
Ray Romano – Made for Love (HBO Max)
Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks (HBO Max)
Kristin Chenoweth – Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
Molly Shannon – The Other Two (HBO Max)
Cecily Strong – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Josie Totah – Saved By the Bell (Peacock)
Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Dopesick (Hulu)
Dr. Death (Peacock)
It’s a Sin (HBO Max)
Maid (Netflix)
Mare of Easttown (HBO)
Midnight Mass (Netflix)
The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)
WandaVision (Disney+)
BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Come From Away (Apple TV+)
List of a Lifetime (Lifetime)
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (Amazon Prime Video)
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (Lifetime)
Oslo (HBO)
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas (The Roku Channel)
BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Olly Alexander – It’s a Sin (HBO Max)
Paul Bettany – WandaVision (Disney+)
William Jackson Harper – Love Life (HBO Max)
Joshua Jackson – Dr. Death (Peacock)
Michael Keaton – Dopesick (Hulu)
Hamish Linklater – Midnight Mass (Netflix)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Danielle Brooks – Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (Lifetime)
Pictured in front row: Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Jude Hill and Lewis McAskie in “Belfast” (Photo by Rob Youngson/Focus Features)
Kodi Smit-McPhee and Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Power of the Dog” (Photo by Kirsty Griffin/Netflix)
With seven nominations each (including Best Motion Picture – Drama), Focus Features’ “Belfast” and Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog” are the leading nominees for the 79th annual Golden Globe Awards. In the TV categories, HBO’s “Succession” leads the pack, with five nods, including Best Drama Series. Winners will be announced in a ceremony or a press conference that will not be televised globally (but will be announced on the Internet) on January 9, 2022.
The non-profit Hollywood Foreign Press Association votes for the Golden Globe nominations and awards. As previously reported, NBC has dropped the Golden Globe Awards telecast in 2022, because of controversies over the HFPA’s lack of racial diversity and because of how the HFPA handles funds and gifting that its members receive for HPFA-related things. Up until August 2021, the HFPA did not have a black person as a member for 20 years.
The HFPA (which currently has about 100 members) has also come under fire for questionable spending and for its members accepting lavish gifts from studios that wanted to get HFPA members to vote for whatever the studios were pitching. The HFPA has since changed its leadership, modified its gifting/funding policies, and added more people of color to its membership, including a few black people. However, it remains to be seen if the HFPA and the Golden Globe Awards can fully recover from their very tarnished reputation.
Here is the complete list of nominations for the 2022 Golden Globe Awards:
MOVIES
Best Motion Picture – Drama “Belfast” (Focus Features) “CODA” (Apple TV+) “Dune” (Warner Bros. Pictures) “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures) “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy “Cyrano” (MGM) “Don’t Look Up” (Netflix) “Licorice Pizza” (MGM/United Artists Releasing) “Tick, Tick … Boom!” (Netflix) “West Side Story” (20th Century Studios)
Best Director Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”) Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”) Maggie Gyllenhaal (“The Lost Daughter”) Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”) Denis Villeneuve (“Dune”)
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Mahershala Ali (“Swan Song”) Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”) Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”) Will Smith (“King Richard”) Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”)
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Leonardo DiCaprio (“Don’t Look Up”) Peter Dinklage (“Cyrano”) Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick … Boom!”) Cooper Hoffman (“Licorice Pizza”) Anthony Ramos (“In the Heights”)
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”) Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”) Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”) Lady Gaga (“House of Gucci”) Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”)
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Marion Cotillard (“Annette”) Alana Haim (“Licorice Pizza”) Jennifer Lawrence (“Don’t Look Up”) Emma Stone (“Cruella”) Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”)
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Ben Affleck (“The Tender Bar”) Jamie Dornan (“Belfast”) Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”) Troy Kotsur (“CODA”) Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”)
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Caitríona Balfe (“Belfast”) Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”) Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”) Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”) Ruth Negga (“Passing”)
Best Screenplay Paul Thomas Anderson, “Licorice Pizza” Kenneth Branagh, “Belfast” Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog” Adam McKay, “Don’t Look Up” Aaron Sorkin, “Being the Ricardos”
Best Original Score Alexandre Desplat, “The French Dispatch” Germaine Franco, “Encanto” Jonny Greenwood, “The Power of the Dog” Alberto Iglesias, “Parallel Mothers” Hans Zimmer, “Dune”
Best Original Song “Be Alive” from “King Richard,” written by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dixson “Dos Orugitas” from “Encanto,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda “No Time to Die” from “No Time to Die,” written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell “Down to Joy” from “Belfast,” written by Van Morrison “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from “Respect,” written by Jamie Alexander Hartman, Jennifer Hudson and Carole King
Best Animated Film “Encanto” (Walt Disney Pictures) “Flee” (Neon) “Luca” (Pixar) “My Sunny Maad” (Aerofilms) “Raya and the Last Dragon” (Walt Disney Pictures)
Best Foreign Language Film “Compartment No. 6” (Sony Pictures Classics) “Drive My Car” (Janus Films) “The Hand of God” (Netflix) “A Hero” (Amazon Studios) “Parallel Mothers” (Sony Pictures Classics)
TELEVISION
Best Television Series – Drama “Lupin” (Netflix) “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+) “Pose” (FX) “Squid Game” (Netflix) “Succession” (HBO)
Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy “The Great” (Hulu) “Hacks” (HBO Max) “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu) “Reservation Dogs” (FX on Hulu) “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama Brian Cox, “Succession” Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game” Billy Porter, “Pose” Jeremy Strong, “Succession” Omar Sy, “Lupin”
Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama Uzo Aduba, “In Treatment” Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show” Christine Baranski, “The Good Fight” Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale” Mj Rodriguez, “Pose”
Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Anthony Anderson, “Black-ish” Nicholas Hoult, “The Great” Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building” Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building” Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”
Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks” Elle Fanning, “The Great” Issa Rae, “Insecure” Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish” Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television “Dopesick” (Hulu) “Impeachment: American Crime Story” (FX) “Maid” (Netflix) “Mare of Easttown” (HBO) “The Underground Railroad” (Amazon Prime Video)
Best Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Paul Bettany, “WandaVision” Oscar Isaac, “Scenes From a Marriage” Michael Keaton, “Dopesick” Ewan McGregor, “Halston” Tahar Rahim, “The Serpent”
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Jessica Chastain, “Scenes From a Marriage” Cynthia Erivo, “Genius: Aretha” Elizabeth Olsen, “WandaVision” Margaret Qualley, “Maid” Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown”
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Kieran Culkin, “Succession” Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show” Mark Duplass, “The Morning Show” Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso” Oh Yeong-su, “Squid Game”
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Jennifer Coolidge, “White Lotus” Kaitlyn Dever, “Dopesick” Andie MacDowell, “Maid” Sarah Snook, “Succession” Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso”
Culture Representation: Taking place in 1969, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the dramatic film “Belfast” features an almost all-white cast of characters (with a few black people and South Asians) representing the working-class and middle-class.
Culture Clash: A tight-knight family in Belfast has conflicting feelings about moving out of this Northern Ireland capital city, as Northern Ireland has become increasingly affected by violent conflicts between the Irish Republican Army movement and the United Kingdom government.
Culture Audience: “Belfast” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in watching bittersweet and nostalgic movies about families trying to survive in an area plagued by violent civil unrest.
Judi Dench, Jude Hill and Ciarán Hinds in “Belfast” (Photo by Rob Youngson/Focus Features)
“Belfast” is more than a love letter to filmmaker Kenneth Branagh’s Northern Ireland hometown. It’s also a love letter to childhood memories that tend to put a rosy glow on some very grim realities. Branagh wrote and directed this semi-autobiographical dramatic film, which he says in the “Belfast” production notes is “the most personal film I have ever made. About a place and a people, I love.” Branagh is also one of the producers of the “Belfast,” which won the top prize (the People’s Choice Award) at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, after the movie had its world premiere at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival.
Taking place during the last half of 1969, “Belfast” (which was filmed entirely in black and white) is told from the perspective of a 9-year-old boy named Buddy (played by Jude Hill, in an impressive feature-film debut), who lives in Belfast and is a lot like many 9-year-old boys: He loves to play and has an active imagination. He’s very fond of adventure stories and watching sci-fi shows and Westerns on TV.
Buddy is a bright and curious child who is particularly fascinated with stories about heroes and villains. He often roleplays as a hero with a miniature sword and shield. And in one scene in the movie, Buddy is shown reading a “Thor” superhero comic book, which is an obvious nod to “Thor” fan Branagh ending up as the director of the 2011 movie “Thor” in real life.
Buddy has a loving, working-class family, which includes his teenage brother Will (played by Lewis McAskie); homemaker mother Ma (played by Caitríona Balfe); joiner father Pa (played by Jamie Dornan); and Pa’s parents Granny (played by Judi Dench) and Pop (played by Ciarán Hinds). The real names of Buddy’s parents and grandparents are not mentioned in the movie. Buddy also has assorted aunts, uncles and cousins who live in the area. The family members are Protestant and live in a mostly Protestant part of Belfast.
Buddy’s mother is the glue who holds the family together. She has a strong sense of morality that she tries to instill in her children. She’s the more serious parent, while Buddy’s father is the more “fun-loving” parent who has an irresponsible side to him. Will is a kind and protective brother to Buddy, but the two siblings naturally have their share of minor squabbles. Buddy’s grandfather has a playful and mischievous side, while Buddy’s grandmother has a no-nonsense nature.
In 1969, Belfast had neighborhoods that were segregated according to religion: Catholics lived in mostly Catholic neighborhoods, while Protestants and other non-Catholics lived in mostly Protestant neighborhoods. This type of religious segregation in Belfast and Northern Ireland still largely exists today. This segregation is directly related to the conflict between those who believe that Northern Ireland should be given back to the mostly Catholic nation of Ireland and those who believe that Northern Ireland should remain under the rule of the mostly Protestant nation of the United Kingdom.
It’s this conflict that was the basis of the Troubles, a historic period that took place mostly in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s to 1998. The Troubles consisted of protests, riots and bombings in the disagreements over which government should be in control of Northern Ireland. It’s in this backdrop, when the Troubles began, that Buddy’s family must decide if they are going to remain in Northern Ireland or not.
Before the start of the Troubles, Buddy was leading a fairly idyllic life, where his biggest problem was trying to get the affections of his classmate Catherine (played by Olive Tennant), who is his not-so-secret crush. Buddy and Catherine are both outstanding students who are at the top of their class, so there’s a friendly rivalry that the two of them have with each other. Buddy would like to think that his intellect will impress Catherine, so it motivates him to do well in school. In his free time, Buddy likes to play outside, read, watch TV, and go to the cinema with his family.
This happy life bubble gets burst one day (August 15, 1969), when Buddy sees firsthand the violence erupting in the streets because of the political conflicts over Northern Ireland. While he’s playing outside, Buddy gets caught in the street where rioters are committing violence, including throwing Molotov cocktails. Buddy’s mother runs outside to rescue him and tells him to hide underneath the kitchen table.
It’s the end of Buddy and his family feeling completely safe in Belfast. Although they try to continue to lead their lives as normally as possible, the threat of violence and being harmed is always near and has become increasingly probable. Adding to the family’s stresses, Buddy’s father is heavily in debt, including owing back taxes, and the only work he can find is in England. And so, for about two weeks out of every month, Buddy’s father has to be away from home because of his job.
Buddy’s father is as attentive as he can be to his children, but he has another problem that is causing a huge strain on his marriage: He has a gambling habit, which obviously makes it harder for him to pay off his debts. Buddy’s parents try to hide these problems from the children, but the movie shows from a kid’s perspective how children eventually find out what causes their parents to argue.
Meanwhile, some local Belfast men, who are part of a group of violent protesters against the U.K. government, try to intimidate other people in the area to join their cause. Buddy’s father is one of the people who’s targeted for this recruitment. The gang’s leader is a menacing lout named Billy Clanton (played by Colin Morgan), who comes from a large family. Billy’s brother Fancy Clanton (played by Scott Gutteridge) and their friend McLaury (played by Conor MacNeil) are two Billy’s sidekicks who go with Billy to threaten people in the area.
When they approach Buddy’s father about becoming part of their group, they tell him that he has the choice of “cash or commitment”: In other words, if he doesn’t join, they expect to get extortion money from him. Buddy’s father tries to stall them for as long as possible about what decison he’ll make. But the thugs become impatient, and Buddy’s father knows that his time is running out. These threats, as well as his worries about his family’s safety (especially when he’s not in Belfast to protect them), make Buddy’s father more inclined to want to move out of the area as soon as possible.
“Belfast” isn’t all gloom and doom. There are moments of joy, such as when the family spends time together doing things that they like. For example, there’s a nice scene where the family watches the 1968 musical film “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in a cinema. There’s also a cute moment when Buddy’s grandparents give him advice on how to charm Catherine. And the movie has some other levity, such as a recurring comedic scenario about the family’s minister (played by Turlough Convery), who seems more concerned about collecting money from the parishioners than in giving sincere sermons.
The mutual prejudices between Catholics and Protestants fueled the Troubles, but the movie pokes some fun at this religious bigotry. Buddy’s father comments in a scene: “I’ve got nothing against Catholics, but it’s a religion of fear.” The scene then cuts to the family’s minister giving a fear-based “fire and brimstone” type of sermon in church.
“Belfast” realistically shows how ambivalent a family can be in deciding whether or not to risk staying in a hometown that has become increasingly violent or leave behind family members, friends and other loved ones to start over in a new place where they might not know very many people. England is the most obvious place where Buddy’s father wants the family to move. However, at one point, Buddy’s father considers relocating the family to a U.K. commonwealth, such as Canada or Australia.
Buddy is not at all happy about the idea of moving out of Belfast. From his child’s point of view, moving away will ruin his life. Things become even more complicated when one of the grandparents ends up having a serious medical problem that requires an extended stay in a Belfast hospital. Meanwhile, Buddy’s parents become increasingly at odds with each other about if or when they should move out of Belfast.
What isn’t so realistic about “Belfast” is a pivotal scene in the movie that involves a showdown in the streets with Buddy’s father and Billy Clanton. There’s an action sequence during a riot that looks like a very “only in a movie” moment, including a slow-motion stunt shot. This scene can be excused if viewers take into account that it’s supposed to be from the memory of child who’s fascinated with hero/villain stories. However, it’s a scene that might have some viewers rolling their eyes in disbelief, even though this scene is supposed to be the most suspenseful part of the movie.
Some viewers might also have a hard time completely believing Balfe and Dornan in their roles as working-class, stressed-out parents. Balfe’s and Dornan’s performances are very good, but they look like very polished actors in roles that require them to look like life is getting rough for them. These parents are not supposed to look movie-star glamorous, which they do in a few too many scenes.
Nowhere is this “movie star glamour” more evident than in a scene where Buddy’s parents are out on a date in an attempt to rekindle some of the romance in their marriage. They’re at a dancehall, where Robert Knight’s 1967 hit song “Everlasting Love” begins playing. And suddenly, Buddy’s father gets in front of everyone and starts singing in perfect tune with perfect surround-sound audio (even though he has no microphone), like he’s the star of a concert. (Dornan does his own singing in obviously pre-recorded vocals.) And then, Buddy’s parents begin dancing and twirling as if they’re the 1969 Belfast equivalent of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
It’s a musical number that’s a feel-good moment, but might be too corny for some viewers. This song-and-dance scene certainly doesn’t fit with the more realistic family scenes in the film. Perhaps this is Branagh’s way of showing how a child’s memories can be embellished to remember things as a heightened version of reality.
Because of this childlike point of view, “Belfast” doesn’t get too bogged down in politics. There are hints that the adults in Northern Ireland either identify more with being Irish or being British. The movie doesn’t take sides on any political issues because Buddy’s family is not a political family. However, the “Belfast” soundtrack consists mostly of songs from Northern Irish artists, particularly Van Morrison. Morrison’s songs on the “Belfast” soundtrack are “Down to Joy,” “Caledonia Swing,” “And the Healing Has Begun” “Carrickfergus,” “Jackie Wilson Said,” “Stranded,” “Warm Love” and “Days Like This.”
Despite some of the flaws in the “Belfast” screenplay, none of the actors gives a bad performance in this film. Dench and Hinds are excellent as usual, but they’ve played these types of characters many times before in other movies. Balfe has more emotionally charged scenes than Dornan does, but Dornan and Balfe both capably handle their roles as parents trying to hold their family together, even though their strained marriage threatens to break them apart.
As the character of Buddy, Hill is an absolute delight to watch. He gives a completely charming performance, with intelligence that isn’t too smart-alecky, and with authenticity that doesn’t try too hard to look convincing. It will be interesting to see what kind of career that Hill will have as an actor, because some precocious child actors burn out and leave showbiz, while others end up thriving and go on to bigger and better accomplishments as actors.
“Belfast” is neither too dark nor too light in its tone. And the movie’s black-and-white cinematography gives a classic-looking sheen to the film. Except for a few unrealistic moments, “Belfast” is an emotionally moving journey into the difficult decisions that a family can make in the name of love.
Focus Features will release “Belfast” in U.S. cinemas on November 12, 2021. The movie’s release date in the U.K. and Ireland is January 21, 2022.
Pictured in front row: Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Jude Hill and Lewis McAskie in “Belfast” (Photo by Rob Youngson/Focus Features)
The following is a press release from the Toronto International Film Festival:
The Toronto International Film Festival® has announced its award recipients for the 46th edition of the Festival, which concluded tonight with screenings of Zhang Yimou’s One Second at the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre and Roy Thomson Hall.
“2021 brought an exceptional selection of films that excited Festival audiences around the world,” said Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey, TIFF Co-Heads. “Our lineup showcased beloved auteurs alongside fresh voices in filmmaking, including numerous women powerhouses. TIFF welcomed guest press, industry, international stars, and directors back to the city and into cinemas. The sweeping range in cinematic storytelling from around the world is a testament to the uniqueness of the films that are being made. We’re so grateful and proud of this year’s Festival.”
Thanks to the hybrid nature of the Festival, TIFF’s Industry platform welcomed close to 4,000 industry and press professionals from around the world, both digitally and in-person. TIFF remains a site of industry activity and a key marketplace for film title sales, hosting 105 market screenings and facilitating the sales of “France,” “Silent Night,” “A Banquet,” and “Huda’s Salon,” as well as Industry Selects title “The Pink Cloud.” TIFF’s Industry Conference presented 37 digital sessions for industry and press delegates from filmmakers to advocates and funders. The Dialogues stream featured conversations with creators E. Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Sterlin Harjo, Krysty Wilson-Cairns, and Rebeca Huntt; Visionaries welcomed Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Sahraa Karimi, Greig Fraser, Nancy Utley, and Steve Gilula; Perspectives explored narrative sovereignty with Indigenous industry leaders and hosted a discussion on dismantling toxic industry culture; and Connections highlighted conversations on funding diverse films with ARRAY and talent to watch with Telefilm. TIFF also welcomed 20 new Filmmaker Lab participants, and eight new Rising Stars, who participated in intimate development labs with programme governors and special guest speakers.
TIFF’s Satellite Screenings wrapped Monday, September 13 in the evening. TIFF’s Film Circuit partners Bell and Cineplex worked with TIFF to bring screenings to audiences across Canada, in seven cities and six provinces (Collingwood, ON; Markham, ON; Montreal, QC; Moose Jaw, SK; Prince Rupert, BC; Saint John, NB; and Summerside, PE).
Honouring the film industry’s outstanding contributors and their achievements, and serving as TIFF’s largest annual fundraiser, the TIFF Tribute Awards was broadcast this evening across Canada on CTV, CTV.ca and the CTV app and streamed internationally to the rest of the world by Variety for the second straight year. The 2021 event raised funds for TIFF’s diversity, equity, and inclusion fund, Every Story, and championed a safe, community-focused, and inspiring return to cinemas. During the one-hour broadcast, two-time Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain at the Festival with “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” and “The Forgiven,” who will receive the TIFF Tribute Actor Award supported by the Tory Family; and Academy Award–nominated Benedict Cumberbatch who was also at TIFF with “The Electrical Life of Louis Wain” and “The Power of the Dog,” who will receive the TIFF Tribute Actor Award; Academy Award–nominated French Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award and brought the epic and breathtaking “Dune” to TIFF on the big screen; award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, singer, and activist Alanis Obomsawin, who will be honoured with the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media supported by Participant Media, also celebrated with a retrospective and premiere of her new powerful short film “Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair”; cinematographer Ari Wegner, whose stunning work was featured in “The Power of the Dog,” who will receive the TIFF Variety Artisan Award; “Cree/Métis Night Raiders” filmmaker Danis Goulet who will receive the TIFF Emerging Talent Award, presented by L’Oréal Paris and supported by MGM; and six-time Grammy Award-winning, music legend Dionne Warwick whose documentary “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over” had a World Premiere at the Festival, will be honoured with the Special Tribute Award.
Produced by Bell Media Studios, with etalk’s Tyrone Edwards and Chloe Wilde returning as hosts, the third annual awards show opened with an introduction from Sigourney Weaver and special tributes were presented by Shamier Anderson, Kirsten Dunst, Rebecca Ferguson, Emma Ferreira, Gladys Knight, Phillip Lewitski, L’Oréal Paris brand ambassador Eva Longoria, David Oyelowo, Michael Showalter, and Kiefer Sutherland. Starting on Sunday, September 19, the TIFF Tribute Awards will be available to view on Crave.
New this year, the highly anticipated winners of the TIFF People’s Choice Award and Platform Jury Prize were announced live during the awards broadcast, just moments ago. Academy Award–nominated actor Riz Ahmed, head of the jury for the 2021 Platform Prize, announced the prize winner for that competition, and the 2021 People’s Choice Award winner was announced by TIFF Co-Heads Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente.
PLATFORM PRIZE
Arawinda Kirana and Asmara Abigail in “Yuni” (Photo courtesy of Toronto International Film Festival)
Named after Jia Zhang-ke’s trailblazing second feature, Platform is the Toronto International Film Festival’s competitive programme championing bold directorial visions. Now in its sixth year, Platform is curated by TIFF Artistic Director and Co-Head Cameron Bailey. The Platform Prize Jury members for 2021 are Riz Ahmed (Jury President), Clio Barnard, Anthony Chen, Kazik Radwanski, and Valerie Complex.
The Platform jury provided this statement: “The jury was moved by a film that brings a fresh, intimate perspective to a coming-of-age story, marked by a subtle structure, delicate framing, and lush cinematography. For drawing us into a unique inner world too rarely seen on screen, the 2021 Platform Prize goes to Yuni, directed by Kamila Andini.”
An honourable mention from the Platform Prize Jury goes to Mlungu Wam (Good Madam), dir. Jenna Cato Bass.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Judi Dench, Jude Hill and Ciarán Hinds in “Belfast” (Photo by Rob Youngson/Focus Features)
For the 44th year, the People’s Choice Awards distinguish the audience’s top title at the Festival as voted by the viewing public. Audiences watching films at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Scotiabank Theatre, the Ontario Place Cinesphere IMAX Theatre, the Visa Skyline Drive-In, the RBC Lakeside Drive-In, the West Island Open Air Cinema, and at home via digital screenings on the digital TIFF Bell Lightbox platform voted online. All films in TIFF’s Official Selection that screened both in-person and on digital TIFF Bell Lightbox were eligible.
The TIFF 2021 People’s Choice Award winner is: “Belfast,” dir. Kenneth Branagh. The first runner-up is “Scarborough,” dirs. Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson. The second runner-up is “The Power of the Dog,” dir. Jane Campion.
A scene from “The Rescue” (Photo courtesy of National Geographic Films)
The TIFF 2021 People’s Choice Documentary Award winner is “The Rescue,” dirs. E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. The first runner-up is Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, dirs. Dave Wooley and David Heilbroner. The second runner-up is Flee, dir. Jonas Poher Rasmussen.
Agathe Rousselle in “Titane” (Photo by Carole Bethuel/Neon)
The TIFF 2021 People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award winner is “Titane,” dir. Julia Ducournau. The first runner-up is “You Are Not My Mother,” dir. Kate Dolan. The second runner-up is “DASHCAM,” dir. Rob Savage.
SHAWN MENDES FOUNDATION CHANGEMAKER AWARD
Pictured clockwise, from left to right: Anna Claire Beitel, Essence Fox and Liam Diaz in “Scarborough” (Photo courtesy of Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund)
Presented by the Shawn Mendes Foundation, the 2021 Changemaker Award is awarded to a Festival film that tackles issues of social change, and comes with a $10,000 cash prize. The winning film was selected by TIFF’s Next Wave Committee, a group of young film lovers who recognize cinema’s power to transform the world. The Shawn Mendes Foundation will also be making an annual contribution in support of TIFF Next Wave, helping TIFF deliver key initiatives to elevate young voices. The jurors for the Changemaker Award are members of TIFF’s Next Wave Committee: Norah Daudi, Sia Mehta, Saharla Ugas, Julia Yoo, Lina Zhang, Charles Liu, Naiya Forrester, Honora Murphy, Dev Desai, Elli Tripp, Michelle Kofia, and David Rhomberg.
The 2021 Changemaker Award is presented to “Scarborough,” dirs. Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson. Shasha Nakhai developed Scarborough at TIFF Industry in 2019 as an inaugural TIFF Talent Accelerator filmmaker.
TIFF’s Next Wave Committee provided this statement: “This film is etched on my heart. Scarborough is an utterly captivating and earth-shattering story of three intertwined families who are no strangers to hardship. Through the charms of misfits and unlikely heroes, directors Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson pose big social questions while framing them in a real and affirming story of resilience, community, and love. Written and directed with power and grace, this film truly feels like home.”
Directors Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson offered this statement: “Thank you to TIFF for giving this film a platform. It has been a really long and challenging road to get here, and we are so grateful to the TIFF Next Wave Committee and the Shawn Mendes Foundation for this award. We’re happy folks are coming away from the film feeling moved, seen, and affirmed, with a renewed commitment to community — and what we hope is a renewed commitment to resisting the forces that seek to erase, fracture, and monetize community. We are excited to bring this film to wider audiences after the Festival, and especially looking forward to using it as a tool to support the front-line work already being done on the myriad issues that it tackles.”
AMPLIFY VOICES AWARDSPRESENTED BY CANADA GOOSE
Canada Goose embraces diversity in all its forms and definitions, including technique and passion that transports storytelling to the screen. This year, Canada Goose presents the Amplify Voices Awards to the three best feature films by under-represented filmmakers. All feature films in Official Selection by emerging BIPOC filmmakers and Canadian filmmakers were eligible for these awards, and the three winners will receive a cash prize of $10,000 each, made possible by Canada Goose.
The three Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose winners are:
A scene from “Ste. Anne” (Photo courtesy of Exovedate Productions)
Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature Film: “Ste. Anne,” dir. Rhayne Vermette Jury’s statement: “Rhayne Vermette’s debut feature shows us a unique vision that makes full use of all the tools of filmmaking to lure us into its emotional topography. Deeply personal yet inviting, Ste. Anne is true cinematic art made in a setting that’s often missing from the landscape of Canadian film.”
Special Mention: “Scarborough,” dirs. Shasha Nakhai, Rich Williamson Jury’s statement: “With a strong sense of place, Scarborough tells a heartfelt story about community that charms with great performances from its actors, both young and old.”
Yasmin Warsame and Omar Abdi in “The Grave Digger’s Wife” (Photo courtesy of Orange Studio)
Amplify Voices Award: “The Gravedigger’s Wife,” dir. Khadar Ayderus Ahmed Jury’s statement: “At once specific to Somali culture and universally recognizable, The Gravedigger’s Wife tells a deeply romantic tale that’s both emotionally and visually textured. With Omar Abdi as its magnetic lead, Guled’s journey captivates from the first scene to the final frame.”
A scene from “A Night of Knowing Nothing” (Photo courtesy of Toronto International Film Festival)
Amplify Voices Award: “A Night of Knowing Nothing,” dir. Payal Kapadia Jury’s statement: “Payal Kapadia’s unique documentary balances the personal and political with a surprising snapshot of her home country. Shocking at times, but also sweeping in its beauty, A Night of Knowing Nothing is a first feature that already demonstrates her strong voice as a filmmaker.”
The 2021 jurors for the Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose are Yung Chang, Calvin Thomas, Kaniehtiio Horn, Hugh Gibson, and Aisha Jamal.
IMDbPro SHORT CUTS AWARDS
A scene from “Displaced” (Photo courtesy of Toronto International Film Festival)
The 2021 IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards are for Best Film, Best Canadian Film, and the Share Her Journey Award for best film by a woman. Each winning film will receive a bursary of $10,000 CAD and a one-year membership to IMDbPro, the essential resource for entertainment industry professionals, to help them continue achieving success in their careers. These awards build on IMDbPro’s nearly 20-year history of empowering entertainment professionals to discover new talent and projects, and on its ongoing commitment to supporting and collaboratively working with organizations that create greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the entertainment industry, including TIFF’s Share Her Journey campaign.
The winners of the three awards are:
IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Film: “Displaced,” dir. Samir Karahoda Jury’s statement: “Standing out in a strong selection of films, Samir Karahoda’s Displaced captivated us with its unique look, locations, and characters that all brought to life the quixotic yet enduring dedication to a sport — and a country — that is hard to articulate, even to one’s self.”
Honourable Mention: “Trumpets in the Sky,” dir. Rakan Mayasi
IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film: “Angakusajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice,” dir. Zacharias Kunuk
Jury’s statement: “’Zacharias Kunuk’s Angakusajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice’ is an enthralling stop-motion that encapsulates an array of textures, sound, and nuanced expressions that collectively invite you into the apprentice’s journey in learning traditional knowledge and caring for community while confronting your own fears. You can’t help but feel the questions asked of the apprentice are for us all to consider: Who are you? What have you learned?”
Honourable Mention: “Nuisance Bear,” dirs. Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden
IMDbPro Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award: “ASTEL,” dir. Ramata-Toulaye Sy Jury’s statement: “Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s ASTEL moved us with its powerful storytelling, beautiful shots, and a captivating lead performance that explores the complex nuances of womanhood, patriarchy, and coming of age when you least expect it.”
Honourable mention: “Love, Dad,” dir. Diana Cam Van Nguyen
The 2021 jurors for the IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards are filmmakers Sudeep Sharma, Tiffany Hsiung, and Nicole Delaney.
Today the Toronto International Film Festival, alongside the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and the Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (NETPAC), announced award winners for work screened at TIFF 2021.
FIPRESCI PRIZE
“We are thrilled to announce that ‘Anatolian Leopard’ has received the 2021 FIPRESCI Jury Award,” said Diana Sanchez, Senior Director, Film, TIFF. “Every year we are amazed at the creativity and audaciousness of the filmmakers in our line-up. ‘Anatolian Leopard,’ directed by Emre Kayiş, is no exception.”
Hatice Aslan in “Anatolian Leopard” (Photo courtesy of Toronto International Film Festival)
This year’s FIPRESCI jury members include: Andrew Kendall, Esin Kücüktepepinar, Caspar Salmon, Gilbert Seah, and Teresa Vena.
The 2021 FIPRESCI jury released the following statement: “In a perfectly controlled comedy of manners, ‘Anatolian Leopard’ takes the temperature of a country torn between the old ways and modernity – not to say between honour and corruption – while offering up a melancholy portrait of a man at odds with his surroundings. Emre Kayiş shows great formal accomplishment in this measured and thoughtful film, which stood out from the competition for its singular tone and worldview.”
NETPAC AWARD
Saleh Bakri and Nadine Labaki in “Costa Brava, Lebanon” (Photo courtesy of MK2 Films)
The 2021 NETPAC jury members include: Gemma Cubero del Barrio, Isabelle Glachant and Elhum Shakerifar. TIFF is delighted to announce that the 2021 NETPAC Jury has selected “Costa Brava, Lebanon,” directed by Mounia Aklas this year’s NETPAC winner. The jury released this statement, “’Costa Brava, Lebanon’ – an exquisite intergenerational family story – is an ode to sustainable futures by visionary new talent, Mounia Akl from her precious and troubled country.”
Please visit tiff.net for more information.
AFTER THE FESTIVAL
This fall, TIFF Bell Lightbox reopens its doors to audiences for year-round programming with a full roster of new titles, Festival hits, and beloved favourites. TIFF programming will restart with the Festival Midnight Madness body-horror smash hit “Titane,” from director Julia Ducournau (“Raw”). “Titane” begins screening October 1 at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Starting October 14, TIFF also invites audiences to enjoy Welcome Back, TIFF Cinematheque’s lineup of big-screen favourites — including Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey,” Abbas Kiarostami’s “Certified Copy,” Jane Campion’s “The Portrait of a Lady,” Spike Jonze’s “Being John Malkovich,” and Claire Denis’ “Beau Travail.”
Following a highly anticipated Special Event Festival screening of “Dune,” TIFF Cinematheque presents The Uncanny Vision of Denis Villeneuve, an in-cinema programme of the filmmaker’s earlier works (Arrival, Enemy, August 32nd on Earth), as well as films selected by Villeneuve that have inspired him throughout his career (David Lean’s “Lawrence of Arabia,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” and Henri-Georges Clouzot’s “Le Mystère Picasso”). The Uncanny Vision of Denis Villeneuve begins October 15.
Rounding out the Fall Season in-cinema lineup is In Case You Missed It, a selection of acclaimed titles from recent Festivals, starting on October 6. Audiences who may have missed their chance the first time around will now have the opportunity to have the full theatrical experience for titles like Kazik Radwanski’s “Anne at 13,000 ft,” Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari,” and Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland,” winner of TIFF 2020’s People’s Choice Award. Additional programming will be announced in the coming weeks.
TIFF is also pleased to announce that digital offerings will continue for film lovers across the country. TIFF patrons across Canada can experience Ann Shin’s A.rtificial I.mmortality, David Lowery’s The Green Knight and Heidi Ewing’s I Carry You With Me, among other titles, from the comfort of their homes via digital TIFF Bell Lightbox.
COVID-19 health and safety measures will continue as TIFF Bell Lightbox reopens for year-round operation. As of September 22, audience members and visitors entering TIFF Bell Lightbox will be required to show proof they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Masks remain mandatory throughout the building, including in cinema. Additional details are available at tiff.net/covid-19.
Learn more about the Every Story fund at tiff.net/everystory
The 46th Toronto International Film Festival ran September 9–18, 2021.
Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson in “Dune” (Photo by Chiabella James/Warner Bros. Pictures)
The following is a press release from the Toronto International Film Festival:
On September 9, 2021, the Toronto International Film Festival® (TIFF) will kick off 10 days of exceptional international and Canadian cinema with over 100 films in its Official Selection, unparalleled events featuring acclaimed industry guests, and TIFF’s Industry Conference. Recognized as the world’s largest public film festival, TIFF is poised to bring the theatrical experience back to life and continue its reputation as both a leader in amplifying under-represented cinematic voices and a bellwether for programming award-winning films from around the globe.
In-person screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, and Festival Village at the iconic Ontario Place punctuate this year’s Festival. Festival Village at Ontario Place comprises the Cinesphere IMAX Theatre, Visa Skyline Drive-in, RBC Lakeside Drive-In and the West Island Open Air Cinema. TIFF 2021 highlights also include screenings across Canada, and the return of the digital TIFF Bell Lightbox and TIFF Bell Digital Talks platforms.
The Festival’s public digital experience is presented by Bell, with film screenings on digital TIFF Bell Lightbox available across Canada. In Conversation With…talks and interactive Q&A sessions with actors and creators will be hosted on TIFF Bell Digital Talks, available worldwide. To increase the accessibility of the Festival, all films screened digitally will be closed-captioned.
TIFF is excited to announce the following twelve films as a sampling of what is to come in the Festival’s Official Selection for 2021:
“Le Bal des Folles,” directed by Mélanie Laurent (France) from Amazon Studios
“Benediction,” directed by Terence Davies (United Kingdom) from Bankside Films
“Belfast,” from director Kenneth Branagh (United Kingdom) from Focus Features
“Charlotte,” directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana (Canada/Belgium/France) from Elevation Pictures and MK2 Mile End
“Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over,” directed by Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner (USA)
“The Guilty” by director Antoine Fuqua (USA) from Netflix
“Jagged,” HBO’s documentary on iconic Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, directed by Alison Klayman (USA)
“Lakewood,” directed by Philip Noyce (Canada)
“Last Night in Soho,” directed by Edgar Wright (United Kingdom) from Focus Features
“Night Raiders,” directed by Danis Goulet (Canada/New Zealand) from Elevation Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films
“Petite Maman,” directed by Céline Sciamma (France) from Elevation Pictures and NEON
“The Starling” by director Theodore Melfi (USA) from Netflix
The Festival’s Gala and Special Presentations presented by Visa, will be announced on July 20. Films selected for TIFF’s programmes — Contemporary World Cinema presented by Sun Life, Discovery, TIFF Docs presented by A&E Indie Films, Midnight Madness, Primetime,and Wavelengths — will be announced July 28. TIFF Short Cuts and the Platform Programme will be announced August 11.
TIFF is also delighted to announce that award-winning Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” will screen as a World Exclusive IMAX Special Event at the Cinesphere Theatre at Ontario Place. The film, based on Frank Herbert’s seminal novel and featuring an impressive all-star ensemble cast, will be showcased in Toronto and Montreal, in partnership with Warner Bros. Canada and venue partner Cineplex. “Dune,” from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, is in theatres nationwide this fall.
“We are so proud of the calibre of the films and the diversity of the stories we will be presenting this year,” said Joana Vicente, TIFF Executive Director and Co-Head. “It is so powerful to be able to share these films with Festival-goers in theatres. And while the world is definitely moving towards a degree of normalcy, many of our industry and press colleagues may not be able to travel across international borders.
In response, we have brought back the TIFF Digital Cinema Pro platform that will host Press & Industry screenings, the Industry Conference, press conferences, as well as the TIFF Industry Selects market. We believe that digital access is an important part of providing accessibility to audiences and will be vital to the future of film festivals. This inclusivity across all our offerings helps to ensure that, no matter where you are located, you can participate in the Festival.”
“It’s been a tough year and we’re so glad to be back,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF Artistic Director and Co-Head. “We’re thrilled to be presenting the latest by Alison Klayman, Edgar Wright, Philip Noyce, Kenneth Branagh and many more to audiences in our Toronto cinemas, and to Canadians all across the country at home. We can’t wait for September. We’re also honoured to introduce the world to outstanding Canadian debuts such as Eric Warin and Tahir Rana’s Charlotte and Danis Goulet’s Night Raiders. We’ve been inspired by the quality, range, and diversity of the films we’re inviting, and we couldn’t wait to give everyone an early glimpse.”
“We are confident in our planning for a return to in-person screenings as part of TIFF as both the province and country accelerate vaccination rollout,” offered Dr. Peter Nord, Chief Medical Officer, Medcan, and TIFF’s consultative partner on health and safety for the pandemic. “Canada’s first-dose immunization rate has surpassed the US, and recently reached the best rates in the world. As of today in Toronto, more than 75% of adults have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 25% have received their second dose. We fully anticipate that by the time the Festival arrives, all Ontarians will have the opportunity to be fully vaccinated. Public health indicators, such as hospitalizations, ICU occupancy, and case rates indicate that we’re on the right — and safe — path to fully reopening. In addition, audiences will confidently be able to enjoy in-cinema screenings by maintaining a safe physical distance and wearing a mask.”
New this year, audiences across Canada can enjoy the excitement of TIFF in their own communities with TIFF’s “Coast-to-Coast Screenings.” Film Circuit, TIFF’s film-outreach programme since 1995, will host in-cinema screenings in select locations across the country for one evening in each location, to help ignite theatrical exhibition across Canada and celebrate audiences’ return to theatres. Locations and films to be announced at a later date.
“TIFF remains a must-attend festival,” said Vicente. “Last year’s industry offerings led to a record-breaking year in film sales, new highs in Conference attendance, the introduction of TIFF’s pass-gifting initiative for under-represented voices, gender parity across all Industry programming streams, and TIFF’s curated Industry Selects film programme devoted to international sales titles. Our commitment to diverse voices, to removing allbarriers for their work to be seen, to creating an accessible space for business, and to sharing creators’ stories is in our DNA. In 2021, TIFF is ensuring every initiative and event will have diversity, equity, and inclusion woven into its implementation.”
Industry registration for this year’s Festival (September 9–18) and Industry Conference (September 10–14) will open on June 25 and a full outline of this year’s pass benefits can be found at tiff.net/industry-accreditation. More details on the digital Conference programming, Talent Development initiatives, and Industry programmes will follow throughout the summer. TIFF will announce talent appearances and update accredited professionals on in-person offerings for Press & Industry delegates, such as Press & Industry screenings, in late July as government plans for reopening the city and the country are finalized.
Since its inception, one of TIFF’s guiding principles has been to celebrate and amplify the voices of exceptional filmmakers working in Canada. Award-winning filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin’s prolific body of work will be highlighted at TIFF 2021 with a retrospective entitled “Celebrating Alanis.” “Alanis is one of the most important figures in Canadian film, documentary film, and Indigenous film,” said Bailey. “Curated by Jason Ryle, one of the world’s leading Indigenous curators, this retrospective captures a national moment when Canadians are looking for ways to better understand and access how central Indigenous history and culture are to this nation.” “Celebrating Alanis” is co-presented with the National Film Board of Canada.
TIFF will build on its unwavering commitment to greater representation of voices by challenging the status quo, celebrating diverse storytellers and audiences, and making space for Black, Indigenous, people-of-colour, women, and LGBTQ+ creators and other under-represented talent. “TIFF’s programming team works to ensure that the films they curate are reflective of the audiences they serve,” continued Bailey. “Films and film festivals help shape our culture, which is why access and representation are so important. Our team strives to bring under-represented voices to the table, and we build on this year after year.”
To ensure that under-represented voices and perspectives are sought out and welcomed into its press corps, TIFF’s media team works with outlets and editors around the globe, encouraging a diverse contingent. In addition, TIFF will host the fourth year of its Media Inclusion Initiative (MII), a mentorship programme committed to growing the diversity of the press corps covering the Festival. This year, TIFF welcomes 45 new critics and writers who will offer greater representation in the areas of race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. The MII participants will have access to films, talks, specialized workshops, and one-on-one mentoring opportunities for eligible participants. TIFF is delighted to welcome Rotten Tomatoes as a supporter of this year’s Media Inclusion Initiative.
The 2021 TIFF Tribute Awards, will be co-produced by Bell Media Studios and for the second straight year will be broadcast nationally by CTV and streamed internationally by Variety. More information on the TIFF 2021 Tribute Awards event and this year’s honourees to follow in the coming weeks. Past recipients of the Tribute awards have gone on to win awards on the international stage such as Chloé Zhao, Mati Diop, Joaquin Phoenix, Tracey Deer, Taika Waititi and Sir Anthony Hopkins.
TIFF will once again celebrate outstanding filmmaking with its jury awards: the Federation of International Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema (NETPAC) Awards, the Platform Prize, the IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards, the Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose, and the Shawn Mendes Foundation Changemaker Award. Known for its discerning audiences that predict box-office and critical success, the TIFF People’s Choice Awards series returns, comprising the People’s Choice Award, the People’s Choice Documentary Award, and the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award. All films in TIFF’s Official Selection areeligible for the People’s Choice Award and are voted on by Festival audiences.
TIFF is more accessible than ever in 2021, and public audiences across Canada can be among the first to make exciting cinematic discoveries. There are several ticket options available to audiences, from single film tickets for in-person screenings to packages for digital film screenings that allow access for up to 20 digital films. Digital ticket package sales start June 30 for TIFF’s Contributors Circle Members and all ticket dates are available at tiff.net/tickets.Ticket sales are serviced online and by phone only.
TIFF continues to work closely with the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto, and public health officials on the safe execution of the Festival, with its number-one priority being the health and well-being of both Festival filmgoers and residents of the community. Based on the provincial government’s recently announced reopening plan, TIFF is planning to operate at a higher capacity for indoor theatres by September, likely with mandatory mask usage for Festival-goers. To help ensure the safest possible experience, TIFF has once again partnered with Medcan, a global health care leader providing medical expertise, consultation, and health inspiration to achieve its mission to help people “Live Well, For Life.” Based on the pillars of evidence-based care, exceptional client service, and the latest in technology, Medcan’s team of over 90 physicians supports employee health care across the continuum of health, including its “Safe at Work System,” which helps organizations navigate the pandemic.
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About TIFF TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $200 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.
TIFF is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, L’Oréal Paris, and Visa, and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada, and the City of Toronto.
TIFF Film Circuit is presented in partnership with Telefilm Canada and supported by Ontario Creates.
