The 2017 award season has officially begun with the announcement of the Gotham Independent Film Award nominations. Presented by the Independent Filmmaker Project, the awards specifically honor the best in independent film, as decided by a jury of prominent film writers and scholars.
While the group does not share any voters with the Academy Awards, the Gotham Awards are important for establishing early buzz for indie movies that could go all the way to the Oscars. In fact, the past three Best Feature winners at the Gotham Awards (Birdman in 2014, Spotlight in 2015, and Moonlight in 2016) have all gone on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. This isn’t to say that this year’s winner of Best Feature will become the new frontrunner to win Best Picture, as there are plenty of studio films that were ineligible at the Gothams, but it doesn’t hurt.
Here are the 2017 Gotham Award nominations, with my commentary underneath each category:
Best Feature
Call Me by Your Name
The Florida Project
Get Out
Good Time
I, Tonya
Call Me by Your Name, The Florida Project and Get Out were all very much expected, and I imagine one of them will win this. Beyond that, excellent signal boost for I, Tonya, which has been thought to be an acting player only, for Margot Robbie and Allison Janney. And A24’s streak continues with Good Time getting in. Very surprised that Lady Bird couldn’t get a nom here, considering it feels like some equivalent of Oscar bait for the independent film world. Also, some are surprised Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri wasn’t nominated, but the film comes from a British director, Martin McDonagh, which makes it ineligible.
Best Actor
Willem Dafoe in The Florida Project
James Franco in The Disaster Artist
Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out
Robert Pattinson in Good Time
Adam Sandler in The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
Harry Dean Stanton in Lucky
Excellent category with many fine performances. Happy to see Daniel Kaluuya, another one I hope can get all the way to the Oscars. Willem Dafoe has insane buzz for his heartfelt performance in The Florida Project so I’m thinking he’s the frontrunner, though he will be competing as a Supporting Actor at the Oscars.
Best Actress
Melanie Lynskey in I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore
Haley Lu Richardson in Columbus
Margot Robbie in I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird
Lois Smith in Marjorie Prime
This is probably between Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan, though I’ve seen neither film yet so I cannot comment further. However, I just want to shout out Melanie Lynskey, who gives one hell of a performance in the insane film I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (currently on Netflix!).
Breakthrough Actor
Mary J. Blige in Mudbound
Timothée Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name
Harris Dickinson in Beach Rats
Kelvin Harrison, Jr. in It Comes at Night
Brooklynn Prince in The Florida Project
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award
Maggie Betts for Novitiate
Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird
Kogonada for Columbus
Jordan Peele for Get Out
Joshua Z Weinstein for Menashe
Very happy for Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele, two of my favorite artists, and I expect Peele will win due to Get Out being the only film here that’s also nominated in Best Feature.
Best Screenplay
The Big Sick — Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani
Brad’s Status — Mike White
Call Me by Your Name — James Ivory
Columbus — Kogonada
Get Out — Jordan Peele
Lady Bird — Greta Gerwig
Hurray for Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani! The Big Sick is one of my favorite films of the year, and while I’m a bit miffed this is its only nomination, I hope they can carry buzz to the Oscars. This is going to be a tough race between Peele, Gerwig and James Ivory. Ivory will probably win because of the film’s strength and his own legendary status in the industry.
Best Documentary
Ex Libris – The New York Public Library
Rat Film
Strong Island
Whose Streets?
The Work
I have not seen any of these docs, but it is notable that O.J.: Made in America won this last year and went on to win Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars. I think Whose Streets? may prevail considering its timely subject matter, centering on the Ferguson protests.
Special Jury Award – Ensemble Performance
Mudbound (Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, and Jonathan Banks)
The 2017 Gotham Independent Film Awards will be announced November 27, 2017.