With a total of 7 nominations, 12 Years A Slave is looking like the film to beat. But are any of these other films looking to be serious contenders. And is the lack of any nominations for ‘Gravity’ a sign of things to come? PS, I apologize for all the crazy fonts.

BEST FEATURE

12 Years a Slave
All Is Lost
Frances Ha
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska

’12 Years’ is the obvious winner, but if ‘Llewyn Davis’ or ‘Nebraska’ surprises here, they could be definite contenders come  Oscar Season. Keep in mind, last year’s winner was ‘Silver Linings Playbook.’

BEST DIRECTOR

Shane Carruth, Upstream Color
J.C. Chandor, All Is Lost
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Jeff Nichols, Mud
Alexander Payne, Nebraska

No love for the Coen’s? Anyway, the last four years at the ISA, Picture has aligned with director. That said, it seems wisest to predict McQueen.

BEST SCREENPLAY

Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine
Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater, Before Midnight
Nicole Holofcener, Enough Said
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, The Spectacular Now
John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave

’12 Years.’ Why not?

FIRST FEATURE

Blue Caprice
Concussion
Fruitvale Station
Una Noche
Wadjda

Or, as I like to call it, the ‘Let’s Give Fruitvale Station Something Award’.

FIRST SCREENPLAY

In a World
Don Jon
Nebraska
Afternoon Delight
The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete

Play this song and then look at the nominees. Don’t look at the answer down below until you figure it out!

Did you guess that NEBRASKA is the obvious winner? You did! Wow, you’re so smart!

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (AKA The Best Movie Made Real Cheap)

Computer Chess
Crystal Fairy
Museum Hours
Pit Stop
This is Martin Bonner

I’m gonna go with Computer Chess here. I dunno, it has an extra nomination, so I figure more people will see it.

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Cate Blanchett – ‘Blue Jasmine’
Julie Delpy – ‘Before Midnight’
Gaby Hoffmann – ‘Crystal Fairy’
Brie Larson – ‘Short Term 12’
Shailene Woodley – ‘The Spectacular Now’

This category is infinitely easier than its male counterpart. Oscar contenders like Adams, Bullock, Dench, Streep, and Thompson are all absent, leaving only Blanchett. 

BEST MALE LEAD
Bruce Dern – ‘Nebraska’
Chiwetel Ejiofor – ’12 Years a Slave’
Oscar Isaac – ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’
Michael B. Jordan – ‘Fruitvale Station’
Matthew McConaughey – ‘Dallas Buyers Club’
Robert Redford – ‘All Is Lost’

Whoever wins this could easily tip the scale in their direction. I might as well predict Ejiofer, but if Dern, McConaughey, or Redford wins, they’ll have the edge going into Oscar season.

SUPPORTING FEMALE
Melonie Diaz, Fruitvale Station
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Yolonda Ross, Go For Sisters
June Squibb, Nebraska

Two words: Lupita Nyong’o.

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Michael Fassbender – ’12 Years a Slave’
Will Forte – ‘Nebraska’
James Gandolfini – ‘Enough Said’
Jared Leto – ‘Dallas Buyers Club’
Keith Stanfield – ‘Short Term 12’

This category would be an easy way to award Nebraska, but if Jared Leto really is as good as I hear, he may be on his way to an Oscar, and this would be his first stop.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

12 Years a Slave
All Is Lost
Computer Chess
Inside Llewyn Davis
Spring Breakers

Only at an indie awards show can a film have a POV shot from an astronaut spinning uncontrollably and NOT get a Cinematography nomination. As for the win, ’12 Years’ could easily benefit from the sweep factor, but I’m sticking with my guts and voting for ‘All Is Lost.’

BEST EDITING

Shane Carruth & David Lowery – ‘Upstream Color’
Jem Cohen & Marc Vives – ‘Museum Hours’
Jennifer Lame – ‘Frances Ha’
Cindy Lee – ‘Una Noche’
Nat Sanders – ‘Short Term 12’

I have no idea. I guess I’ll vote for ‘Frances Ha’, because it has a Best Picture nomination. Then again, I have herad some good things about ‘Short Term 12’

BEST DOCUMENTARY

20 Feet From Stardom 
After Tiller
Gideon’s Army
The Act of Killing
The Square

Based on what I’ve heard about ‘The Act Of Killing’, it’s shaping up to win this year’s ‘Searching For Sugar Man’

International Film
‘A Touch of Sin’ (China)
‘Blue Is the Warmest Color’ (France)
‘Gloria (Chile)
‘The Great Beauty’ (Italy)
‘The Hunt’ (Denmark)

This is a very close battle between ‘Blue’ and ‘Hunt’, but I think that Blue has the edge.

Feature: 12 Years A Slave
Director: Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave
Screenplay: 12 Years A Slave
First Feature: Fruitvale Station
First Screenplay: Nebraska
John Cassavetes Award: Computer Chess
Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Actor: Chitiwel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave
Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years A Slave
Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Cinematography: All Is Lost
Editing: Frances Ha
Documentary: The Act Of Killing
Foreign Film: Blue Is The Warmest Color