The interesting thing about this group is that people are only really excited about them during the nomination phase. The actual awards themselves take place the day before the Oscars, so nobody is really that concerned about who wins.

So let’s talk about the Independent Film Awards while they’re still relevant, shall we?

BEST PICTURE

Call Me By Your Name
The Florida Project
Get Out
Lady Bird
The Rider

It’s interesting that Three Billboards isn’t present in this category, despite it popping up in numerous other categories. Isn’t it supposed to be our Best Picture frontrunner?

BEST DIRECTOR

Jonas Carpignano, A Ciambra
Luca Guadagnino, Call Me By Your Name
Jordan Peele, Get Out
The Safdie Brothers, Good Time
Chloé Zhao, The Rider

No Martin McDonough. No Dee Rees either. This might be bad news. I’m also a little surprised that Greta Gerwig isn’t nominated, considering how well her movie did.

ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST ENSEMBLE

Mudbound

I don’t know if Mudbound’s win in this category disqualifies it from every other category. .Because if it does, that’s kind of stupid.

BEST ACTOR

Timothy Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
Harris Dickinson, Beach Rats
James Franco, The Disaster Artist
Daniel Kaaluya, Get Out
Robert Pattinson, Good Time

I think James Franco is definitely going to be a Best Actor nominee at this rate.

BEST ACTRESS

Salma Hayek, Beatriz at Dinner
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Of Ebbing Missouri
Margot Robbie, I Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Shinobu Terajima, Oh Lucy
Regina Williams, Life and Nothing More

Three of these women are in the Oscar conversation. I’ll let you decide which three.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Nnamdi Asomugha, Crown Heights
Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name
Barry Keoghan, The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Of Ebbing Missouri
Benny Safdie, Good Time

Only two of these me have any real shot at an Oscar nod. I’m surprised Willem Dafoe isn’t here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Holly Hunter, The Big Sick
Allison Janney, I Tonya
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Lois Smith, Marjorie Prime
Talia Lannis Webster, Good Time

The big surprise here is the omission of Mary J. Blige

BEST SCREENPLAY

Lady Bird
The Lovers
Three Billboards Outside Of Ebbing Missouri
Get Out
Beatriz at Dinner

Interestingly, these are all original screenplays.

 

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Donald Cried
The Big Sick
Women Who Kill
Columbus
Ingrid Goes West

The Big Sick is the only one of these that has any shot an Oscar nominee.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Columbus
Beach Rats
Call Me By Your Name
The Rider

And this category is ridiculously far off from the eventual Oscar lineup.

BEST EDITING

Good Time
Call Me By Your Name
The Rider
Get Out
I Tonya

It’s really kind of shocking that Three Billboards isn’t doing better in these awards.

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

BPM (Beats Per Minute) (France)
A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
I Am Not a Witch (UK/France)
Lady Macbeth (UK)
Loveless (Russia)

The two films that were made in the UK aren’t eligible for the Best Foreign Film Oscar, but the rest are.

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Faces Places
The Departure
Last Man in Aleppo
Motherland
Quest

Apparently, The Departure is the only one that isn’t eligible for the Oscars.

THE JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD (AKA BEST MOVIE MADE REAL CHEAP)

A Ghost Story
Dayveon
Life and Nothing More
Most Beautiful Island
The Transfiguration

I can’t believe that for once, a movie I’ve heard of is on this list. (I’m referring to A Ghost Story.)

BEST FIRST FEATURE

Columbus
Ingrid Goes West
Menashe
Oh Lucy
Patti Cake$

And I don’t think anybody cares too much about this one.

And after that, it’s just a bunch of special awards.

I think it’ll be interesting to see how everything pans out.