MTFB OSCAR UPDATE: SCREENPLAYS AND MORE

Before we get to this post's Oscar nomination predictions, The Academy last night extended the nomination voting window by two days and moved the announcement of nominees to Sunday, January 19th due to the L.A. fires.  Now, onto the predictions which seem sort of a small consideration in light of what's going on in Southern California.

Here are updated nomination predictions for the Screenplay categories as well as for Best Costume Design, Makeup/Hair and Visual Effects. These categories were last predicted on Dec. 26th.  A film's previous rank appears to the right in parentheses. TFF #51 films are in Bold.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1) Conclave (1)

2) Emilia Perez (2)

3) Sing Sing (3)

4) Nickel Boys (4)

5) Dune Part Two (5)

Others: A Complete Unknown, Wicked and The Room Next Door.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1) Anora (1)

2) The Brutalist (2)

3) A Real Pain (3)

4) The Substance (4)

5) September 5 (5)

Others: Hard Truths, All We Imagine as Light and The Seed of the Sacred Fig.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

1) Wicked (1)

2) Dune Part Two (2)

3) Gladiator II (4)

4) Maria (3)

5) Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (5)

Others: Nosferatu, Conclave and Blitz.

BEST MAKEUP/HAIR

1) The Substance (1)

2) Wicked (2)

3) Dune Part Two (3)

4) Nosferatu (4)

5) A Different Man (5)

Others: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Emilia Perez, The Apprentice.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

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The Golden Globes, often referred to as “Hollywood’s Party of the Year®,” is the largest awards show in the world to celebrate the best of both film and television. Emmy®-nominated comedian and actress Nikki Glaser hosted this year’s show, and multi-Emmy Award®-winning producing duo Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner of White Cherry Entertainment (WCE) served as executive producing showrunners for the 82nd Golden Globes. A Dick Clark Productions : the annual Golden Globes have been viewed in more than 185 countries and territories worldwide.

Best Motion Picture, Drama
“The Brutalist”
Nominees in this category: “The Brutalist”; “A Complete Unknown”; “Conclave”; “Dune: Part Two”; “Nickel Boys”; “September 5”
 

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
“Emilia Pérez”
Nominees in this category: “Anora”; “Challengers”; “Emilia Pérez”; “A Real Pain”; “The Substance”; “Wicked”

Best Motion Picture, Animated
“Flow”
Nominees in this category: “Flow”; “Inside Out 2”; “Memoir of a Snail”; ”Moana 2”; “The Wild Robot”; “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement
“Wicked”
Nominees in this category: “Alien: Romulus”; “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”; “Deadpool & Wolverine”; “Gladiator II”; “Inside Out 2”; “Twisters”; “Wicked”; “The Wild Robot”

Best Motion Picture, Non-English Language
“Emilia Pérez”
Nominees in this category: “All We Imagine as Light”; “Emilia Pérez”; “The Girl With the Needle”; “I’m Still Here”; “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”; “Vermiglio”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”
Nominees in this category: Pamela Anderson, “The Last Showgirl”; Angelina Jolie, “Maria”; Nicole Kidman, “Babygirl”; Tilda Swinton, “The Room Next Door”; Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”; Kate Winslet, “Lee”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
Nominees in this category: Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”; Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”; Daniel Craig, “Queer”; Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”; Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”; Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Nominees in this category: Amy Adams, “Nightbitch”; Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”; Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”; Mikey Madison, “Anora”; Demi Moore, “The Substance”; Zendaya, “Challengers”

The Palm Springs International Film Awards has announced that Denis Villeneuve will receive the Visionary Award for Dune: Part Two. The Film Awards will take place on January 3, 2025, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running January 2-13, 2025. The event will be presented by Silvercrest and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight.

“Denis Villeneuve has once again pushed the boundaries of cinematic storytelling with Dune: Part Two. His visionary direction and unparalleled attention to detail have not only brought Frank Herbert's epic saga to life but also set a new standard for what film can achieve,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “A true visual masterpiece, Villeneuve's work transcends entertainment, immersing audiences in a universe where every frame is a testament to his artistry and innovation. It is our honor to present Denis Villeneuve with the Visionary Award.”

The Visionary Award is presented to a filmmaker who breaks boundaries in the art of cinema. In the years that they were honored with the Visionary Award, Alfonso Cuarón (Roma) and Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) received the Academy Award for Best Director; Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), and Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds) went on to receive Academy Award nominations for Best Director. All of these directors’ films received Best Picture Academy Award nominations, with The Artist and Spotlight receiving the Best Picture Award.

Villeneuve joins this year’s announced honorees: Adrien Brody (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor); Timothée Chalamet (Chairman’s Award); Conclave (Ensemble Performance Award) presented to actors Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Lucian Msamati; Kieran Culkin (Breakthrough Performance Award, Actor); Colman Domingo (Spotlight Award, Actor); Ariana Grande (Rising Star Award); Angelina Jolie (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress); Nicole Kidman (International Star Award); Mikey Madison (Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress); and Emilia Pérez (Vanguard Award) presented to director Jacques Audiard and actors Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Edgar Ramírez.

Dune: Part Two, based on the second half of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed novel, completes the cautionary tale of Paul Atreides’ swift and dangerous rise to power. Vengeance, prophecy, fervent followers and political manipulation ultimately lead Paul to abandon the formidable pull of love and his conscience to accept a fate he knows will destroy so much.

In this epic conclusion, internationally acclaimed writer-director Denis Villeneuve dives deep into the psychological lure of power while expanding the story’s scope and scale. Villeneuve’s take on what many consider an unadaptable classic delivers a bold and artistic cinematic vision that pushes the boundaries of immersive storytelling.

The film stars a decorated international ensemble of Academy Award® nominees and winners, including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem, who bring Villeneuve’s compelling characters to life.

Villeneuve also reunites with many of his renowned, award-winning collaborators from the first film to execute his unique vision, including co-writer Jon Spaihts, cinematographer Greig Fraser, editor Joe Walker, costume designer Jacqueline West, production designer

Conversations to include guests from films Babygirl, A Real Pain, Sing Sing, and Wicked;

Emilia Pérez and Maria to be presented by Women In Motion

The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) has announced the lineup for its Talking Pictures program, featuring in-depth discussions with actors being honored at the Palm Springs International Film Awards. This year’s program includes Babygirl with Nicole Kidman; Emilia Pérez with director Jacques Audiard as well as actors Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Edgar Ramírez; Maria with Angelina Jolie; A Real Pain with Jesse Eisenberg; Sing Sing with Colman Domingo; and Wicked with Cynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande, and John M. Chu. The Emilia Peréz and Maria Talking Pictures will be presented by Women In Motion, a Kering program to shine a light on women in arts and culture. The schedule is listed below along with attending guests.

Thursday, January 2

3:30 p.m.

A Real Pain at Annenberg Theater. Q&A following screening with actor, director, producer and screenwriter Jesse Eisenberg.

Mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. Directed and written by Jesse Eisenberg, the film stars Eisenberg alongside Culkin with a cast rounded out by Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, and Daniel Oreskes.

Friday, January 3

10:00 a.m.

Sing Sing at Palm Springs Cultural Center (Camelot Theatres). Q&A following screening with actor Colman Domingo.

Divine G (Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men, including wary newcomer (Clarence Maclin), in this stirring true story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art, starring an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors. Directed by Greg Kwedar, Domingo also executive produced the film.

10:30 a.m.

Babygirl at Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School. Q&A following screening with actress Nicole Kidman and director Halina Reijn.

In Babygirl, Romy, played by Kidman, is a high-powered CEO who puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern. As a polished CEO, a mother and wife living in New York City, Romy lives in a world of careful control, tight scheduling, and an all-too-keen awareness of how she’s perceived at the heights of a male-dominated field. In her own long-term marriage, she has also never truly found pleasure with her sweet, caring, and artistically driven husband. As Romy attempts to hold together her gilded persona, she is quickly undone after she meets Samuel. The film also stars Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, and Sophie Wilde.

11:00 a.m.

Maria at Annenberg Theater. Q&A following screening with actress Angelina Jolie. 

From director Pablo Larraín, Maria stars Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas, one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century. The film follows the American-Greek soprano as she retreats to Paris after a glamorous and tumultuous life in the public eye. Maria reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days as the diva reckons with her identity and life

The Palm Springs International Film Awards has announced that Angelina Jolie is the recipient of the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress, for Pablo Larraín's Maria. The Film Awards will take place on January 3, 2025, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running January 2-13, 2025. The event will be presented by Silvercrest and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight. 

"Maria presents the iconic Angelina Jolie in the role of a lifetime as she embodies Maria Callas, the world-renowned opera legend. Jolie’s extraordinary portrayal captures the heart and complexity of an artist whose life was as captivating as her music," said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. "In honor of her mesmerizing transformation into this groundbreaking yet tragic figure, we are thrilled to present Angelina Jolie with the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress.” 

Jolie joins this year’s previously announced honorees: Adrien Brody (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor), Conclave (Ensemble Performance Award) presented to actors Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Lucian Msamati; Colman Domingo (Spotlight Award, Actor); Nicole Kidman (International Star Award); Mikey Madison (Breakthrough Performance Award); and Emilia Pérez (Vanguard Award) presented to director Jacques Audiard and actors Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Edgar Ramírez.  

Past winners of the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress include last year’s recipient Emma Stone who went on to receive the Academy Award for Best Actress, along with Cate Blanchett, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Jessica Chastain, Olivia Colman, Marion Cotillard, Viola Davis, Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron and Renée Zellweger. 

From director Pablo Larraín, Maria, stars Academy Award winner, Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas, one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century. The film follows the American-Greek soprano as she retreats to Paris after a glamorous and tumultuous life in the public eye. Maria reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days as the diva reckons with her identity and life. The film also features Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, Stephen Ashfield, with Valeria Golino and Kodi Smit-McPhee as Mandrax. Maria releases in select theaters on November 27, 2024 and on Netflix on December 11, 2024.  

Angelina Jolie is an Academy Award-winning actress, director, and producer, with film credits including Walt Disney Pictures’ Maleficent series, Salt, and Girl, Interrupted. Jolie directed, produced and co-wrote the critically acclaimed feature First They Killed My Father and the upcoming Without Blood; additionally, she directed the Oscar®-nominated drama Unbroken. She is a Tony Award-winning producer on the acclaimed new Broadway musical The Outsiders.  

With over 20 years working as a humanitarian focusing on work with refugees and human rights, Jolie also champions local leadership in environmental conservation and has funded schools, health and education initiatives globally. Additionally, she is founder of the Maddox Foundation, an integrated development program headquartered in Cambodia, with a focus on conservation, agriculture, education and economic development projects in the area. She is the founder of Atelier Jolie, a hub f