Last year, I ended up writing about even the minor awards nominations, just because… I don’t know, last year’s awards season was somewhat boring? The big story last year was “is Jennifer Aniston going to hustle her way onto every Best Actress shortlist?” The big story this year is… still pending. I mean, I guess we already know that Leonardo DiCaprio is going to try to out-hustle everyone, and Michael Fassbender might play the game a little bit for Steve Jobs. While some of these smaller awards shows aren’t always the best showcases for who will get the bigger awards-nomination, the smaller shows definitely help with buzz, free media, etc. So, with all of that in mind, here are some of the major nominations from the Moet Independent Film Awards! This awards show is British, so almost everyone nominated was born in or around the UK.
Best Actor
Tom Courtenay, “45 Years”
Colin Farrell, “The Lobster”
Michael Fassbender, “Macbeth”
Tom Hardy, “Legend”
Tom Hiddleston, “High-Rise”Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, “Macbeth”
Carey Mulligan, “Suffragette”
Charlotte Rampling, “45 Years”
Saoirse Ronan, “Brooklyn”
Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl”Best Supporting Actor
Luke Evans, “High-Rise”
Brendan Gleeson, “Suffragette”
Domhnall Gleeson, “Brooklyn”
Sean Harris, “Macbeth”
Ben Whishaw, “The Lobster”Best Supporting Actress
Helena Bonham Carter, “Suffragette”
Olivia Colman, “The Lobster”
Anne-Marie Duff, “Suffragette”
Sienna Miller, “High-Rise”
Julie Walters, “Brooklyn”Best British Independent Film
“Amy”
“Ex Machina”
“45 Years”
“The Lobster”
“Macbeth”
Hiddleston, Hardy, Fassbender and Farrell all in the same category? If they all show up to the show, panties will combust. Seriously, that list includes something for everyone. Now, will any of these people get nominated for anything major? Yeah, probably not. If Fassbender gets anything this year – and he probably will! – it will be for Steve Jobs, not Macbeth. One of the most interesting things to me is that Alicia Vikander got a nomination for Best Actress for The Danish Girl… but there’s no Eddie Redmayne? And it’s still up in the air as to whether Vikander will get noms in Supporting or Lead Actress categories, although I’m pretty sure she will get an Oscar nomination this year. Also: the supporting categories are in chaos across the board. There’s only one actor who I think will definitely get nominated, and that’s Benicio del Toro for Sicario.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Battle of the Toms for best actor lol
And I suspect Courtenay will come out the winner. Although I haven’ seen any of these films yet.
45 Years is super-duper. Double dose of Tom Courtenay for me this year, as he’s currently appearing in an ITV thriller-mystery. I love this Tom.
It’s all the Toms!
How do I choose between Ben and Sean for support? Gah.
I’m choosing Ben for supporting because he just makes me happy and makes me think of cookies and I don’t know why
Tom Courtney, always and forever, a dyed in the wool thesp and luvvie, he should win all the prizes.
Yeah that award is Fassy’s I would say. He’s won this award before, they love him.
No one seems all that excited about Redmayne anymore but you’re right, Vikander is getting an Oscar nod.
So do they go to the Oscars as a couple? We will see.
Well, as I’ve said before on here, Fassy would have been better if you could have heard what he was saying. Don’t know if that is him, or the director at fault.
Haha I totally agree with you. I didn’t unterstand him and it bothered me like hell…. The movie was nothing special for me. Fassbender was way better in other movies.
This year seems more interesting because there isn’t a front runner in any category yet. Things will start shaping up, but it does feel like everyone is actually waiting until a few of the big films are seen (The Revenant, Joy) or come out (Spotlight, Brooklyn, Carol, Room, Danish Girl, etc).
Usually by November several categories have a front runner (think about last year, when JK Simmons and Patricia Arquette had the supporting actor categories locked down by this time.)
Makes it more exciting, there might be some legitimate races this year!
Spotlight’s the only front runner so far. You’re right in that there’s no actor or actress that appears to have a lock at this point, tho’ as ROOM gets released this weekend, Brie Larson may emerge a front runner as we head into awards season. A24 is pushing her & the film and she’s campaigning like a pro.
It’ll be interesting to see how things shake out in the next couple of months.
It may be a much more fluid, and up in the air, awards season. Which will make it interesting. Hopefully.
The Gotham Awards noms have been announced, but even the winners probably won’t influence the Oscars noms, But after that, the Independent Spirit Awards, noms announced at the end of month, plus all the critics awards, Golden Globes, SAG, etc.
Maybe by the end of February we’ll have a better idea! 🙂
What we do know is that the ridiculous Hollywood Film Awards don’t mean anything!
Well, things are also really uncertain because everything is bombing. A film doesn’t have to make lots of money to be a contender, especially not for the acting categories, but it does help if it doesn’t lose buckets of money or receives lots of bad press for failing.
BTW, one of my favorites this year: Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl. I’m hoping it gets some screenplay recognition. And I really would love to see Greg and Earl’s adaptations of Aquirre Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo, and, most especially, Burden of Dreams.
I saw Me and Earl last week and consider it one of the best films I’ve seen all year. Any reader of CB who hasn’t seen it, please check it out. I loved the Herzog obsssion that ran through it. I had to keep hitting the pause button to catch the hilarious titles of their “homages”. Didn’t it win top prize at Sundance, then get almost no distribution? A wonderful little film so much more meaningful than the blockbusters.
Yes, it did win at Sundance. “Burden of Screams”, “My Dinner with Andre the Giant”, “The Janitor of Oz”, “Rosemary Baby Carrots” and “Don’t Look Now because a Crazy-assed Dwarf is gonna Kill You. Damn!” were some of the parody titles. The Herzog obsession was the funniest part. This movie was so sad and so funny. And there’s a TH connection – actor Thomas Mann is in Hawaii, filming Kong: Skull Island.
Just here to say that I saw Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl on DVD tonight and really enjoyed it. A worthwhile two hours spent. Happily relieved it wasn’t a sentimental, sappy cancer teen romance like “Fault of our Stars”.
Don’t forget “Senior Citizen Kane”, “Ate ½ (of my lunch)” and “Anatomy of a Burger”!
Nice to see the Toms recognized and this list is reminding me of how much I’m jonesing to see The Lobster and 45 Years.
The lobster and 45 years sounds like a 60s band name lol
Pretty nice choices.
Keeping my fingers crossed for Charlotte Rampling
And yes, the hot men wattage is high this year. Thank you, BIFA.
I agree, it is nice to see so much quality independent work.
I’m bummed that we probably won’t get 45 Years here until early January.
Intresting that they nominated Alicia Vikander in best actress as she’s campaigning in the supporting category for the Oscars.
All these nominees bore me except Charlotte Rampling and Brendan Gleeson.
And Domnhall Gleeson. Since I saw him as Levin in Anna Karenina, I’ve been a fan and he’s never disappointed me so far. Calvary, Ex Machina, About time. Impossible to find him boring.
I have a soft spot for Domnhall. He doesn’t play the tough man roles, but he’s great at vulnerability. I’m actually looking forward to seeing him play a villain in that Star Wars films coming out.
I like Dombnall Gleeson, but to me he’s yet to have a role where he really hits it out of the park. He’s been very solid in what I’ve seen of him so far, but I’m hoping he will land a juicy role to showcase his abilities big time.
For Ex Machina, Vikander and Oscar Isaac stole the show, but they do have the meatier characters. Gleeson’s was more an audience surrogate role.
Brendan delivers a good performance in Suffragette
Agree Benecio Del Toro will probably get a nomination for Sicario but Mark Rylance will too for Bridge of Spies.
Of the BIF nominated items, I’ve only seen Suffragette and Ex Machina but the films nominated in these various categories are the ones I really want to see this year with High-Rise and The Lobster topping the list
Suffragette hasn’t appealed to me. What did you think? I like Carey Mulligan, so I might see it for her.
Loved Ex Machina. I just watch Testament of Youth and thought Alicia was great in that too.
It was okay but not great. Carey was okay but she has given better performances. HBC and Anne Marie Duff both commanded more attention
I forgot that Mrs. McAvoy was in it. I don’t think I’ve seen her in anything. Maybe I’ll catch it on a matinee after I’ve gotten through my higher priority films.
She was in Magdalene Sisters, The Last Station, Notes on a Scandal.
Agree on Rylance and Del Toro, but I consider Benecio’s role in Sicario as much a lead as Emily Blunt’s. He’s already got a supporting Oscar, I’d love to see him get a lead.
Actually, I think he really is the lead of that film. It isn’t marketed as such but the film is about him. After seeing that film, if Benecio walks into a room where I am, I’m running out. Immediately.
OK how did I just notice that Domhnall Gleeson and his Dad, Brendon are up for the same award? LOL, how cute!
My first thought! Love the both of them!
It’s pretty adorable.
That’s the fisrt thing I noticed too. I love them both
So cool! Must be a happy household right now! 🙂
My money is on Colin Farrell for the “Lobster” even though I only saw trailers of everything.
I reaaally disliked what I saw in “Macbeth”.
‘Legend’ seemed to be an interesting idea but not living up to the high expectations.
As for the picture category, I only watched “Ex Machina” but it was great. All 3 actors were just super. I hope it wins.
I don’t have a high hope for Hiddles for this award, but I am glad that his name is there. And Amy Jump, Luke Evans, and Sienna Miller were all nominated for HR. Great.
BTW are Danish Girl and Legend independent films? Both films have $2,500 budget.
Suffragette isn’t an independent film either. I don’t think it has anything to do with independently made movies.
Not that surprising, vikanders performance in the Danish girl was well received. She won the breakthrough award at the Hollywood film awards the other night.
Obviously Amber heard with depp in tow turned up at the awards and got all the media attention.. But Vikanders the one to watch from that movie I suspect.
Hoping that the recognition for High Rise sparks interest and gets it a US distributor!! I have a NEED.
I wonder when this event takes place? Will Hiddles be in the monkey jungle?
The awards ceremony will take place on December 6.
Thanks! With all the Monkey Movie location changes, who knows, maybe we will get a red carpet full of Hiddles, Hardy and Fassy in tuxes. Just the thought of it… *disappears to bunk*
That would be a lot of pretty to take in. I don’t think I’ve ever seen both TH’s in the same vicinity as each other.
Well jammy, you wouldn’t get them mixed up would you. The tats apart from anything else. 🙂
Let us not forget those in the supporting categories too!
I think Luke Evans is possibly more likely to win than Tom
Sidenote. Every single person on that list is white.
Idris should have been on that list for Beasts of No Nation.
Yeah, and i think he’s more likely to receive a major award nomination than some of those people on that list.
Beasts may not qualify for these awards, as it is an American production and I don’t think it was released in theaters anywhere else but the US. It’ll be interesting to see if it qualifies for the Independent Spirit Awards, whose nominations are announced at the end of the month.
Main categories:
must be intended for theatrical release.
must be produced/predominantly co-produced by a British company or is in receipt of 51% of its budget from a British source/s.
may be funded by a major studio (so long as studio funds do not exceed £10million)
Foreign Independent Films: must have a UK theatrical release during the eligibility period
Short Films: must have won an award at a recognised film festival.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Independent_Film_Awards
I only have google to go by here so may be wrong, but Beasts is an American film not a british one so unfortunately Idris wouldn’t be eligible. The film could have been nominated in the international section though. On first glance the only non-White led film in the categories was Girlhood (France, international category).
Most if not all,of the British films here won’t get Oscar, bafta (unless best british film) nods because the BIFAs doesnt really go for the same kind of film or audience as the others usually.
Yeah i though it might have something to do with that. But even so it says something about how the british cast their actors this year. Apparently no black or asian leading or supporting actors in any of the major movies. It might prove what some black actors say about having to go to the US to get work.
I fear Beasts of No Nation is going to be viewed as “television” by all the powers that be in the voting process
@Lilac
I agree. There’s gonna be some snobbery towards it being a Netflix movie. Netflix is obviously keen to make its mark on the Oscar trail but it make take a while to overcome perceptions. Add to that the movie’s theme is kinda a tough sell for AMPAS, and it doesn’t have the usual box office channel to generate buzz, and its awards chances are looking a bit thin at the moment. I didn’t particularly love the movie, but I thought both Idris and Abraham Attah were outstanding.
@Beth2, it will be interesting if they try for Emmy consideration if Oscar fails to acknowledge it on the list of eligible films. Given that Netflix products have been winning Emmys, it is difficult to turn around and claim it isn’t “television”
@Lilacflowers: As BONN was released in theaters, I don’t think it’s eligible for the Emmys.
@cr, so, it may be in a “no man’s land” sort of quandry. Which is sad. The performances were really good.
Don’t you mean “English English”?
Marion cottillard and Alicia vikander are not “English English”, let alone English.
I didn’t think about the fact that BoNN isn’t a British film. That would disqualify Idris from a nom right there.
So there’s no good British films with any of the amazing black actors cast in lead or supporting roles?? That’s a shame.
Perhaps they’re all working for the Americans because as Hiddles likes to say, “they’re cheap and grateful”.
OH MY DEAR NUTTY!
You KNOW that is going to get SO twisted out of context, shame on you!
😉
For those unfamiliar with the quote, Tom responded to that Top Gun git–when asked why he thought so many BRITS such as himself were working in the US–that it was because they were ‘cheap and grateful.’
*queue evil laugh while rubbing hands together*
Damn… duplicate.
*cue*
Damn. Writing British on a Brit post!
Why Colman and not Weisz for The Lobster? Damn!
I’ve loved Courtenay forever.
“Beasts of No Nation” is an American-made film and was never released in UK cinemas, just as “High Rise” isn’t being released here in the US. So I don’t think Elba’s performance is eligible. That’s why Fassbender is up for MacBeth and not Steve Jobs.
And like the Jobs film, BONN was DOA in theaters in the US and went straight to Netflix streaming TV, so I’m not sure it qualifies as a film release at all.
BONN wasn’t so much DOA as victim of the tussle between theater owners and streaming/VOD:
Netflix bought the worldwide distribution rights for around $12 million. The film was simultaneously released theatrically and online through its subscription video on demand service on October 16, 2015,[17] with Bleecker Street handling the theatrical release.[18] Considering the online release a violation of the traditional 90-day release window of exclusivity to theatres, AMC Cinemas, Carmike Cinemas, Cinemark, and Regal Entertainment—four of the largest theatre chains in the United States—announced that they would boycott Beasts of No Nation, effectively downgrading it to a limited release at smaller and independent theatres.[9][19] The film was also theatrically released in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2015, in Curzon Cinemas.[20]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beasts_of_No_Nation_%28film%29
And it was released in Britain, but apparently after the deadline for eligibility, middle of September, for this particular award.
Have you been watching Tom Courtenay in Unforgotten on tv?
BoNN was planned to be released to Netflix subscribers the same day as it was released to theaters. Most of the major theater chains boycotted it because it violates the 90-day release window before going to VOD or DVD. But with more than 3 million viewings of the film in the first two weeks, there appears to be a demand for online streaming, so this may eventually change the way we see films, especially as we are seeing disappointing box office numbers this fall for so many of the Oscar buzzed films.
I’m so NOT tired of all these pictures of Tom H. He is working the heck outta some suits and blue button-up shirts, snugly fitted, and doing that hand thing (even though he overdoes that, I don’t mind either).
Just puttin’ that out there…
So Not tired either- with ya sista. Gotta have something to keep me going. Man look damn good in a suit. Yum
Speaking of looking good in a suit! Tom is up for 2016 GQ’s best dressed man. Voting ends 11/20/15, no limit on the number of times you can vote! (His picture is towards the bottom of the list!)
https://www.demographix.com/surveys/QM2V-44C7/8ZZFF9K2/