MOONLIGHT AND ARRIVAL TAKE WGA HONOURS

Sorry, Lion! Alas, Luke Davies' script wasn't eligible for the Writers Guild of America awards, and also I'm totally not sorry. But a tremendous coup for Moonlight, as its standing in the Adapted Screenplay Oscar race only improves with a win in Original Screenplay with the WGA. Indeed, with yet another contender to fend off this weekend in the Adapted victor here, Arrival, Barry Jenkins' groundbreaking drama nevertheless becomes an even stronger candidate by beating presumed frontrunners La La Land and Manchester by the Sea. And deservedly, too. All the details of the film award nominees at this link, and the winners below.

Best Original Screenplay

Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Eric Heisserer - based on the story Story of Your Life by TEd Chiang (Arrival)

Best Documentary Screenplay

Robert Kenner, Brian Pearle, Kim Roberts and Eric Schlosser - based on the book Command and Control by Eric Schlosser (Command and Control)

LA LA LAND WINS FIVE BAFTAS

...so not a sweep. 5/11. That's less than The Artist, actually. Up to a point, La La Land had actually tied several other films as the runners-up in awards count, as non-Best Film nominee Lion was, for most of the evening, the only film to have claimed more than one prize. But Damien Chazelle's musical took four top awards to bring its tally to five - less than most had predicted, though far more than any other film this year from BAFTA, given their eagerness to spread the wealth. Check out BAFTA's 2016 nominees here, and their winners below:

Best Film

La La Land (Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt)

Best Director

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Best Leading Actress

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Best Leading Actor

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis (Fences)

Best Supporting Actor

Dev Patel (Lion)

Best Original Screenplay

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Luke Davies (Lion)

Best Cinematography

Linus Sandgren (La La Land)

Best Editing

John Gilbert (Hacksaw Ridge)

Best Production Design

Stuart Craig and Anna Pinnock (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)

Best Costume Design

Madeline Fontaine (Jackie)

Best Sound

Sylvain Bellemare, Bernard Gariepy Strobl and Claude la Haye (Arrival)

Best Special Visual Effects

Andrew R. Jones, Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon and Adam Valdez (The Jungle Book)

Best Makeup & Hair

J. Roy Helland and Daniel Phillips (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Best Original Music

Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)

Best Animated Film

Kubo and the Two Strings (Travis Knight)

Best Documentary

13th (Ava DuVernay)

Best Film Not in the English Language
Son of Saul (Nemes Laszlo and Sipos Gabor)

Outstanding British Film

I, Daniel Blake (Paul Laverty, Ken Loach and Rebecca O'Brien)

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

Babak Anvari, Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill and Lucan Toh (Under the Shadow)

Best British Short Film

Home (Shpat Deda, Afolabi Kuti, Daniel Mulloy and Scott O'Donnell)

Best British Short Animation

A Love Story (Khaled Gad, Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara and Elena Ruscombe-King)

Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema
Curzon Cinemas

BAFTA Fellowship
Mel Brooks

EE Rising Star Award

Tom Holland

ASC AWARDS GREIG FRASER IN SURPRISE RESULT

It was all going La La Land's way this awards season en route to Oscar glory, until the American Society of Cinematographers rang in. Long-underappreciated DP Greig Fraser wins the ASC's top award for Lion in a remarkable coup - many thought he wouldn't even be nominated - as Garth Davis' debut feature film continues to pick up goodwill with awards voters and audiences alike. Don't expect him to surprise at Oscar - that's probably still La La Land's - but this is a pleasant victory for Fraser and his film nonetheless. And an excellent choice in the Spotlight category too. Check out the ASC's nominations at this link.

Theatrical Award
Greig Fraser (Lion)

Spotlight Award
Gorka Gomez Andreu (House of Others)

Vilmos Zsigmond Graduate Heritage Award
Andrew Jeric (Prisoner)

Vilmos Zsigmond Undergraduate Heritage Award
Emmett Sutherland (Closer)

Haskell Wexler Student Documentary Award
Colin F. Shepherd (Into the Microscope)

Board of Governors Award
Denzel Washington

Presidents Award
Nancy Schreiber

International Award
Philippe Rousselot

Lifetime Achievement Award
Edward Lachman

YOUR 2016 DGA NOMINEES ARE...

Surprised? The Weinstein Company was always gonna work Lion for all it's worth and then some, so you shouldn't be. Adding in the Documentary Director nominations announced yesterday. Winners announced on the 4th of February.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Garth Davis (Lion)

Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary

Otto Bell (The Eagle Huntress)

Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made in America)

Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg (Weiner)

Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro)

Roger Ross Williams (Life, Animated)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director

Garth Davis (Lion)

Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen)

Tim Miller (Deadpool)

Nate Parker (The Birth of a Nation)

Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane)

ASC NOMINEES - THE SILENCE IS BROKEN!

To celebrate Silence's richly-deserved nomination from the American Society of Cinematographers, I post a picture of Lion. Very happy to note the former film making the cut here, and the same for James Laxton's lovely work on Moonlight. But I figure that both he and Greig Fraser will make way for Hail, Caesar! and Live by Night at this point when Oscar nominations are announced. Good to see the Spotlight Award now expanded to four nominees. The 4th of February is the official date for the 31st annual ASC Outstanding Achievement awards.

2016 ASC Award Theatrical Nominees

Greig Fraser (Lion)

James Laxton (Moonlight)

Rodrigo Prieto (Silence)

Linus Sandgren (La La Land)

Bradford Young (Arrival)

2016 ASC Spotlight Award Nominees

Lol Crawley (The Childhood of a Leader)

Gorka Gomez Andreu (House of Others)

Ernesto Pardo (Tempestad)

Juliette van Dormael (My Angel)

EARLY BIRDS MISS A FEW WORMS TOO: 2016 CRITICS CHOICE NOMINATIONS

In their latest desperate attempt at appearing 'relevant,' the Broadcast Film Critics Association has bumped its awards dates way up, resulting in nominations arriving today, the 1st of December, and awards next week, on the 11th. Subsequently, this group has not had the chance to catch all of the titles that would otherwise have been eligible; that hasn't stopped them before, though, and it didn't stop them shunting Star Wars: The Force Awakens into their already-announced Best Picture lineup after it turned out to be a huge hit, despite no members having even cast a vote for it. That decision prompted resignations from the BFCA, and their choice to push their 2016 dates so far forward (and thereby surely only diminishing their potential to maintain relevance to the Oscar race) has prompted more still. It's a laughable situation from a laughable organization, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Nominations and awards for documentaries have already taken place. Take a look at all the new announcements below:

Best Picture

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

La La Land

Lion

Loving

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

Sully

Best Director

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge)

Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

David MacKenzie (Hell or High Water)

Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)

Denzel Washington (Fences)

Best Actress

Amy Adams (Arrival)

Annette Bening (20th Century Women)

Isabelle Huppert (Elle)

Ruth Negga (Loving)

Natalie Portman (Jackie)

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Best Actor

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Joel Edgerton (Loving)

Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)

Ryan Gosling (La La Land)

Tom Hanks (Sully)

Denzel Washington (Fences)

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis (Fences)

Greta Gerwig (20th Century Women)

Naomie Harris (Moonlight)

Nicole Kidman (Lion)

Janelle Monae (Hidden Figures)

Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)

Ben Foster (Hell or High Water)

Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea)

Dev Patel (Lion)

Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)

Best Original Screenplay

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Efthymis Filippou and Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster)

Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Jeff Nichols (Loving)

Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Luke Davies (Lion)

Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals)

Eric Heisserer (Arrival)

Todd Komarnicki (Sully)

Theodore Melfi and Allison Schroeder (Hidden Figures)

August Wilson (Fences)

Best Cinematography

Stephane Fontaine (Jackie)

James Laxton (Moonlight)

Seamus McGarvey (Nocturnal Animals)

Linus Sandgren (La La Land)

Bradford Young (Arrival)

Best Editing

Tom Cross (La La Land)

John Gilbert (Hacksaw Ridge)

Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders (Moonlight)

Blu Murray (Sully)

Joe Walker (Arrival)

Best Production Design

Stuart Craig, James Hambridge and Anna Pinnock (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)

Jess Gonchor and Nancy Haigh (Live by Night)

Paul Hotte, Andre Valade and Patrice Vermette (Arrival)

Jean Rabasse and Veronique Melery (Jackie)

Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and David Wasco (La La Land)

Best Costume Design

Colleen Atwood (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)

Consolata Boyle (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Madeline Fontaine (Jackie)

Joanna Johnston (Allied)

Eimer ni Mhaoldomhnaigh (Love & Friendship)

Mary Zophres (La La Land)

Best Visual Effects

Arrival

Doctor Strange

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The Jungle Book

A Monster Calls

Best Hair & Makeup

Doctor Strange

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hacksaw Ridge

Jackie

Star Trek Beyond

Best Score

Volker Bertelmann and Dustin O'Halloran (Lion)

Nicholas Britell (Moonlight)

Johann Johannsson (Arrival)

Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)

Mica Levi (Jackie)

Best Song

'Audition (The Fools Who Dream)' (La La Land)

'Can't Stop the Feeling' (Trolls)

'City of Stars' (La La Land)

'Drive It Like You Stole It' (Sing Street)

'How Far I'll Go' (Moana)

'The Rules Don't Apply' (Rules Don't Apply)

Best Acting Ensemble

20th Century Women

Fences

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

Best Animated Feature

Finding Dory

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana

The Red Turtle

Trolls

Zootopia

Best Foreign Language Film

Elle

The Handmaiden

Julieta

Neruda

The Salesman

Toni Erdmann

Best Action Movie

Captain America: Civil War

Deadpool

Doctor Strange

Hacksaw Ridge

Jason Bourne

Best Comedy

Central Intelligence

Deadpool

Don't Think Twice

The Edge of Seventeen

Hail, Caesar!

The Nice Guys

Best Sci-Fi / Horror Movie

10 Cloverfield Lane

Arrival

Doctor Strange

Don't Breathe

Star Trek Beyond

The Witch

Best Young Actor / Actress

Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea)

Alex R. Hibbert (Moonlight)

Lewis MacDougall (A Monster Calls)

Madina Nalwanga (Queen of Katwe)

Sunny Pawar (Lion)

Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen)

Best Actress in an Action Movie

Gal Gadot (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)

Scarlett Johansson (Captain America: Civil War)

Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad)

Tilda Swinton (Doctor Strange)

Best Actress in a Comedy

Kate Beckinsale (Love & Friendship)

Sally Field (Hello, My Name Is Doris)

Kate McKinnon (Ghostbusters)

Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen)

Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Best Actor in an Action Movie

Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange)

Matt Damon (Jason Bourne)

Chris Evans (Captain America: Civil War)

Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)

Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool)

Best Actor in a Comedy

Ryan Gosling (The Nice Guys)

Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Dwayne Johnson (Central Intelligence)

Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic)

Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool)

LFF 2016 REVIEW - LION (GARTH DAVIS)

As a distant memory conjures up only a fleeting image in one's mind, so too do the opening credits of Lion scurry past before fading away, as the film itself seems destined to. Early and often, emphasis is placed upon emphasis alone, an attempt at hammering home the potent dramatic tenor of this incredible true story, with little attention toward developing that which might make the viewer share in its characters' emotional turmoil. Empty stylistic gestures gently adorn Lion, cooking up the occasional memorable image, but otherwise of little actual impact. Trauma is co-opted under the strictures of convention for a commercialized fantasy, and one can only wonder what effect the film might have had under the guidance of more sensitive hands. Luke Davies' screenplay prioritizes reverence to factual truth over emotional truth, and Garth Davis conspires in sacrificing the potential for genuine affective heft in favour of excessive adherence to narrative credibility, yet with deviations in the direction of cliche throughout. Should I just stop kicking this film while I've already got it down? I think so, because there remains a lot to like about Lion. Even under questionable creative direction, the power of such an astonishing true story told with kindness gives the film undeniable purpose, and gives the cast a wealth of strong material with which to work. Nicole Kidman and Sunny Pawar are excellent, and Dev Patel delves deep into his role in order to rise above his film, handling a highly difficult task with apparent ease. Hollow actors' showcases have never been my thing, but Lion gets by on at least not being the worst.

LFF 2016 PREVIEW: LION

A dignified, authentic yet highly-moving crowd-pleaser

Fionnuala Halligan, Screen Daily

A sober and yet profoundly stirring contemplation of family, roots, identity and home

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

I've been singing the praises of Australian director Garth Davis ever since he collaborated with the great Jane Campion on her fabulous TV series Top of the Lake. So there was little doubting that his new film Lion would make my LFF 2016 watchlist. The film has just claimed the first runner-up spot in the People's Choice awards at TIFF and, with The Weinstein Company behind it, this true-story drama looks headed for potential awards glory later this year and into 2017. Dev Patel, Rooney Mara and Nicole Kidman star. Released in North America on the 25th of November.

TRAILER: GARTH DAVIS' LION WITH DEV PATEL

You did not know how much you wanted to see Lion, unless you've seen Top of the Lake on TV. Garth Davis directed the shit out of his episodes of Jane Campion's marvellous first season of the mini-series, and no doubt he's brought that same strong dramatic sensibility to this film, which The Weinstein Company is priming as their top pick for awards season. It shows at the Toronto International Film Festival next month, before opening in the US on the 25th of November. Check out the first trailer, with Dev Patel, Rooney Mara and Nicole Kidman, above.