The 2021 Cinemayward Oscars

Like everything else in our world, the Oscars have had to make significant adjustments due to the extraordinary circumstances generated by a global pandemic. Where the Academy Awards ceremony would normally be over and done with by late February, this year we will learn of the nominees on March 15, and won’t even know the outcome until April 25 (barring any postponements). So, prior to the official Oscar nominee announcements this week, here are my own nominees for the 2021 “Cinemayward” Oscars. These are not predictions (some of these won’t even qualify for the actual Academy Awards) but rather my own celebration of the true, the good, and the beautiful in cinema from 2020. Nominees are listed in alphabetical order, excepting winners in bold.

Best Picture: 

• Nomadland
• The Climb
• Dick Johnson Is Dead
• First Cow
• Minari
• Small Axe
• Sound of Metal
• Tenet
• Time
• Wolfwalkers

Best Director:

• Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)
• Lee Isaac Chung (Minari)
• Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods)
• Darius Marder (Sound of Metal)
• Kelly Reichardt (First Cow)

Best Actress:  

• Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)
• Carrie Coon (The Nest)
• Frances McDormand (Nomadland)
• Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man)
• Heidi Schreck (What the Constitution Means to Me)

Best Actor: 

• Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)
• Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
• Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods)
• Mads Mikkelsen (Another Round)
• Steven Yeun (Minari)

Best Supporting Actress:

• Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari)
• Myriem Akeddiou (Young Ahmed)
• Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)
• Lily Collins (Mank)
• Bel Powley (The King of Staten Island)

Best Supporting Actor:

• Chadwick Boseman (Da 5 Bloods)
• Steve Buscemi (The King of Staten Island, Hubie Halloween)
• Bill Murray (On the Rocks)
• Paul Raci (Sound of Metal)
• Glynn Turman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)

Best Ensemble Cast:

• Another Round
• Da 5 Bloods
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• Minari
• Promising Young Woman

Best Film Not in the English Language:

• Young Ahmed
• Another Round
• Bacurau
• Collective
• La Llorona

Best Documentary:

• Dick Johnson Is Dead
• Collective
• I Am Greta
• Time
• The Painter and the Thief

Best Original Screenplay: Cooper Raiff (Shithouse). Honorable Mention: Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin (The Climb).

Best Adapted Screenplay: Chloé Zhao (Nomadland). Honorable Mention: Kelly Reichardt (First Cow).

Best Cinematography: Joshua James Richards (Nomadland). Honorable Mention: Christopher Blauvelt (First Cow).

Best Editing: Jennifer Lame (Tenet). Honorable Mention: Nels Bangerter (Dick Johnson Is Dead).

Best Production Design: Anthony Gasparro, Vanessa Knoll (First Cow) Honorable Mention: Helen Scott (Small Axe).

Best Score: Nomadland. Honorable Mention: Minari.

Best Visual Effects: Tenet. Honorable Mention: Possessor.

Best Animated Film: Wolfwalkers. Honorable Mention: World of Tomorrow Episode Three: The Absent Destinations of David Prime.

Best Coming-of-Age Film: Shithouse. Honorable Mention: Young Ahmed.

Best Film Exploring Christianity: Dick Johnson Is Dead. Honorable Mention: Minari.