Tonight marks the ceremony for the 2017 Academy Awards. This past year has been an exceptional year for film and tonight the Academy honors the top film artists of this past year. As always, the nominees are surrounded by controversy and debate — what cannot be debated however is the refreshing range of diversity in this year’s crop of nominees. 2016/2017 has marked a pivotal year in film history and one that hopefully will continue on throughout the years. Though progress has been made, much work remains for those in the industry and those who support it. We must continue to demand a supply of films that better reflect communities and demographics more diverse than we've had in the past.
The late film critic, Roger Ebert, once said that a “film is an empathy machine”. Indeed, the films nominated this year take us on a whirlwind of emotion and empathy for the stories, characters, and cultures of each film. As the screen fades to black we're left with new levels of profound understanding and in that understanding lies the beauty of cinema. The art form continues to shape our society and our world and tonight's nominees are no exception. Enjoy tonight’s ceremony and we hope you all have watched (or will watch) the films nominated tonight.
Our predictions are in three parts: Think Will Win, Want to Win, Honorable Mention
Best Picture
Think: La La Land
Want: Moonlight
Honorable: Manchester by the Sea
Best Director
Think: Damien Chazelle
Want: Damien Chazelle
Honorable: Kenneth Lonergan
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Think: Casey Affleck
Honorable: Viggo Mortensen
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Think: Emma Stone
Want: Isasbelle Huppert
Honorable: Natalie Portman
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Think: Mahershala Ali
Want: Mahershala Ali
Honorable: Lucas Hedges
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Think: Viola Davis
Want: Viola Davis
Honorable: Naomie Harris
Best Foreign Language Film
Think: A Man Called Ove
Want: The Salesman
Honorable: Toni Erdmann
Makeup and Hairstyling
Think: Star Trek: Beyond
Want: Star Trek: Beyond
Honorable: A Man Called Ove
Cinematography
Think: La La Land
Want: Silence
Honorable: Moonlight
Film Editing
Think: La La Land
Want: Arrival
Honorable: Hacksaw Ridge
Short Film, Live Action
Think: La Femme et le TGV
Want: La Femme et le TGV
Honorable: La Femme et le TGV
Sound Mixing
Think: Hacksaw Ridge
Want: Hacksaw Ridge
Honorable: La La Land
Visual Effects
Think: The Jungle Book
Want: The Jungle Book
Honorable: Doctor Strange
Original Score
Think: La La Land
Want: La La Land
Honorable: Jackie
Original Song
Think: “City of Stars” - La La Land
Want: “City of Stars” - La La Land
Honorable: “Audition” - La La Land & "How Far I'll Go"- Moana
Sound Editing
Think: Hacksaw Ridge
Want: Hacksaw Ridge
Honorable: Arrival
Original Screenplay
Think: Manchester by the Sea
Want: Manchester by the Sea
Honorable: Hell or High Water
Adapted Screenplay
Think: Moonlight
Want: Moonlight
Honorable: Fences
Costume Design
Think: La La Land
Want: La La Land
Honorable: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Documentary Feature
Think: O.J.: Made in America
Want: I Am Not Your Negro
Honorable: Fire At Sea
Documentary Short
Think: The White Helmets
Want: The White Helments
Honorable: Watani My Homeland
Production Design
Think: La La Land
Want: Arrival
Honorable: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Animated Feature
Think: Zootopia
Want: Zootopia
Honorable: Moana
Animated Short
Think: Piper
Want: Piper
Honorable: PIPER!!!
