The Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) has announced the nominations for the 14th Annual Film Awards which will be televised January 31st on Houstonās independent TV station KUBE 57.
The in-person ceremony was sidelined this year by the pandemic, but the virus couldnāt stop the release of a diverse selection of films represented by this yearās nominees.
2020 was a tumultuous year for the movie industry which should receive some sort of VIP award. Theaters closed, some permanently, while others strived to remain open under safety guidelines developed by the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO). Studios shifted to the small screen premiering new releases On-Demand PPV on several platforms including iTunes, Google, and Virtual Cinema while Warner Bros. announced it would release its slate of films beginning with āWonder Woman 1984ā and continuing through 2021 simultaneously in theaters and on its streaming service, HBO Max.
Movies are best experienced in a cinema, but home viewing is also a rewarding experience especially with the crop of last yearās films. Doug Harris, HFCS President stated, āFor the film industry, 2020 will be recalled as much for works that nourished our souls as for the ways world events changed movie habits. The impact of the artistic expression from this yearās nominees reminds us that the size of a screen, or where we view it, matters less than the quality of what we see.ā
The Korean-American family drama āMinariā from director Lee Isaac Chung leads this yearās nominees with seven total including Best Picture, Best Actor for Steven Yeun, Best Supporting Actress for Youn Yuhājung, and Best Director for Chung.
āSound of Metalā with Riz Ahmed as a punk-rock drummer who suddenly loses his hearing received six nominations while āNomadland,ā āOne Night in Miamiā and āThe Trial of the Chicago 7ā each received five nominations.
This yearās Best Director category is evenly split between the men and women with ChloĆ© Zhao (āNomadlandā), Regina King (āOne Night in Miamiā), and Emerald Fennell (āPromising Young Womanā) receiving nominations for their outstanding work alongside Lee Isaac Chung (āMinariā), Darius Marder (āSound of Metalā), and Aaron Sorkin (āThe Trial of the Chicago 7ā).
My favorite category is the Texas Independent Film Award (TIFA) which honors independent films shot in Texas and which have been financed outside the major studio system by small investors and/or independent production companies. Local filmmaker Anthony Pedone received a TIFA nomination in 2018 for āAn American in Texas.ā This yearās nominees include āBoys State,ā āMiss Juneteenth,ā āReady or Not,ā āThe Vast of Night,ā and āYellow Rose.ā
āThe performances of our nominees bring to life, through film, the strength of the human mind, body, and spirit,ā observes Harris. āWe are invited to walk in the steps of an incredible range of people who demonstrate their resilience in the face of challenge. Imagine what this work says about the strength of the human soul in a year filled with tragedy and uncertainty.ā
Here's the complete list of the Houston Film Critics 2020 nominations minus Outstanding Cinematic Achievement, Best Movie Poster Art, and the HFCS Lifetime Achievement Award which will be announced with the rest of the winners.
Best Picture
Da 5 Bloods; The Father; Minari; Never Rarely Sometimes Always; Nomadland; One Night in Miami; Promising Young Woman; Soul; Sound of Metal; The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Director
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari; ChloƩ Zhao, Nomadland; Regina King, One Night in Miami; Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman; Darius Marder, Sound of Metal; Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal; Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom; Anthony Hopkins, The Father; Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods; Steven Yeun, Minari
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom; Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always; Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman; Frances McDormand, Nomadland; Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Chadwick Boseman, Da 5 Bloods; Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7; Bill Murray, On the Rocks; Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miami; Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm; Ellen Burstyn, Pieces of a Woman; Olivia Colman, The Father; Amanda Seyfried, Mank; Youn Yuhājung, Minari
Best Screenplay
Minari; Nomadland; One Night in Miami; Promising Young Woman; Sound of Metal; The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Animated Feature
The Croods: A New Age; Onward; Over the Moon; Soul; Wolfwalkers
Best Cinematography
Mank; Minari; News of the World; Nomadland; Tenet
Best Documentary Feature
Boys State; Collective; Dick Johnson is Dead; My Octopus Teacher; Time
Best Foreign Language Feature
Another Round (Denmark); Bacurau (Brazil/France); Beanpole(Russia); La Llorona (Guatemala); A Sun (Taiwan)
Best Original Score
Mank; The Midnight Sky; News of the World; Soul; Tenet
Best Original Song
All In: The Fight for Democracy, āTurntablesā; Life Ahead, āLo Siā; One Night in Miami, āSpeak Nowā; Over the Moon, āRocket to the Moonā; The Prom, āWear Your Crownā
Best Visual Effects
Tenet; The Invisible Man; The Midnight Sky
Best Stunt Coordination Team
Birds of Prey; Mulan; The Old Guard; Tenet; Wonder Woman 1984
The 40 members of the Houston Film Critics Society are working film journalists on television, radio, online, and in traditional print. Together, they reach millions of people each week across the United States with their critiques and commentaries on film. The organization’s mission is to promote the advancement and appreciation of film in the Houston community and beyond. For a list of members, visit www.HoustonFilmCritics.com.
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