Analysis for Oscar Pools: Lower Film Categories
I tried to come up with a nicer name for this subsection of categories, but its a fitting description. These are the categories aside from Best Picture that award entire films.
Specifically, we are going to go over Best Animated Feature, Best International Feature Films, Best Documentary Feature, Best Live Action Short Film, and Best Animated Short Film.
Best Animated Feature
There’s no real need for a lead-in for this one. We got Soul.
The Pixar movie getting the Oscar for Best Animated feature is basically the default assumption at this point.
They have won this award 10 times out of the 15 times they've been nominated in the 20 years the Oscars have had this award.
This is widely agreed to be Pixar's best entry in years.
This is the only nominee with other nominations (sound and score, the later of which it will probably win).
The competition (which we’ll get to) is, with all due respect, is not really competition.
Forget Chadwick Boseman, may he rest in peace, for Best Actor. Forget Chloé Zhao. While nothing is impossible, Soul winning best Animated feature is as close to a lock as you can get.
But who would win if Soul wasn't here?
Wolfwalkers — about a little hunter girl who develops a spiritual connection with wolves in 17th century Ireland — from co-director Tomm Moore’s “Irish Folklore Trilogy” is easily the next most acclaimed. The previous installments in the loose trilogy, The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea were also nominated which signals that the short film and feature animation branch (yup. They don't get their own branch) of the Academy is keen on this guy's work. But again; nominees are chosen by branches while winners are voted on by everyone. The Academy at large probably heard of this movie for the first time when the nominees were announced.
I. Would. Love. For a traditionally animated feature from an outsider creative team to take home this award. I sorely miss hand-drawn. This just isn't the year.
Beyond that, we have animation legend Glen Keane (he animated characters such as Ariel, the Beast, Aladdin, and Tarzan for Disney) gave us his passion project, Over the Moon, which tells a weird, heartwarming tale about grieving using Chinese folklore. Keane won an Oscar recently for his collaboration with the late Kobe Bryant on Dear Basketball. So, they got him covered.
I’m just going to go out on a limb and say that Shaun the Sheep Farmageddon (which is a lot of fun) is just happy to be here to party and that the Academy will definitely not snub Soul for plainly inferior Pixar entry Onward.
Best International Feature Film
Previously known as Best Foreign Language film. Just last year, Parasite became the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture. So things are changing, however gradually.
Because films in this category are usually not widely distributed in the US and often not nominated for anything else, its often hard to pick out which film has the most steam. However, that wasn't the case last year and it isn't the case this year.
The frontrunner is Denmark's entry: Another Round (Originally Druk, which roughly translates to “binge drinking”) from director Thomas Vinterberg.
Why? The film already had hype going for it, then Vinterberg got a surprising nomination for Best Director. This not only means that the directors in the Academy liked it, but it signals to all the Academy voters who don't feel like reading subtitles who they can vote for. Which, unfortunately, is probably a considerable voting block. It’s also worth noting that the films lead, God’s gift to acting Mads Mikkelsen, was in the running for a Best Actor nomination and would have easily been named if there where more nominees.
On the other hand, surprisingly, its not unprecedented for a foreign language film to be nominated for Best Director and somehow not win best foreign language film. Brazil’s City of God was nominated for Director, Cinematography, Adapted Screenplay and Editing… and was somehow snubbed for a nomination for Best Foreign Language film, despite being Brazils official entry.
So, crazier things have happened, but Another Round is probably going to take this one. It’s considered certain enough that not many people are even spending much time speculating an alternative.
Including me. Pot and kettel. Another Round is awesome and I’m pretty confident it’s going to win. Here’s the other nominees by likelihood of upset:
— Quo Vadis, Aida? (lit. “Where are you going, Aida?”)(Bosnia and Herzegovina)— in Bosnian — directed by Jasmila Žbanić
— Collective (Romania) in Romanian — directed by Alexander Nanau (Note: This film is also nominated for Best Documentary Feature)
— The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia) in Arabic — directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
— Better Days (Hong Kong) in Mandarin — directed by Derek Tsang
Best Documentary Feature Film
Fun fact: Documentaries can be nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. There is no rule against any of that. Thats a fact that I have to point out because it’s never happened and theres no reason to believe it ever will.
This category doesn't have a clear frontrunner, and any of these docs could reasonably win. One thing we can do is look to the Sundance Film Festival, an indie festival founded by Robert Redford. Hot documentaries out the Festival become must sees for the Documentarians in the Academy.
The current frontrunner is Time, directed by newcomer Garret Bradley.
First of all, I can tell you that the infinite pile of money referred to as Amazon is campaigning for this movie hard enough that my mother, who lives in Connecticut and isn't in the industry, has seen multiple “For Your Consideration” advertisements for the movie.
Second, it’s very timely. It depicts a black woman struggle as she fights to free her husband from an unjust 60 year prison sentence.
Third, Garret Bradley became the first black woman to win the prestigious Best Director prize at Sundance, which bodes well for her as the Academy tries to parse out whos making waves.
Next in line, we have Collecvitve, which might sound familiar to you. Thats because it is also the Romanian nominee for best International Feature film. Only the second. It documents director Alexander Nanau and his teams investigation into healthcare fraud.
Then theres Crip Camp, a politically incorrect title for a sweet movie about a loose, free-spirited camp designed for teens with disabilities during the 70s that spawned a disabilities rights movement. This also premiered at Sundance and would have some appeal with the Academys heavily White Boomer™ demographic.
We also have My Octopus Teacher, which is only slightly more strange than the title would suggest. A filmmaker apparently forged a meaningful relationship with a common octopus in the South African Kelp Forrest. I tried to word that sentence carefully, but I should just clarify: it’s not indecent. It’s just weird. Apparently its very good though and sometimes weird helps you stand out.
Finally, we have The Mole Agent, which is about a private investigator in Chile working as a mole in a retirement home to investigate elder abuse. It was also submitted as the Chilean entry for Best International Feature film, made the shortlist, but was not nominated.
Best Live Action Short Film
The short film categories feel especially distant because they cant be nominated for much of anything else and therefore cant be assessed based on other nominations or historical trends. I’ll openly admit I have less to say about these and miss them more often than other categories.
That said, I think Two Distant Strangers, directed by Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe, will win. It’s the Groundhog Day time loop concept applied to a timely issue: a black man having to repetitively endure police brutality. It’s inventive in it’s use of a high concept to reimagine a very real issue. The Academy seems inclined to reward depictions of the African American struggle this year, and I think that extends to this category. It’s also on Netflix, which means people might have actually seen it. Which helps.
Here are the other nominees in order of likelihood of winning:
— Feeling Through — Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski
— The Letter Room — Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan
— The Present — Ossama Bawardi and Farah Nabulsi
— White Eye — Shira Hochman and Tomer Shushan
Best Animated Short Film
More people tend to have seen these because they generally are either released to a streaming service or play before an animated feature film.
As I have said repeatedly. Being timely, having themes relevant to the events of the day, helps a lot. Thats why I am giving the win to If Anything Happens I Love You, directed by Michael Govier & Will McCormack. The animation depicts… the emotional journey of two parents in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting. As schools reopen and its back to business as usual, this feels more relevant than ever. It’s on Netflix.
You know what? I’m tired. Heres the other ones in order:
- Opera — Erick Oh
- Burrow — Michael Capbarat and Madeline Sharafian (ITS ON DISNEY+ and will make you happy, in case you need it.)
- Genius Loci — Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise
- Yes-People — Arnar Gunnarsson and Gísli Darri Halldórsson
Best Documentary Short
This one is difficult. I'm predicting the heartstrings will win out. From most to least likely:
- Colette — Alice Doyard and Anthony Giacchino
- Do Not Split — Charlotte Cook and Anders Hammer
- A Concerto Is a Conversation — Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot
- Hunger Ward — Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Shueuerman
- A Love Song for Latasha — Sophia Nahali Allison and Janice Duncan
Check in tomorrow for Visual Categories (Cinematography, Production Design, Costume, Makeup, FX)
