Awards season has officially begun. The Gotham Awards, run in New York by the Gotham Film & Media Institute and dedicated to independent cinema, announced their nominations on 27 October. They are the first major year-end ceremony to do so, which makes them a closely watched early signal for the industry.
Five films share the lead with four nominations each: Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "All of a Sudden", "Clarissa" by brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri, Marine Atlan's "La Gradiva", Olivia Wilde's "The Invite" and Mike Leigh's "Tender Loving Care". The slate therefore mixes established auteurs with newer voices.
Eleven titles are competing for Best Feature, among them "Clarissa", "The Invite", "Club Kid", "Josephine", "Paper Tiger", "Primetime" and "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma".
The Audience Award returns this year. It pits bigger crowd-pleasers such as "Michael", "Project Hail Mary", "The Drama" and "Obsession" against smaller releases. According to the institute's leadership, the list shows that audiences turned out in cinemas for debut features as well as for well-known filmmakers.
Winners will be revealed on 30 November. For the nominated teams, from producers and distributors to actors, the recognition brings valuable visibility ahead of the season's other major awards.
