The First Annual Sheist Film Awards

By this point, I think it’s abundantly clear that I’m passionate about film. I realize movies aren’t the most important thing in life, but they can often have a powerful, long lasting influence when done right and play significant roles in our culture. Awards shows in Hollywood, especially the Oscars, are shaped by the politics of the industry and often fail to present the best that the filmmaking craft has to offer. Unlike many of Academy voters, I’ve actually watched all the films that made my Best of 2017 list (and plenty more that didn’t) and at significant personal expense. Having watched over 100 films during the course of the year, I’ve decided to put together The First Annual Sheist Film Awards with some of my own categories, rather than merely chime in on what the Academy has put on the ballot. So, let’s kick things off with the fun categories…

(If you’re only interested in the big six…Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Supporting… then you can skip ahead to the end and work your way back up)

🏆indicates likely Academy Pick

🐎indicates Academy darkhorse


Most Original Movie

Brigsby Bear

Directed by Dave McCary, Written by Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney

Colossal

Written and Directed by Nacho Vigalondo

Sleight

Directed by J.D. Dillard, Written by J.D. Dillard and Alex Theurer

Free Fire

Directed by Ben Wheatley, Written by Amy Jump and Ben Wheatley

Killing Gunther

Written and Directed by Taran Killam

And the winner is…

Brigsby Bear, Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney

(This was actually my favorite movie of 2017)


Weirdest Movie

The Killing of A Sacred Deer

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Written by Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou

or

Mother!

Written and Directed by Darren Aronofsky


Most Interesting Foreign Film

Blade of the Immortal (Japan)

Directed by Takashi Miike, Written by Tetsuya Oishi

(Hiroaki Samura original manga)

Thelma (Norway)

Directed By Joachim Trier, Written by Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt

Raw (France)

Written and Directed by Julia Ducournau

And the winner is…

Raw (France)

Written and Directed by Julia Ducournau


Best Soundtrack

Baby Driver

I, Tonya

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2

Call Me By Your Name

The Greatest Showman

And the winner is…

Baby Driver


Must See Documentary

City of Ghosts

Directed by Matthew Heineman

A group of anonymous citizen journalists, called “Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently”, present a horrifying and unforgettable look at the atrocities being committed by Isis in their hometown.


Most Disappointing

Justice League

Directed by Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon

Written by Zack Snyder, Joss Whedon and Chris Terio

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Written and Directed by Rian Johnson

War for the Planet of the Apes

Directed by Matt Reeves, Written by Matt Reeves and Mark Bomback

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Written and Directed by Luc Besson

Original Comic by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres

Alien: Covenant

Directed by Ridley Scott, Written by John Logan and Dante Harper

Ghost in the Shell

Directed by Rupert Sanders

Written by Jamie Moss, William Wheeler and Ehren Kruger

Original Comic by Shirow Masamune

And the “Winner” is…

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Written and Directed by Luc Besson

Original Comic by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres


**These awards are for those who made a noticeable splash without necessarily factoring in to the rest of the larger awards picture**

Breakthrough Performers

Jacob LattimoreSleight, Detroit

&

Florence PughLady MacBeth


Breakthrough Directors

Julia DucournauRaw

&

Josh and Benny SafdieGood Time


Best Original Score

Daniel Lopatin aka Oneohtrix Point Never, Good Time

Hans Zimmer, Dunkirk

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, Wind River

Carter Burwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

🏆 Jonny Greenwood, Phantom Thread

🐎 Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water

And the Winner is…

Daniel Lopatin aka Oneohtrix Point Never, Good Time


Best Visual Effects

🐎 Blade Runner 2049

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

War for the Planet of the Apes

🏆 Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2

Thor: Ragnarok

And the Winner is…

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets


Best Costume Design

Michael Kaplan, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Stacey Battat, The Beguiled

🏆 Mark Bridges, Phantom Thread

Ellen Mirojnick, The Greatest Showman

🐎 Luis Sequeria, The Shape of Water

And the winner is…

Mark Bridges, Phantom Thread


Best Production Design

Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin and Shane Vieau, The Shape of Water

🏆 Dennis Gassner and Alessandra Querzola, Blade Runner 2049

🐎 Nathan Crowley and Gary Fettis, Dunkirk

Rick Heinrichs, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Nathan Crowley, The Greatest Showman

And the winner is…

Nathan Crowley, The Greatest Showman


Best Cinematography

Thimios Bakatakis, The Killing of a Sacred Deer

🏆 Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049

Bojan Bazelli, A Cure For Wellness

Drew Daniels, It Comes at Night

🐎 Hoyt Van Hoytema, Dunkirk

And the Winner is…

Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049

 


Best Original Screenplay

🐎 Jordan Peele, Get Out

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick

Taylor Sheridan, Wind River

Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, Good Time

🏆 Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Guillermo Del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird

And the Winner(s) are…

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick


Best Adapted Screenplay

Marc Meyers, My Friend Dahmer

🏆 James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name

Michael Almereyda, Marjorie Prime

Scott Frank, James Mangold and Michael Green, Logan

🐎 Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game

And the Winner is…

Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game


**These awards recognize the performers who had the best overall body of work throughout the course of the year**

Actor of the Year

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Idris Elba

Actress of the Year

nicole-kidman-golden-globes-2017-31

Nicole Kidman


Best Supporting Actor

Ray Romano, The Big Sick

🏆 Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Jon Hamm, Marjorie Prime

🐎 Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

Michael Shannon, The Shape of Water

Ali Fazal, Victoria & Abdul

And the Winner is…

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri

 


Best Supporting Actress

🐎 Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

🏆 Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread

Vicky Krepes, Phantom Thread

Katherine Keener, Get Out

And the Winner is…

Allison Janney, I, Tonya

 


Best Actor

Jeremy Renner, Wind River

Ross Lynch, My Friend Dahmer

James MacAvoy, Split

Jake Gyllenhaal, Stronger

Robert Pattinson, Good Time

Harry Dean Stanton, Lucky

🐎 Daniel Day-Lewis, The Phantom Thread

🏆 Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

And the Winner is…

Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread

 


Best Actress

Elizabeth Olsen, Wind River

Soarise Ronan, Lady Bird

🏆 Frances McDormand, Three Billboards

Nicole Kidman, The Beguiled

Judy Dench, Victoria & Abdul

Florence Pugh, Lady Macbeth

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

🐎 Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

And the Winner is…

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri


Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread

Taylor Sheridan, Wind River

Kathryn Bigelow, Detroit

Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird

🏆 Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water

🐎 Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk

Sofia Coppola, The Beguiled

Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game

Jordan Peele, Get Out

And the winner is…

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird


Best Picture

Darkest Hour

Directed by Joe Wright, Written by Anthony McCarten

Blade Runner 2049

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Written by Hampton Facher and Michael Green

🏆Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh

Lady Bird

Written and Directed by Greta Gerwig

Wind River

Written and Directed by Taylor Sheridan

🏆Dunkirk

Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan

Detroit

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Written by Mark Boal

The Shape of Water

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, Written by Guillermo Del Toro and Vanessa Taylor

The Big Sick

Directed by Michael Showalter, Written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani

Molly’s Game

Written and Directed by Aaron Sorkin

Phantom Thread

Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Brigsby Bear

Directed by Dave McCary, Written by Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney

🐎 Honorable Mention: Get Out

Written and Directed by Jordan Peele

And the Winner is…

The Shape of Water

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, Written by Guillermo Del Toro and Vanessa Taylor


If you made it this far, thanks for taking the time. Hopefully you found something you can enjoy!