Best Foreign Language Film Oscar contenders from Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan were among the winners at this weekend’s Golden Horse Awards — effectively the Oscars of the Chinese-speaking film industry. And while there were some heavy-hitting auteurs in the running for top honors (Wong Kar-wai, Jia Zhang-ke, Johnnie To and Tsai Ming-liang among them), it was ultimately a modest debut feature that won out, as young Singaporean director Anthony Chen’s gentle family drama “Ilo Ilo” took four awards, including Best Picture.

It’s not the first big win for Chen’s charming film, which also upended higher-profile works to take the Camera d’Or at Cannes in May, and won the Sutherland Award at last month’s London Film Festival. So its triumph this weekend isn’t too surprising, especially when you take into consideration that this year’s Golden Horse jury was headed by Ang Lee — just the person you’d expect to respond to “Ilo Ilo”‘s quiet, bittersweet humanism. I’ve been wondering if Academy voters might feel the same way; this very accessible film is a dark horse to watch in the foreign race.

In terms of numbers, the biggest victor was Wong Kar-wai’s martial arts extravaganza “The Grandmaster” — with four of its six prizes, inevitably, going to its dazzling below-the-line contributions. Zhang Ziyi took Best Actress for the local blockbuster, which also, somewhat obviously, landed the Audience Choice Award. 

There were stray wins for China’s Oscar submission “Back to 1942” and Taiwan’s entry “Soul.” Meanwhile, Best Director and Best Actor went a Taiwanese film that exists on a different planet entirely to the Oscar race: Tsai Ming-liang’s despairing, almost non-narrative portrait of a destitute family, “Stray Dogs,” won the Grand Prix at Venice (plus the adulation of critics) for its brazenly long takes and the heroic, tear-streaked cabbage-eating of leading man Lee Kang-sheng. I’m agnostic, but it sure is an imposing directorial feat.

The full list of winners:

Best Picture: “Ilo Ilo”

Best Director: Tsai Ming-liang, “Stray Dogs”

Best Actor: Lee Kang-sheng, “Stray Dogs”

Best Actress: Zhang Ziyi, “The Grandmaster”

Best Supporting Actor: Xuejian Li, “Back to 1942”

Best Supporting Actress: Yeo Yann-yann, “Ilo Ilo”

Best Original Screenplay: “Ilo Ilo”

Best Adapted Screenplay: “So Young”

Best New Director: Anthony Chen, “Ilo Ilo”

Best New Actor: Shu-yau Kuo, “Step Back to Glory”

Best Documentary: “Beyond Beauty: Taiwan From Above”

Best Short Film: “Butter Lamp”

Best Cinematography: “The Grandmaster”

Best Art Direction: “The Grandmaster”

Best Costume Design and Makeup: “The Grandmaster”

Best Film Editing: “A Touch of Sin”

Best Original Score: “A Touch of Sin”

Best Original Song: “I Love You” from “Rock Me to the Moon”

Best Sound Effects: “Soul”

Best Visual Effects: “The Grandmaster” 

Best Action Choreography: “JC Stunt Team”

Audience Choice Award: “The Grandmaster”

FIPRESCI Prize: “Rigor Mortis”

Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker: Yeh-Ju Feng

Lifetime Achievement Award: Chen Chen

So far, “Dallas Buyers Club” has had a fairly smooth ride, but it was inevitable that its social and sexual politics would at some point find vocal dissenters. R. Kurt Osenlund certainly does his best to trigger a debate, calling it “one of the year’s worst films,” and likening it to Macklemore’s hit single “Same Love” as a work of “warped queer advocacy.” “I sure as hell don’t want to see the first major movie about AIDS in 20 years to be about a goddamned queer-hating hick,” he fumes. “I want more from my art, I want better advocates, and more than anything, I want more people, and colleagues, to acknowledge the problem.” He then goes on to suggest director Jean-Marc Vallée’s heterosexuality might “in a way” be problematic. I can’t say I agree with him one iota, but there’s a longer discussion to be had here. [House Next Door]

Wendy Mitchell finds out just what’s going on with the two versions of Lars von Trier’s “Nymphomaniac” that are set for release. [Screen Daily]

Alexander Payne’s mom prefers “Election” to his other films. Alexander Payne’s mom knows what’s up. [The Observer]

AMPAS is sending a delegation that includes former president Sid Ganis and filmmaker Ava DuVernay to represent the organisation at the Dubai Film Festival. [Variety]

John Landis rails against the current state of studio film production. Join the queue. [Hollywood Reporter]

New voting rules in the foreign-language and animated categories make the process more democratic in one sense, says Pete Hammond, but is it fair on the films? [Deadline]

Kevin Lincoln profiles “Out of the Furnace” star Casey Affleck: he should be more famous, Lincoln writes, but it’s kind of his own fault that he isn’t. [New York Times]

Michelle Paradis profiles Oscar-nominated costume designer and her work on “The Butler.” Can she nab another nod for putting Forest Whitaker in a disco onesie? [Below the Line]

Nathaniel Rogers considers the “lopsided embarrassment of riches” in this year’s male acting categories. [The Film Experience]

After weeks of audience testing, editors Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers futzing with the various tones director David O. Russell captures take-to-take during production, “American Hustle” finally came out to play Sunday as Sony Pictures unveiled the film to a swath of press and SAG nominating committee members, among others.

The reveal was a highly anticipated one, given Russell’s recent track record on the circuit: both “The Fighter” and “Silver Linings Playbook” landed a slew of Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It also brought the 2013 film awards season one step closer to a complete picture, leaving just Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” to be seen. That, by the way, will happen within the week; by the time December arrives, the whole playing field will thankfully have been revealed.

For now, though, what’s the verdict on “American Hustle?” Is it a player or a pretender? Is this powerhouse ensemble that brings with it 17 Oscar nominations and four wins a formidable force?

Well, reviews of the film are embargoed until Dec. 4, though Sony certainly wants the word to get out as “social media postings” and “straight reporting” were expressly given the go ahead. Lest you think that translates to a loose interpretation of “reviews,” Russell and much of his cast and crew were on hand for a discussion after the screening. So there is something to report on here. Let’s start with that.

The participants along with Russell were stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Rohm, casting director Mary Vernieu, costume designer Michael Wilkinson and editor Jay Cassidy. The film is the result of a page one rewrite of Eric Singer’s much ballyhooed original screenplay “American Bullshit,” which was itself a look at the ABSCAM scandal of the 1970s and 1980s. But Russell has taken it in his own direction, jumping off from the scandal as a point of inspiration. To wit, as the opening title card says, “Some of this actually happened.” And as Russell said during the Q&A, “If I told you what was true, you wouldn’t believe it.”

Said Renner about his attraction to the project, “David got his hands on it and made something [already] good really, really great. I don’t know how someone writes so fast and so great.”

Indeed, it’s an incredible feat that Russell pulled this project off in the time that he did, working on the script while hitting the circuit with “Silver Linings Playbook” last year and getting his actors on board before even writing their parts. “This is sort of the third part of a reinvention I started with ‘The Fighter,'” the director said of his recent career trajectory, noting that he auditions for his actors more than the other way around and he was really excited to see some of the principals from his last two films in the roles he was carving out on the page in “American Hustle.”

Adams said Russell got her really excited about the strength of her character and that working with Christian Bale again in a very different capacity wasn’t something that came to mind in such terms because Bale is so stellar at becoming his characters. “You believe,” she said. “He’s in it. I was working with Dickey [in ‘The Fighter’] and Irving Rosenfeld [in ‘American Hustle’]. He’s such a hero to me.”

Speaking of Bale, the actor delivers another in a line of stellar performances, though it’s way more dialed down and internalized than the over-the-top look of the character might suggest. And one of his personal philosophies even made it into the script. “It’s not from the ears up, is it, mate,” he would say to Russell about his approach to acting. “It’s from the feet up.” That latter quip is a repeated refrain amongst the characters in “American Hustle,” regarding fully immersing in the con at hand.

The film’s true stand-outs, in my humble opinion, weren’t present. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are fantastic in the film. Lawrence in particular buzzes on the screen in such a way that the film – which I actually found pretty flat for the most part – really jumps to life when she’s on screen. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her become the most recognized element of the cast: her biggest moment in the film got a mid-screening burst of applause from the largely SAG audience.

Cooper, meanwhile, drills down so much and seems to just really spark in his collaborations with Russell. As a major detractor of “Silver Linings Playbook,” I nevertheless thought he was exceptional in that film and he’s almost possessed here. It’s strange to say that Bale – who, again, is great – is a bit out-shined by two other actors, but I suppose it had to happen eventually. And an ensemble as bursting at the seams with talent as this is formidable for any actor to stand out against.

Adams, though, feels like a bit of a weak link. It’s not all her fault. The script seems to under-serve where she’s coming from considerably and she feels like a cypher as a result. She also sports a dodgy English accent (used as a cover by her character), but I suppose one could argue that it’s her character that’s having trouble with the accent rather than Adams (if that makes sense). And without digging too deep into things here, I’ll also just say that, as has been pretty obvious through set photos, official stills and trailers for a number of months, Michael Wilkinson’s costume design is a hugely vibrant element of this production. He could indeed be on track for his first-ever Oscar nomination.

The film itself frankly seems a bit undercut by its position in the awards season. It’s certainly entertaining in spurts, but it might have been better served as a fun caper film released in the spring instead of bringing with it the rally cry of “Oscar contender.” Admittedly, Russell’s track record as of late sort of sets it up for that anyway, but still. Sony made the right move getting “The Monuments Men” out of that ether. I wonder if it wouldn’t have been a wise decision here, too.

But what do I know? The film got a standing ovation earlier Sunday afternoon at a Santa Barbara Cinema Society screening and seemed to be a big hit with the audience I saw it with. Actors relish what’s going on with this cast, of course, so the Screen Actors Guild could well chalk it up in a number of categories, not least of which could be the ensemble field. And if so, that’ll just become more ammunition for the Oscar cause.

We’ll see how it lands. For now, the Contenders section has been freshly updated this week. And one last piece of the puzzle remains…

Don’t forget to sign up and make your own Oscar predictions at HitFix Oscar Picks!

I haven’t yet caught “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” but some films I look forward to seeing away from the press circuit in a multiplex environment, and this is one of them. I rather like Suzanne Collins’ smart, straight-ahead literary franchise, and thought Gary Ross made a decent stab at realizing its story world last year, while leaving plenty to work on in terms of rhythm and visual flair. The critical consensus is that director Francis Lawrence (whose last film, “Water for Elephants,” was actually kind of lovely) has made the necessary improvements, while Jennifer Lawrence, returning to the franchise as an Oscar winner, remains a committed Katniss Everdeen. (You can read Drew McWeeny’s enthusiastic take here.)  

A number of you will have caught it by now, so are you with the critics? Does “Catching Fire” meet or exceed the bar set by its predecessor? And are you glad Lawrence is on board for the “Mockingjay” two-parter? Share your thoughts in the comments if/when you’ve seen it, and vote in the poll below.

The Academy has announced the short list of contenders for this year’s Best Short Film – Live Action Oscar competition, and of immediate note is the fact that Jonás Cuarón’s “Aningaaq,” which Warner Bros. submitted for consideration in the category, didn’t make the cut. It would have been a first for a film with a tie to another (sure-fire) Oscar nominee – in this case “Gravity” – to land a nomination in the shorts field and a nice little entry in Academy history as a result.

The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed 120 pictures that qualified and settled on a slate of 10. From here, members of the branch will view the films at screenings held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in December and the final list of five nominees will be announced along with the other Oscar nominees on Jan. 16, 2014.

Check out the full list below. I haven’t scoured the net this time around to see what might be available for viewing but you might turn up this and that. Feel free to offer up your thoughts on which five might make the cut.

“Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn”t Me)”
Esteban Crespo, director (Producciones Africanauan)

“Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just before Losing Everything)”
Xavier Legrand, director, and Alexandre Gavras, producer (KG Productions)

“Dva (Two)”
Mickey Nedimovic, director, and Henner Besuch, director of photography (Filoufilm Dani Barsch)

“Helium”
Anders Walter, director, and Kim Magnusson, producer (M & M Productions)

“Kush”
Shubhashish Bhutiani, director (Red Carpet Moving Pictures)

“Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)”
Selma Vilhunen, director, and Kirsikka Saari, screenwriter (Tuffi Films)

“Record/Play”
Jesse Atlas, director, and Thom Fennessey, executive producer (Collaboration Factory)

“Throat Song”
Miranda de Pencier, director (Northwood Productions)

“Tiger Boy”
Gabriele Mainetti, director (Goon Films)

“The Voorman Problem”
Mark Gill, director, and Baldwin Li, producer (Honlodge Productions)

I caught up with “August: Osage County” last night and found it, as colleagues had led me to expect, something of a mixed bag. Even with the playwright himself on adaptation duty, Tracy Letts’ exhausting but enjoyably spiky Pulitzer Prize-winning play is diminished in its translation to the screen: compressing the material to two-thirds of its luxurious three-hour runtime reveals a number of its strains and superficialities, with the newly short shrift given to certain characters (notably Misty Upham’s Johnna) affecting its cumulative emotional impact.

Still, as a big and bold-faced performance showcase, the film works rather well. Meryl Streep is on brashly entertaining form as the literally and figuratively cancerous-mouthed Violet Weston, a character set to become a new grande dame standard in American theatre. She’s chosen to play it to the hilt, and Violet is a creation who can sustain that approach — though I still think a number of Streep’s contemporaries would been at least as good and gained considerably more from the role.

Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis and Margo Martindale all tackle the material with varying types of gusto, but the clear MVP of the cast, for me, was Julia Roberts. That’s not too surprising a turn of events. Barb Weston, Violet’s embittered and increasingly rageful daughter, is arguably the true protagonist of the piece, and provides ample emotional fodder for any actress up to the task: she may not quite have thespian centerpiece of Violet’s toxic dinner-table spill, but her dawning, furious fear of turning into her mother makes for the richest character arc of play and film alike.

Roberts nails it with searing specificity: skeptics who feared America’s onetime sweetheart wouldn’t embrace Barb’s ugly surges of feeling and physical recklessness should feel duly chastened by a performance that escalates in intensity in perfect sync with Streep’s gradual exposure of Violet’s defences. (Roberts’ “eat the fish” climax is aptly, and thrillingly, unhinged.) It’s the actress’s finest work since her Oscar-winning star turn in “Erin Brockovich,” though the performances are hardly equivalent: one’s a triumph of personality-led movie-star tailoring, the other a risky but successful against-type plunge. (Her fine, tetchy work in 2004’s “Closer” fit the latter description, but this is a ballsier, and better, performance.) 

Whether or not you’re as impressed by the performance as I was, the notion of Roberts as a Best Supporting Actress hopeful is patently ludicrous: as the Tony Awards recognized, the very structure of the material pits daughter against mother as a co-lead, with the remainder of the ensemble observing the fallout from the sidelines which are themselves pretty heavy on secondary conflicts.

Dropping her status to supporting benefits no one but Streep, who hardly needs the help: the queenly nature of the role, combined with her own industry status, ensures most voters would see her as first in the pecking order if both actresses were in the same category. I actually think Roberts would stand a better chance of a co-pilot nomination in the lead race than in the supporting one, where she and her co-stars will only splinter each other’s support. (Nobody’s going to win for the film, so why not look to secure as many acting nods as possible?)

Anyway, my current hunch is that Roberts will wind up frozen out of either category, at the Oscars and elsewhere, which is why I’m at least glad to see the Palm Springs Film Festival giving her confusing campaign a boost. The actress will receive the Spotlight Award at the festival’s January 4 awards gala, joining Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Bruce Dern and director Steve McQueen on the list of honorees. Palm Springs hasn’t exactly shied away from obvious Hollywood royalty with their selections this year, and the notion of Roberts — neglected wallflower that she’s been all her career — getting a Spotlight Award is a tiny bit amusing. Still, recognition is recognition.

The prize has previously been presented to three actresses who later landed a supporting Oscar nod — Amy Adams, Jessica Chastain and (in another iffy category call) Helen Hunt — so Palm Springs is putting its weight behind the campaign in its current categorization. I’d be happy to see Roberts’ terrific work nominated in a stray Best Original Song slot, if that’s what it takes, but here’s hoping Oscar voters, who have independently corrected campaigns before, see her for the Best Actress contender she deserves to be.  

David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” is set to finally start screening this weekend and one can only imagine Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” won’t be too far behind. The film has finally been screened internally at Paramount and is slowly making its way out into the light of day. Will it be an Oscar player? With four of Scorsese’s last five features having made the cut, it’s certainly fair to speculate along those lines.

But this will be a different breed. Set to compete in the comedy/musical category at the Golden Globes, “Wolf” will be a dark comedy and something of an antidote to the more somber pieces prevalent in this year’s Oscar race. That tone is readily apparent in a new poster Paramount has provided us with to premiere this afternoon. Just look at the chaos going on below. This should be more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Wait! There’s ACTUALLY a monkey! (OK, it’s a chimp.)

“The Wolf of Wall Street” opens on Christmas Day.

http://players.brightcove.net/4838167533001/BkZprOmV_default/index.html?videoId=4911999634001

“Oh Lars, that was intense.” Those were the words famously muttered by a mortified Kirsten Dunst after his infamous 2011 Cannes press conference, though I imagine many will say something similar after viewing the trailer the Danish provocateur dropped today for “Nymphomaniac.” And the bomb-like implications of the verb “dropped” are fully applicable here: a brief but direct close-up of a plucked vagina sets the tone for a two-minute taster that was plainly calculated to generate maximum chatter about the all-star sex epic, and is already doing its job admirably.

What follows is a barely decipherable but undeniably compelling barrage of erotic imagery, including a handful of intercourse scenes and the sight of Jamie Bell channelling his inner S&M master. My, how Billy Elliot has grown up. I wasn’t planning to watch any footage of the film prior to its eventual release, but the hype got to me — so job done, I guess. Somewhere underneath all the attention-baiting, there’s a real movie, and elements of the trailer suggest it might be a pretty good one, with the ever-fearless Charlotte Gainsbourg (the only actress to have gone in for three rounds with von Trier, as it were) looking on typically nervy form.

A good day all round for von Trier, then, with Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux having just announced that the fest will welcome the onetime persona non grata back with open arms when he next has a film ready for them — as if anyone ever thought that “ban” would stick. Perhaps he got an early look at this trailer.

Check it out — bearing in mind that it’s thoroughly NSFW, NSFC and NSF-lots of things — and tell us what you think. Will you be submitting to “Nymphomaniac” when it opens next year, or have you seen enough?

Welcome to Oscar Talk.

In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is broadcast in special installments throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.

On the docket today…

– AFI FEST CROWDS THE SEASON: Tons of events and of course a number of premieres made the week of AFI Fest busier than ever this year.

– TWO JOIN THE FRAY: “Out of the Furnace” and “Lone Survivor” joined the Oscar race at the fest by finally bowing to the world.

– CRITICS ON THE WAY: The critics awards groups begin dishing out kudos in a mere two weeks. What impact will they have this year?

Have a listen to the new podcast below. If the file cuts off for you at any time, try the back-up download link at the bottom of this post. You to subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

“Here I Come” courtesy of Stuart Park.

Hardly a week goes by in the awards season without someone or other lobbying for a new Oscar category. But while the likes of Woody Allen are calling for casting Oscars, Jason Statham is joining the chorus for to see stunt work recognized by the Academy: Jason Statham calls for an Oscar category for stunt artists. The British action man rants: “I think it is an overlooked category … Nobody is giving them any credibility. They”re risking their necks. And then you”ve got poncy actors pretending like they”re doing [the stunts] … It”s like a farce.” Of course, SAG has a stunt award, but I’m not convinced many Academy voters would know how to judge the category. [Vanity Fair] 

The Cannes Film Festival would be happy to have former persona non grata Lars von Trier back at some point. As if we were ever in doubt about that. [Variety]

Michael Phillips admires Bruce Dern’s work in “Nebraska,” but wonders how things would have turned out with Gene Hackman in his place. [Chicago Tribune]

Alyssa Rosenberg is surprised that white audiences turned out for “12 Years a Slave” and “Fruitvale Station.” [ThinkProgress] 

Scott Feinberg picks the 15 documentaries he thinks are likeliest to make the Academy’s shortlist. (“Seduced and Abandoned?” Seriously?) [Hollywood Reporter]

Anonymous insider @MysteryExec calls for more risk and original thinking in the industry. [Tribeca Film]

Indiewire critics list 30 films they hope to see at the Sundance Film Festival in January. [Indiewire]

A profile of the Coens’ regular production designer Jess Gonchor, who’s on top form in “Inside Llewyn Davis.” [Below the Line]

Clever stuff, this: on the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination, Joe Reid creates a movie and TV timeline of the event, from “Mad Men” to “The Butler.” [The Wire]

LOS ANGELES – If you’ve ever met Lee Daniels or seen an interview with him, you’d quickly ascertain that the director of “Precious” and “The Butler” is his own force of nature. He has a charisma and passion that has helped fuel his success as a filmmaker. So, to be fair, only a true diva could upstage him and especially on a night he’s receiving a prestigious lifetime achievement award.

Enter Jane Fonda.

I’m still not sure whether Fonda received a standing ovation from the Orpheum Theater audience at the 2013 Outfest Legacy Awards because she’s Jane Fonda or because of the sequined-zebra-striped-meets-black-and-white floral jumpsuit she wore on stage (did we mention it was black and white zebra striped?). Once she revealed Daniels had only asked her to present for him four hours before the event, obviously you can only assume the latter (yes, she just pulled that out of her closet at the last minute). A diva and she knows it. How appropriate for Outfest. (Oh, and Fonda stepped in for Gabourey Sidibe, who couldn’t escape from the New Orleans set of “American Horror Story: Coven” in time.)

Daniels was speechless after receiving the honor, admitting he hadn’t prepared any remarks after days of trying to come up with something. It was clear receiving the lifetime achievement award from the nation’s premier GLBT film organization moved him. Cuba Gooding Jr., who starred in Daniels’ “Shadowboxer” and “The Butler,” recalled how Daniels had once remarked that it was hard enough being a black filmmaker, it was hard enough being a gay filmmaker, but a black and gay filmmaker? That’s almost impossible. Gooding also reminded everyone that Daniels was the first black gay man to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Director. And it’s not out of the realm of possibility he’ll earn a second nod for the aforementioned “The Butler” early next year.

The rest of the night’s short program had some significant moments. Outfest puts on the the Legacy Awards primarily to celebrate and raise funds and awareness for their joint program with the UCLA Film Archive to restore and preserve the history of gay film and media. Recently “out” Raven-Symoné made what is believed to be her first “publicly out” appearance at a gay event as she presented one of the evening’s restored films. Another show popular with gays, “Scandal,” was represented by both stars Guillermo Díaz – who presented 1995’s “Stonewall” where he played a drag queen (it wasn’t a good movie then, it isn’t one now) – and Dan Bucatinsky – who presented Pat Rocco’s 1976 documentary “We Were There,” a film chronicling the massive and impressive gay pride parade in Hollywood of the same year.

As for Daniels, he’ll be looking at the awards season tea leaves very carefully over the next few months to see if he can duplicate some of that “Precious” magic for “The Butler.” He’ll know for sure when Oscar nominations are announced on Jan. 16.

Tuesday morning Film Independent will announce this year’s list of nominees for the 29th annual Spirit Awards. There are certainly a lot of opportunities to right some of the slights made by the Independent Film Project’s list of Gotham Award nominees, revealed a few weeks ago, and plenty of considerations to be taken into account besides.

With that in mind, we put our heads together to come up with a wish list of contenders across the organization’s various categories. Nothing can be taken for granted, of course; surprising omissions happen all the time. So a few of these may seem secure, while others are legitimate longshots that need the boost. But this is where our passion lays, so read through the gallery story below to see what we’re thinking and feel free to offer up your own wish list hopefuls in the comments section.

The 29th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on March 1, 2014.

Welcome to the second year of Best “Makeup and Hairstyling.” Last year”s long overdue official addition of hairstylists to the title of this category did not officially change anything; hairstylists had always been rewarded. But it was nice to see the recognition in the name.

Did that affect who was nominated? In this extremely unique category (with only three nominees), probably not, but one never knows as “Les Misérables” trumped “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and “Hitchcock” for the win. This branch loves aging, monster makeup, period makeup and transforming famous actors into famous persons and there’s plenty of all of that on display this season.

The branch also frequently tips its hat to a film that may not show up anywhere else on the list of nominations, focused on the work more than getting swept up in, well, sweeps. Indeed, nine of the past 24 nominees in this category received no other nominations (“Hitchcock,” “Il Divo,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “The Way Back,” “Barney”s Version,” “Norbit,” “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” “Click” and “The Wolfman”). That said, there are also seemingly sure things that frequently do not make the cut (“Lincoln””s omission from last year immediately jumps to mind).

Moreover, being a Best Picture nominee does not seem to be a huge advantage as it is in many of the other crafts races, with only two of the past 27 nominees also scoring in the top category (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Les Misérables”). Being a past nominee helps but there are newcomers welcomed to the fold every year.

So with all of that being said, who should we keep an eye on this year? From my vantage point, this is a very competitive category this year. Let”s analyze.

“Lee Daniels” The Butler” featured period and aging makeup and I do suspect it will garner a Best Picture nomination. (Though, as noted above, it may be better for its chances if it doesn”t!) Makeup and hair department heads Debra Denson and Candace Neal would be first-time nominees but prosthetic makeup designer Matthew W. Mungle won this category for “Dracula” and has earned three nominations since then (“Schindler”s List,” “Ghosts of Mississippi,” “Albert Nobbs”).

“Dallas Buyers Club” is another film with a very good shot at a Best Picture nomination. I personally found the work on both Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto to be extremely realistic and effective. The low-grade glamor on Leto didn”t hurt. The crew members (led by Robin Matthews) are all awaiting their first Oscar nominations but I”d say they have outstanding chances. Jean-Marc Vallée”s “The Young Victoria” was a somewhat surprising nominee here.

I fully expect Ron Howard”s “Rush” to be in the running here with the burn effects used on actor Daniel Brühl. Often enough when makeup is mostly apparent on one character, that can make the work stand out all the more. Mark Coulier won this award for “The Iron Lady” and is seeking nomination number two as part of an extensive crew.

“American Hustle” was set in the same era as “Rush” and like Ron Howard”s film will feature some late-1970s/early-1980s glam (though probably more of it). Where this film could really benefit, however, is in what appears to be memorable hairstyling. The crew seems to be made up of Oscar virgins but if the film hits with AMPAS, this could be a spot that stands out.

The one surefire Best Picture nominee that strikes me as firmly in the running here is “12 Years a Slave.” As I”ve said before, I expect a massive amount of nominations for this film and the period work here is fine. Moreover, the brutality inflicted on many of the slave characters is depicted with disturbing realism through the makeup. Ma Kalaadevi Anada and Adruitha Lee would be first-time nominees.

Now it”s time to look at titles that could represent that odd one-off nomination that this category is famous for. “The Lone Ranger” was, by all accounts, a flop. But that doesn”t always matter here. There’s plenty of wounding and period makeup on display but the work put into aging Johnny Depp’s Tonto, among other things, could really click. So let”s not rule out this crew led by Joel Harlow (who won this category for “Star Trek”) and Gloria Pasqua Casny.

On that note of “Star Trek,” let”s not forget the sequel to the 2009 film, “Star Trek Into Darkness.” While not as impressive (critically or financially) as its predecessor, and also losing some of the novelty factor, the work on alien species remains iconic and this time two-time Oscar winner David LeRoy Anderson (“The Nutty Professor,” “Men in Black”) is leading the crew.

“Bad Grandpa” would be a rather bizarre nomination, but this is the branch that nominated “Norbit” and “Click.” Johnny Knoxville sat through hours of makeup to create this character, which has delighted the loyal group of “Jackass” fans. We”ll see if this crew of makeup artists, with no real history of awards success, can make a dent in the race.

Going back to quite early in the year, “Oz the Great and Powerful” provided us period makeup, witch makeup (albeit heavily aided by CGI) and, most importantly, a variety of races of creatures. Howard Berger, who won this category for “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and was nominated for “Hitchcock”), Peter Montagna (also nominated for “Hitchcock”) and Yolanda Tousseing (winner for “Ed Wood” and “Mrs. Doubtfire” and nominee for “The Way Back” and “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”) were part of a massive crew. Watch out for this one.

“The Great Gatsby” brought the roaring ’20s to the screen in all their glory. While the film was divisive (in typical Lurhmann style), both the makeup and the hairstyling sought to be memorable and unique. And they were. Maurizio Silvi (Oscar nominee for “Moulin Rouge!”) is on board this crew.

“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” could be well-received upon release but it didn’t light up the Toronto Film Festival – and the makeup has certainly taken its knocks. But the film nevertheless recreates a famous and revered figure and deals with aging techniques across many decades. That”s enough to warrant some consideration here. Mark Coulier is also on this film, giving him a second chance this year to earn nomination number two.

I”ll end with a film many people seem to think is assured here: “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” This would be the fourth Middle Earth film from Peter Jackson to get a nomination here (only “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” missed). Rick Findlater, Peter King and Tami Lane thus may seem assured of nominations, especially as more elves will be joining this year”s group of characters. Even so, I cannot help but wonder if the novelty will wear off in the face of such a strong group of contenders. I suspect this film will be nominated for Best Visual Effects and Best Production Design but cannot help but think it will not get as many nominations as its predecessor. Just a hunch.

So those are the top dozen contenders as I see them. How do you handicap this race?

Another day, another Palm Springs Film Festival award announcement. The fest’s latest honoree is Steve McQueen, who has been named Director of the Year for “12 Years a Slave,” and will receive the prize at an awards gala on January 4. For those of you keeping score, the British filmmaker joins Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock and Career Achievement Award winner Bruce Dern on the winners’ list. As with the other Palm Springs awards, the director prize usually goes to an imminent Oscar nominee, though last year’s recipient, Robert Zemeckis for “Flight,” was an exception. “[McQueen] is a master of utilizing the senses to create the essence of his works,” says Palm Springs chief Harold Metzner. [PSIFF]

A good day for Steve McQueen superlatives: GQ has also named him Auteur of the Year. [GQ]

Robert Duvall lobbies for Oscar attention for the casting-themed documentary “Casting By.” [The Wrap]

Stephen Fry will host the BAFTA Awards for the ninth time. [Hollywood Reporter]

Last weekend’s fourth honorary Oscar recipient, costume designer Piero Tosi, was largely sidelined in coverage of the event. (Partly because he wasn’t there.) Tim Brayton offers a reminder of his work. [The Film Experience] 

Alfonso Cuaron joins the “TV is better than film” brigade. You can’t really make a “Gravity” for TV, though. [Indiewire]

Daniel Walber marvels at the work of cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, from “Amelie” to “Harry Potter” to “Faust.” (No mention of “Inside Llewyn Davis,” though.) [Film.com]

Supporting Actress hopeful Octavia Spencer explains why “Fruitvale Station” is “bigger than anything [she’s] ever done.” [LA Times]

“Long Walk to Freedom” star Naomie Harris defends the controversial legacy of Winnie Mandela. [The Guardian]

Clayton Davis considers a couple of typos on the Weinsteins’ FYC page for “Fruitvale Station.” They are just typos, right? [Awards Circuit]

Hollywood animal wrangler Sled Reynolds, whose work stretches from “Gladiator” to “Life of Pi” to this year’s “Saving Mr. Banks,” gives an insight into his hairy profession. [The Credits]

Tim Gray takes a step back from the frenzied activity to appreciate the “goofy fun” of awards season. [Variety]

The procession of publicity materials for Lars von Trier’s “Nymphomaniac” has been so long and complex that I’m not only beginning to lose track of which ones I have and haven’t seen — though I’ve maintained a blanket avoidance of the clips and trailers thus far — but find myself wondering if there’s actually a film behind all the, er, foreplay. I rather hope there is, since “Nymphomaniac”‘s seemingly ceaseless campaign hasn’t yet succeeded in dulling my anticipation for von Trier’s gargantuan sex epic: I’m a Lars die-hard, admittedly, but the sheer brazen loopiness of this project on paper would have me intrigued even as an agnostic.

Anyway, while we have arguably been over-supplied with them, every poster for the film has been a bull’s-eye on the design front, and this latest teaser featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg may be my favorite one to date. We’ve seen the image before, but the framing and tightening of this one makes it entirely frameable — albeit possibly not something you’d want over the living-room fireplace. It’s accompanied by another that compiles all those now-familiar O-faces into a lovely mosaic. What next?

“Nymphomaniac” will be released Stateside by Magnolia on an as-yet-unspecified date in early 2014.    

Last month we broke the news that Warner Bros. will be submitting the short film “Aningaaq,” a companion piece to Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity” directed by Jonás Cuarón, for Oscar consideration in the Best Live Action Short race. We also talked to the father and son about what the thought process was behind the piece. Today, well ahead of the film’s DVD/Blu-ray release, it looks like you can have a look at the short yourself.

“We were adamant that we wanted to stay in the point of view of Ryan [in the ‘Gravity’], never cut back to Earth or Houston, nothing,” Jonás told us. “We said, ‘We have to stick to the plan, but wouldn’t it be cool to do a short about Aningaaq, [the inuit Sandra Bullock’s character contacts via radio during a pivotal scene in the film]?'”

The short has made its way online so you won’t have to wait a couple of months to see it for yourself, so have a look below and tell us what you think.

“Gravity” is still playing at a theater near you and it’s still making tons of money.

The Independent Filmmaker Project announced today that the late James Gandolfini will be presented with a tribute at the upcoming Gotham Awards in New York by actor Steve Buscemi. He joins previously announced tributees Forest Whitaker, Richard Linklater and Katherine Oliver.

Said IFP Executive Director Joana Vicente via press release, “We are honored to pay tribute to a man whose life and work has inspired and moved so many who knew him personally, or through his vast body of work on the stage and screen, where he collaborated with so many independent artists to bring to life unforgettable, iconic characters.”

Gandolfini has stirred consideration in the Best Supporting Actor Oscar ranks this season for his performance in Nicole Holofcener’s “Enough Said.” A recent survey of awards pundits — the Gurus o’ Gold at Movie City News — somewhat surprisingly had Gandolfini tied for fifth in the race with “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” star David Oyelowo. The category is somewhat in flux at the moment so it’s certainly possible he could slide in and net his first-ever Oscar nomination for a film Fox Searchlight is pushing in all the right places.

RELATED: James Gandolfini always made an impact, as character actor or leading man

“James Gandolfini was a friend, an inspiration, and an extraordinary talent whose presence is missed by all of us who knew and loved him,” Steve Buscemi said. “It is an honor to present this tribute at the Gotham Awards recognizing his impact.”

The 23rd annual Gotham Independent Film Awards will be held at Cipriani Wall Street on Dec. 2.

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has announced TV nominees for 2013 and “Game of Thrones” landed a pair of nominations while “Boardwalk Empire” picked up one, as well, making HBO network far and away the network leader.

“The new heights that storytelling has reached on television are in part because of the tremendous artistry and outstanding work being done by the shows” cinematographers,” ASC President Richard Crudo said via press release. “It was difficult for our members to narrow down the field to these nominees given the high caliber of the submissions.”

Check out the full list of nominees below. The winners will be announced at the 28th Annual Outstanding Achievement Awards at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood on Feb. 1, 2014.

(This year’s theatrical nominees will be announced on Jan. 8, 2014.)

One-hour Episodic Television Series:

“Magic City” – “The Sins of the Father” (Steven Bernstein)
“Boardwalk Empire” – “Erlkönig” (David Franco)
“Game of Thrones” – “Valar Dohaeris” (Jonathan Freeman)
“The Borgias” – “The Purge” (Pierre Gill)
“Beauty and the Beast” – “Tough Love” (David Greene)
“Game of Thrones” – “Kissed by Fire” (Anette Haellmigk)
“Sleepy Hollow” – “Pilot” (Kramer Morgenthau)
“Dracula” – “The Blood is the Life”

Half-hour Episodic Series:

“House of Lies” – “The Runner Stumbles” (Peter Levy)
“Alpha House” – “Pilot” (Matthew J. Lloyd)
“Drunk History” – “Detroit” (Blake McClure)

Television Movie/Miniseries:

“Killing Lincoln” (Jeremy Benning)
“The White Queen” – “War at First Hand” (David Luther)
“Dancing on the Edge” – “Episode 1.1” (Ashley Rowe)