Gotham Awards Nominees Include “The Farewell,” “Marriage Story,” “Uncut Gems,” “Waves,” and… “Hustlers”????

And so awards season begins, and it’s appropriately weird. The IFP Gotham Awards nominees include three from A24, one from Netflix, and get this: “Hustlers,” the JLo movie. I am not kidding. Three three from A24 are “Uncut Gems,” “Waves,” and “The Farewell.” Someone get that publicist some champagne and caviar.

“Marriage Story,” which should win, comes from Netflix. “Hustlers,” so much not like those four movies it’s hilarious, is from STX Films and has made $100 million. I thought this was an indie film prize, but hey. It was a fun movie and might bring Jennifer Lopez to Cipriani Wall Street, where she will meet people who are not dressed in sequins for bed.

Among the best actress nominees are Mary Kay Place for “Diane” and Alfre Woodard, for “Clemency.” I love Woodard, but it’s time for Mary Kay Place. That is one great performance. If you haven’t seen “Diane,” directed Kent Jones (now former programmer of a local film festival here), check it out.

So, let the games begin!

Best Feature 

The Farewell

Lulu Wang, director; Daniele Melia, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz, Jane Zheng, Lulu Wang, Anita Gou, producers (A24)

Hustlers

Lorene Scafaria, director; Jessica Elbaum, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Jennifer Lopez, Benny Medina, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, producers (STXfilms)

Marriage Story

Noah Baumbach, director; Noah Baumbach, David Heyman, producers (Netflix)

Uncut Gems

Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, directors; Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Sebastian Bear McClard, producers (A24)

Waves

Trey Edward Shults, director; James Wilson, Kevin Turen, Trey Edward Shults, producers (A24)

Best Documentary

American Factory

Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, directors; Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, Jeff Reichert, Julie Parker Benello, producers (Netflix) 

Apollo 11

Todd Douglas Miller, director; Todd Douglas Miller, Thomas Baxley Petersen, Evan Krauss, producers (NEON and CNN Films)

The Edge of Democracy

Petra Costa, director; Petra Costa, Tiago Pavan, Joanna Natasegara, Shane Boris, producers (Netflix) 

Midnight Traveler

Hassan Fazili, director; Emelie Mahdavian, Su Kim, producers (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

One Child Nation

Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang, directors; Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang, Christoph Jörg, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn, producers (Amazon Studios) 

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award

Laure De Clermont-Tonnerre for The Mustang (Focus Features)

Kent Jones for Diane (IFC Films)

Joe Talbot for The Last Black Man in San Francisco (A24)

Olivia Wilde for Booksmart (United Artists Releasing)

Phillip Youmans for Burning Cane (ARRAY Releasing)

Best Screenplay

The Farewell, Lulu Wang (A24)

High Flying Bird, Tarell Alvin McCraney (Netflix)

The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Jimmie Fails, Joe Talbot, Rob Richert (A24)

Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach (Netflix)

Midsommar, Ari Aster (A24) 

Best Actor

Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse (A24)

Adam Driver in Marriage Story (Netflix)

Aldis Hodge in Clemency (NEON)

André Holland in High Flying Bird (Netflix)

Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems (A24)

Best Actress

Awkwafina in The Farewell (A24)

Elisabeth Moss in Her Smell (Gunpowder & Sky)

Mary Kay Place in Diane (IFC Films)

Florence Pugh in Midsommar (A24)

Alfre Woodard in Clemency (NEON)

Breakthrough Actor

Julia Fox in Uncut Gems (A24)

Aisling Franciosi in The Nightingale (IFC Films)

Chris Galust in Give Me Liberty (Music Box Films)

Noah Jupe in Honey Boy (Amazon Studios)

Jonathan Majors in The Last Black Man in San Francisco (A24)

Taylor Russell in Waves (A24) 

Breakthrough Series – Long Format (over 40 minutes)

Chernobyl, Craig Mazin, creator; Craig Mazin, Carolyn Strauss, Jane Featherstone, executive producers (HBO)

David Makes Man, Tarell Alvin McCraney, creator; Mike Kelley, Melissa Loy, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Denitria Harris-Lawrence, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, executive producers (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

My Brilliant Friend, Saverio Costanzo, creator; Domenico Procacci, Mario Gianani, Guido De Laurentiis, Elena Recchia, Jennifer Schuur, Paolo Sorrentino, executive producers (HBO)

Unbelievable, Susannah Grant, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, Lisa Cholodenko, Ayelet Waldman & Michael Chabon, Katie Couric, Richard Tofel, Neil Barsky, Robyn Semien, Marie, executive producers (Netflix)

When They See Us, Ava DuVernay, creator; Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King, Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Berry Welsh, Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, executive producers (Netflix)

Breakthrough Series – Short Format (under 40 minutes)

PEN15, Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Sam Zvibleman, creators; Anna Konkle, Sam Zvibleman, Debbie Liebling, Gabe Liedman, Marc Provissiero, Brooke Pobjoy, Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, Becky Sloviter, Shelley Zimmerman, Brin Lukens, Jordan Levin, executive producers (Hulu)

Ramy, Ramy Youssef, Ari Katcher, Ryan Welch, creators; Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, Ravi Nandan, Bridget Bedard, Ari Katcher, Ryan Welch, executive producers (Hulu)

Russian Doll, Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland, Amy Poehler, creators; Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland, Amy Poehler, Dave Becky, Tony Hernandez, Lilly Burns, Allison Silverman, executive producers (Netflix)

Tuca & Bertie, Lisa Hanawalt, creator; Lisa Hanawalt, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright, Steven A. Cohen, Tiffany Haddish, Ali Wong, executive producers (Netflix)

Undone, Kate Purdy, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, creators; Kate Purdy, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright, Steven A. Cohen, Tommy Pallotta, executive producers (Amazon Prime Video)

Twenty-six writers, critics and programmers participated in the nomination process. The 

Nominating Committees for the 2019 IFP Gotham Awards were:

Nominating Committee for Best Feature, Best Screenplay, and Breakthrough Director:

Justin Chang, Film Critic, Los Angeles Times

Ann Hornaday, Chief Film Critic, The Washington Post

Eric Kohn, Executive Editor & Chief Critic, IndieWire

Joshua Rothkopf, Global Deputy Film Editor, Time Out Media

Alison Willmore, Film Critic, Vulture

Nominating Committee for Best Documentary:

Chris Boeckmann, Director of Programming, True/False Film Fest

Ben Fowlie, Executive Director, Points North Institute; Founder, Camden International Film Festival 

Cynthia Fuchs, Contributing Editor, PopMatters; Director Film & Media Studies, George Mason University

Tom Hall, Executive Director, Montclair Film

Caroline Libresco, Curator, Producer, and Strategist

Nominating Committee for Best Actor and Best Actress:

David Ehrlich, Senior Film Critic, Indiewire

David Fear, Senior Editor/Critic, Rolling Stone

Tim Grierson, Senior U.S. Critic, Screen Daily; Chief Film Critic, Paste Magazine

Jessica Kiang, Film Critic, Variety, The Playlist, Sight & Sound

Alissa Wilkinson, Film Critic, Vox 

Nominating Committee for Breakthrough Actor:

Kate Erbland, Deputy Editor, Film, IndieWire

Jon Frosch, Reviews Editor, The Hollywood Reporter

Odie Henderson, Reviewer, RogerEbert.com

Tomris Laffly, Film Critic, Time Out New York, RogerEbert.com, Variety

David Sims, Staff Writer, Culture, The Atlantic

Nominating Committee for Breakthrough Series 

Judy Berman, TV Critic, TIME

Jen Chaney, TV Critic, Vulture

Daniel Fienberg, Chief Television Critic, The Hollywood Reporter 

Caroline Framke, TV Critic, Variety

Alan Sepinwall, Chief TV Critic, Rolling Stone

Brian Tallerico, Editor, RogerEbert.com