Wow — the Gotham Awards upped their game tonight and morphed into a kind of pre-Oscars,
They gave Paul Thomas Anderson‘s “One Battle After Another.” The film is heavily weighted to win Best Picture at the Oscars next March.hi
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi won three awards for his terrific film, Cannes prize winner “Ir Was Just An Accident.”
The Gothams maintained some identity as a home for indie films by giving the main acting awards to complete unknowns from movie’s no one has seen or heard of. Also, Breakthrough Performer.
This means that a lot of nominated stars — like Adam Sandler — went home with nothing but did dine a nice hunk of filet mignon courtesy of Cipriani’s 55 Wall Street.
Tribute awards previously announced were presented to Noah Baumbach — hilarious presentation by Adam Sandler and Emily Mortimer (Director Tribute for “Jay Kelly”); the cast of Sinners (Ensemble Tribute); Guillermo del Toro, Oscar Isaac & Jacob Elordi (Vanguard Tribute for “Frankenstein”); Tessa Thompson (Spotlight Tribute for “Hedda”); Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman (Musical Tribute for “Song Sung Blue”); and Jeremy Allen White and Scott Cooper (Cultural Icon Tribute, presented by Stevie van Zandt, for “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere”). There was also a Visionary Award given to director Luca Guagnino and Julia Roberts for “After the Hunt,” a movie that died upon release.
My new favorite person: Eva Victor, who you may remember from “Billions.” She stars in, wrote and directed the dark comedy “Sorry, Baby,” nominated for Gothams tonight. The movie is out from A24 and streaming on all platforms. She’s an absolute delight.
Earlier in the day, Warner Bros. gave a small luncheon and Q&A for “One Battle” at the newly renovated famous Chelsea Hotel. Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, and Teyana Taylor all participated and showed what a fun group they’ll be on the Oscar campaign trail. By the time they’re done, you want to give awards to all of them. MIA: director Paul Thomas Anderson (who came to the Gothams with wife Maya Rudolph) and Sean Penn.
We learned that PTA created the subplot of Chase’s cell phone being an issue only after the actress insisted that no young woman would be without one. Originally, he was going to have no phones in the movie at all!
In the small crowd were the great British actors Mark Strong and Lesley Manville, currently selling out Studio 54 with “Oedipus,” by Erika Alexander from “American Fiction,” musician Ruben Blades, former James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, actress Rutanya Alda, “Precious” screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher and so on.
I think Teyana Taylor was impressed that before “One Battle” was released, I was at the Apollo Theater ceremony in June when she received an award for excellence in music, acting, fashion, etc. She’s a force of nature. She’s looking at a big 2026 with a Grammy nomination for Best R&B album with “Escape Room.” (Watch her video below, after the award winners.)
Best Feature
One Battle After Another: Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, Adam Somner, producers (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Best Director
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident (Neon)
Outstanding Lead Performance
Sopé DìrÃsù, My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)
Outstanding Supporting Performance
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Breakthrough Performer
Abou Sangaré, Souleymane’s Story (Kino Lor
Best Director
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident (Neon)
Outstanding Lead Performance
Sopé DìrÃsù, My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)
Outstanding Supporting Performance
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Breakthrough Performer
Abou Sangaré, Souleymane’s Story (Kino Lorber)
Best Documentary Feature
My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow: Julia Loktev, director; Julia Loktev, producer (self-distributed)
Breakthrough Director
Akinola Davies Jr., My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)
Best International Feature
It Was Just an Accident: Philippe Martin, Jafar Panahi, producers (Neon)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Pillion, Harry Lighton (A24)
Best Original Screenplay
It Was Just an Accident, Jafar Panahi (Neon)
