The announcement we’ve all been waiting for came this morning, and HIFF 2014 films came out on top, with 44 Oscar nominations. The previous record for any one year was last year’s 32!
No surprise to anyone, Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s Best Picture nominee Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) leads the 2014 Oscar nominations with nine mentions (tied with The Grand Budapest Hotel), with acting nods in three categories: Michael Keaton (Best Actor), Emma Stone (Best Supporting Actress), and Edward Norton (Best Supporting Actor). The film was also recognized for Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay, and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki was singled out for his exceptional work as well.
HIFF 2014 films received three nominations in each of the acting categories and three for Best Picture: Birdman, The Imitation Game, and the surprisingly lower-profile film, Whiplash, written and directed by 29-year-old Damien Chazelle (whose screenplay also got a nod); in the film, Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons (also nominated) square off as a jazz drummer and his tyrannical teacher, respectively.
In the actress categories, Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, and Marion Cotillard were recognized for their work in Still Alice, Wild, and Two Days, One Night. HIFF 2014 guest Laura Dern (Wild), Emma Stone (Birdman), and Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game) were singled out in the supporting category.
Speaking of The Imitation Game — the winner of HIFF 2014’s Sloan Prize — director Morton Tyldum, star Benedict Cumberbatch and screenwriter Graham Moore received nominations as well, and the film was also nominated for Best Picture.
In addition, both Steve Carell and HIFF 2014 guest Mark Ruffalo were recognized for their stellar work in Bennett Miller‘s Foxcatcher; Miller also received a nomination for his direction, as did screenwriters E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman. Nightcrawler writer/director Tony Gilroy also received a nod for his original screenplay, and Mr. Turner received 4 nominations in the design, score and cinematography categories.
HIFF 2014 also made a strong showing in the Best Documentary category, with HIFF 2014 films Virunga and The Salt of the Earth receiving nominations; in addition, our SummerDocs selection Last Days in Vietnam also made the cut in this very competitive category.
Last but not least, several short films showcased at HIFF 2014 were honored with nominations, including Butter Lamp, Feast, The Bigger Picture (from the Golden Starfish competition), and The Phone Call.
Good luck to everyone on February 22. We’ll be watching!
