The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced their always informative Longlists early this morning and it was good and bad news for a number of Oscar contenders. While the BAFTA Awards always have their own distinctly United Kingdom-based favorites, the organization has a genuine overlap with AMPAS members. The BAFTA choices should always be looked at as the direction AMPAS members may be heading with their individual Oscar votes. This year, the good news was in the “All Quiet On the Western Front” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” camps which led all films with 15 and 14 mentions respectively. If you’re campaigning “Babylon,” “Empire of Light” or “Women Talking”? Well, there is genuine cause for concern.
READ MORE: “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “The Fablemans” and “Hacks” make AFI’s Top 10 Film and Television lists of 2023
Unlike the Oscars, BAFTA still only nominates five nominees for its Best Film honor. The longlists for each category can be anywhere from eight to 15 mentions. Conveniently, the Best Film category has an Oscar-friendly 10. The films that made the cut included “Aftersun,” “All Quiet on the Western Front” “Banshees,” “Elvis,” “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” “The Fablemans,” “Living,” “TAR,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “Triangle of “Sadness.”
In terms of Oscars, “Babylon,” “Women Talking,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio” and “RRR” not getting mentioned here was not ideal for those films’ Best Picture nomination chances. Moreover, “Avatar: The Way of Water” looks like a major snub but according to sources was added to the screening portal incredibly late. Director James Cameron also missed out on a Directing nomination.
While “Aftersun” and “Living” have a shot at a Best Picture nomination, the inclusion of “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Triangle of Sadness” are the true standouts. “All Quiet” was supposed to just be an International Film player and maybe crack the Sound category. Instead, it tied “Wakanda Forever” with the most Oscar shortlist mentions and topped BAFTAs longlists. To say it’s a likely Best Picture nominee now is a bit of an understatement.
The other film to watch out for is “Triangle of Sadness.” While the Palme d’Or winner didn’t have any Oscar shortlist mentions it did have seven BAFTA mentions including three in the acting categories (Harris Dickinson, Dolly De Leon, Woody Harrelson). Then again, Ruben Ostlund missed out in the Directing category, but maybe that’s more a likeability issue more than anything else.
The longlists have different and complicated qualifications for each category. Intended to encourage diverse contenders, the result is a mix of member votes and jury selections that are often, to be frank, hard to fathom. The overall nominations are determined by a second round of voting which begins now and ends on January 13. The official nominations will be announced on Tuesday, Jan 17.
The full longlist with notable inclusions and snubs is as follows:
BEST FILM
• Aftersun
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Elvis
• Everything Everywhere All At Once
• The Fabelmans
• Living
• Tár
• Top Gun: Maverick
• Triangle of Sadness
Note: “Women Talking,” “RRR,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” were genuinely snubbed. Good news for “Triangle of Sadness” and “Aftersun,” which still have a shot.
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
• Aftersun
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Blue Jean
• Brian And Charles
• Emily
• Empire of Light
• Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
• Lady Chatterley’s Lover
• Living
• The Lost King
• Mrs Harris Goes To Paris
• Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
• See How They Run
• The Swimmers
• The Wonder
Note: “See How They Run‘s” inclusion shows just how rough a year it was for this category.
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
• Aftersun
• Blue Jean
• Donna
• Electric Malady
• Emily
• Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
• Nothing Compares
• Rebellion
• See How They Run
• Wayfinder
Note: They can just give this award to “Aftersun’s” Charlotte Wells now.
FILM NOT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Argentina, 1985
• Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
• Close
• Corsage
• Decision To Leave
• EO
• Holy Spider
• The Quiet Girl
• RRR
Note: No genuine snubs here whatsoever.
DOCUMENTARY
• All That Breathes
• All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
• A Bunch Of Amateurs
• Fire of Love
• The Ghost of Richard Harris
• Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song
• Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues
• McEnroe
• Moonage Daydream
• Navalny
Note: “All That Breathes,” “All The Beauty,” “Fire of Love,” “Hallelujah,” “Moonage Dream,” and “Navalny” all made the Oscar shortlist for this category. Five of those six are likely your Oscar nominees.
ANIMATED FILM
• The Amazing Maurice
• The Bad Guys
• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
• Lightyear
• Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
• Minions: The Rise of Gru
• Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
• Turning Red
Note: Such a rough year that “Lightyear” made the cut.
DIRECTOR
• Aftersun
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Corsage
• Decision To Leave
• Elvis
• Everything Everywhere All At Once
• Fire of Love
• The Quiet Girl
• Saint Omer
• She Said
• Tár
• Till
• Top Gun: Maverick
• The Woman King
• Women Talking
Note: Five “international” directors making the cut is noteworthy. [Previously listed Sarah Polley as snubbed, obviously she made the cut in a “whew.”]
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
• Aftersun
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Decision To Leave
• Elvis
• Everything Everywhere All At Once
• The Fabelmans
• Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
• The Menu
• Tár
• Triangle of Sadness
Note: This is a very, very competitive category for both BAFTA and Oscars.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
• Living
• The Quiet Girl
• She Said
• Top Gun: Maverick
• The Whale
• Women Talking
• The Wonder
Note: Watch out for “All Quiet” here.
LEADING ACTRESS
• Naomi Ackie in I Wanna Dance With Somebody
• Ana de Armas in Blonde
• Cate Blanchett in Tár
• Jessica Chastain in The Good Nurse
• Viola Davis in The Woman King
• Danielle Deadwyler in Till
• Lesley Manville in Mrs Harris Goes To Paris
• Emma Thompson in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
• Michelle Williams in The Fabelmans
• Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All At Once
Note: Olivia Colman in “Empire” is a head-scratching snub. One of the best performances of her career. Margot Robbie‘s? Not so much.
LEADING ACTOR
• Austin Butler in Elvis
• Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick
• Harris Dickinson in Triangle of Sadness
• Brendan Fraser in The Whale
• Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin
• Daniel Kaluuya in Nope
• Felix Kammerer in All Quiet on the Western Front
• Daryl McCormack in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
• Paul Mescal in Aftersun
• Bill Nighy in Living
Note: In a category for Oscar that genuinely has a fifth open slot after Butler, Fraser, Farrell, and Nighy, Tom Cruise‘s inclusion is notable. He just might make it.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
• Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Hong Chau in The Whale
• Kerry Condon in The Banshees of Inisherin
• Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All At Once
• Dolly De Leon in Triangle of Sadness
• Lashana Lynch in The Woman King
• Janelle Monáe in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
• Carey Mulligan in She Said
• Emma Thompson in Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
• Aimee Lou Wood in Living
Note: Stephanie Hsu‘s snub here is even more shocking than Coleman’s. If co-star Jamie Lee Curtis gets in over her for Oscar? Oh, boy.
SUPPORTING ACTOR
• Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin
• Tom Hanks in Elvis
• Woody Harrelson in Triangle of Sadness
• Barry Keoghan in The Banshees of Inisherin
• Brad Pitt in Babylon
• Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All At Once
• Eddie Redmayne in The Good Nurse
• Albrecht Schuch in All Quiet on the Western Front
• Micheal Ward in Empire of Light
• Ben Whishaw in Women Talking
Note: You know they either love the movie or it’s a weak year for this category when Tom Hanks makes the cut for “Elvis.”
CASTING
• Aftersun
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Elvis
• Everything Everywhere All At Once
• The Fabelmans
• Living
• Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
• Tár
• Triangle of Sadness
Note: If “Babylon” can’t make this category…
CINEMATOGRAPHY
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Amsterdam
• Athena
• Babylon
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• The Batman
• Elvis
• Empire of Light
• Tár
• Top Gun: Maverick
Note: No real snubs although “Wakanda Forever” deserved a mention.
COSTUME DESIGN
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Amsterdam
• Babylon
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Corsage
• Elvis
• Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
• Mrs Harris Goes To Paris
• Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
Note: “Banshees” mention in this particular category (nothing groundbreaking whatsoever) shows it has widespread support for a BAFTA win (we don’t suspect it will get an eventual nod here).
EDITING
• Aftersun
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Babylon
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Decision To Leave
• Elvis
• Everything Everywhere All At Once
• Moonage Daydream
• Top Gun: Maverick
• Triangle of Sadness
Note: The documentary “Moonage Dream’s” inclusion is impressive form this branch.
MAKE UP & HAIR
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Amsterdam
• Babylon
• The Batman
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Blonde
• Elvis
• Emancipation
• Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
• The Whale
Note: The only difference between this list and the Oscar shortlist was “Matilda” over “Crimes of the Future.”
ORIGINAL SCORE
All Quiet on the Western Front
Babylon
The Banshees of Inisherin
The Batman
Empire of Light
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Tár
Women Talking
The Wonder
Note: “Empire of Light,” “TAR” and “The Wonder” are the only scores not to make the Oscar shortlist.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Avatar: The Way of Water
• Babylon
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• The Batman
• Elvis
• Empire of Light
• Everything Everywhere All At Once
• The Fabelmans
• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Note: “Wakanda Forever,” “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “The Menu” were snubbed here. Important inclusion for “Everything Everywhere” though.
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Avatar: The Way of Water
• The Batman
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
• Everything Everywhere All At Once
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
• Jurassic World Dominion
• Top Gun: Maverick
Note: “NOPE” is a bizarre snub here. “Everything Everywhere” and “Pinocchio” are recognized on this list, but not by AMPAS voters.
SOUND
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Avatar: The Way of Water
• Babylon
• The Batman
• Elvis
• Everything Everywhere All At Once
• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
• Tár
• Thirteen Lives
• Top Gun: Maverick
Note: “TAR” and “Thirteen Lives” did not make the Oscar shortlist cut.
BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
• Beware of Trains
• The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
• Christopher at Sea
• Middle Watch
• Salvation Has No Name
• Your Mountain is Waiting
BRITISH SHORT FILM
• The Ballad Of Olive Morris
• Bazigaga
• Bus Girl
• A Drifting Up
• A Fox in the Night
• An Irish Goodbye
• Little Berlin
• Love Languages
• Too Rough
• WanderLand