Our Oscar predictions, 2014

By the time the big night rolls around, it always seems like Oscar season has taken an extra long time to wrap up. This year is no different, although the schedule has shifted a bit this year due to the Winter Olympics. Nonetheless, it's hard to mind a long deliberation time when the quality of content you are considering is this high.

This year in film has given us so much quality to celebrate, and literally several of the nominees would be worthy 'Best Pictures' in any given year, despite how it may seem if you are championing a singular selection. Personally, I can't imagine anything besting "Gravity"—a film that contributes more to the art and craft of cinema than any other title in recent years. However, it would be silly of me to discount "12 Years a Slave," "American Hustle" or "Her" as perfectly acceptable titles in the Oscar cannon, should they be bestowed the honor. They are all much better than "Argo," after all.

All three of us—Cameron, Christo and Lucy—have given you our personal picks, be they 'will win' predictions or 'should win'/'want to win'/'should be here instead' favorites. We've abstained from the Documentary and Animated Short categories, as none of us have seen any of these nominees.

[Edit] RESULTS: Christo wins! Though our final picks might have changed by the time the telecast started, the results from our picks below are:

• Cameron: 17 correct, 4 incorrect, 1 abstain
• Christo: 19 correct, 2 incorrect, 1 abstain
• Lucy: 16 correct, 5 incorrect, 1 abstain

Christo's Best Films of 2013

10

“Frances Ha”

Directed by Noah Baumbach

Reminiscent of some of Woody Allen’s early work, "Frances Ha" is a charming and endlessly surprising little film with amusing dialogue and one fantastic lead performance. Greta Gerwig, star and co-writer, is perfect in the role of Frances, an impulsive 20-something struggling to find her place in a world where rent isn’t cheap and all of her friends seem to have everything together. Directed by Noah Baumbach and shot in crisp black and white, “Frances Ha” is playful, smart and potent.

"Her" wins Best Picture from the Georgia Film Critics Association

"Gravity," "12 Years a Slave" and the Spike Jonze love story each won three awards; "American Hustle" recognized for Best Ensemble.

Joaquin Phoenix stars in "Her," winner of the 2013 Georgia Film Critics
Award for Best Picture.

The Georgia Film Critics Association has wrapped up their third year by announcing the winners for their 2013 awards. "12 Years a Slave" led the nominations with ten mentions earlier this week, but it was "Her" that won the top prize. Spike Jonze wasn't even nominated for Best Director, but did win an award for Best Original Screenplay, as did Arcade Fire for the film's score. "Gravity" and "12 Years a Slave" also won three awards each. Alfonso Cuarón won Best Director for "Gravity" and the film also snagged Best Cinematography and Production Design awards. "12 Years a Slave" won three acting awards—Best Actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor, Best Supporting Actor for Michael Fassbender and Best Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong'o—but lost Best Ensemble to "American Hustle."

The Best Ensemble award marks the only win for "American Hustle," after earning seven nominations. Also with seven nods, "Inside Llewyn Davis" only took home one—Best Original Song. Despite its use of sampling disqualifying the track from Academy Award consideration, the GFCA obviously sees no problem with the song. "Short Term 12" won for Best Adapted Screenplay and star Brie Larson won the Breakthrough Award—although credit is not directly given to any of her films in particular.

Other winners include Cate Blanchett as Best Actress in "Blue Jasmine," "No" as Best Foreign Film, "Stories We Tell" as Best Documentary and "Frozen" as Best Animated Feature. "The Spectacular Now" was honored with the Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema, a special recognition for the year's best feature or short film produced in Georgia.

Check out the full list of winners after the jump.

Georgia Film Critics announce nominees for 2013 awards

"12 Years a Slave" leads in nominations, but indie films "Upstream Color," "Short Term 12" and "The Spectacular Now" make a splash.

Though they may be one of the later regional critics groups to release their year-end lists, the Georgia Film Critics Association always manages to give a tip-of-the-hat to the unexpected. Now wrapping up it's third awards season, the GFCA's ten members have put together a list of films that mixes the expected Oscar heavy-hitters with some of the year's most celebrated independent releases.

"12 Years a Slave" leads the way with ten nominations, followed by "American Hustle" and "Inside Llewyn Davis" each with seven nods. The tide then turns a little bit, with "Upstream Color" joining "Gravity" and "The Wolf of Wall Street" with six nominations each. Festival darling "Short Term 12" follows with five mentions. "Her," "Mud" and "The Spectacular Now" round out the remaining Best Picture nominees.

A few highlights include Amy Seimetz ("Upstream Color") in both Best Actress and Breakthrough categories, John Goodman ("Inside Llewyn Davis") and Sally Hawkins ("Blue Jasmine") in supporting shortlists and singular screenplay nominations for "Frances Ha" and "Prince Avalanche." Emmanuel Lubezki wound up with two nominations in Best Cinematography ("Gravity," "To the Wonder"), while Hans Zimmer pulled the same feat in Best Score ("Man of Steel," "12 Years a Slave"). Going back to "Upstream Color," Shane Carruth might be the real winner here, seeing as he served as the film's director, producer, writer, lead actor, editor and composer—personally earning credit for most of the film's nominations.

Plenty of these films featured on the 2013 Georgia film festival circuit. "Mud" and "The Spectacular Now" played at the Atlanta Film Festival, while "Nebraska," "The Past," "Philomena," "The Sacrament" and "The Spectacular Now" all screened at the Savannah Film Festival. "Lore" played at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and "Muscle Shoals" will screen in February at the 2014 Macon Film Festival.

The Breakthrough Award shortlist features actresses Sophie Kennedy Clark ("Philomena"), Brie Larson ("Don Jon," "Short Term 12," "The Spectacular Now"), Lupita Nyong'o ("12 Years a Slave"); actors Tye Sheridan ("Joe," "Mud") and Miles Teller ("The Spectacular Now," "21 & Over"); and actress-director-producer-writer-editor Amy Seimetz ("Lucky Them," "9 Full Moons," "Pit Stop," "The Sacrament," "Sun Don't Shine," "Upstream Color").

Winners will be announced Friday, January 10th. Check out the full list of nominees after the jump.