Welcome to the 2020 Birth.Movies.Death Alternate Oscars! We’re now in the third annual incarnation of this new tradition, in which the BMD staff pick nominees from the films Oscar ignored, and readers vote for the winners. There are plenty of good films nominated in the “real” Oscars, but this is our chance - and yours - to give some lovin’ to the films that were too small, too weird, or too early in the year for the Academy to recognise.
We’ll have a new set of nominees up every week, leading up to the Academy Awards ceremony itself, and each week we’ll reveal the winners from the previous salvo of categories. So place your votes, and may the best movies win.
Last week, we voted on writing and acting, and there were some close races indeed. Uncut Gems was the big winner, with the film narrowly taking out Best Original Screenplay and Adam Sandler absolutely wiping the floor with Best Leading Male Actor. Willem Dafoe’s salty turn in The Lighthouse comfortably won Best Supporting Male Actor, as did Hustlers in the Adapted Screenplay category. And with sizeable margins, Lupita Nyong’o (Us) and Park So-Dam (Parasite) swept the Lead and Supporting Female Actor categories, respectively.
Now, it comes down to the final bunch: the best pictures of the year, and the best director. Tough categories to pick nominees for; even tougher to vote on. And remember: when voting for Best Picture, it's a ranked ballot. Vote carefully, and don't forget to hit "Finish Survey" to submit your vote.
Thanks for voting! We’ll have those winners next week, right after the Actual Oscars announce their winners. Feel free to expound on your choices below. Or tell us what we should've nominated. Not that it'll change anything.