‘Nomadland’ wins as Gothams give virtual start to Oscar season
NEWYORK» Streaming from an empty banquet hall and with acceptance speeches made from living rooms, the 30th Gotham Awards gave a very strange Oscar season a virtual start Monday in a largely digital ceremony that crowned Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” the best film of 2020.
As the first prominent award show to go forward during the pandemic, the Gotham Awards took a trial-and-error approach to mounting a show that couldn’t include the usual trappings of the annual independent film awards: a flashy red carpet, freeflowing cocktails, standing ovations. The Gothams nevertheless went ahead with a ceremony from its usual home of Wall Street Cipriani’s in downtown Manhattan, albeit without an in-person audience and with only a handful of presenters.
Zhao’s “Nomadland,” starring Frances McDormand as an itinerant widow living in her van, was the sensation of a similarly pandemic-marred film festival season, winning top honors at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, along with best picture from the National Society of Film Critics.
“Nomadland” won both best feature and the Gothams’ audience award on Monday.