On Your Marks … Get Set … Vote!

Guilds — and A-listers — weigh in on the contenders ahead of the Jan. 27 start of Oscar nomination voting

BEST PICTURE

Nightmare Alley

Martin Scorsese gushed about Guillermo del Toro’s latest film in a Jan. 21 Los Angeles Times op-ed, and the film got a top Art Directors Guild Award nomination and tied for most noms from the Motion Picture Sound Editors on Jan. 24.

BEST ACTOR

Mahershala Ali

Swan Song

Oprah Winfrey, who posted a video over the holidays of her and friends raving about the Oscar winner’s portrayal of a man and his clone, taped a convo with him, which was uploaded to Apple’s FYC site and sent to Oscar voters Jan. 19.

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

Flee

Beloved Parasite Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho’s endorsement of this film was emailed to members of the press Jan. 21. It reads in part: “It directly penetrates your heart and shakes the very core of your emotions. … It was the most moving piece of cinema I saw this year.”

BEST DIRECTOR

Jane Campion The Power of the Dog

The popular auteur, who has been the centerpiece of Netflix’s campaign for her psychological Western, was announced Jan. 21 as the recipient of the Cinematic Imagery Award at the upcoming Art Directors Guild Awards.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Ann Dowd Mass

Video of the revered character actress — who in this film plays a school shooter’s mother — being interviewed by Elisabeth Moss, her fellow Emmy winner for the TV series The Handmaid’s Tale, was sent to the Academy on Jan. 25.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Belfast

The film — like Cyrano, The Power of the Dog and Spencer — got zero ADG Award noms Jan. 24, a bad sign given that ADG recognizes art direction in four five-nominee categories (period, fantasy, contemporary, animated), but the Oscars do in only one (production design).