Nominations for the 27th annual Chlotrudis Awards Announced!

Nominations for the 27th annual Chlotrudis Awards were finalized by the film group’s nominating committee this past weekend, ahead of its March 21st awards ceremony, via Zoom, the first time the society will hold a fully virtual event.  Films helmed by women had a strong showing among the 43 films selected, including 3 nominated for Best Director: Eliza Hittman for NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS; Kelly Reichardt for FIRST COW; and Céline Sciamma for PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE.

The heavy hitter among competitors, topping the list with six nominations, was I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, the most recent offering from Charlie Kaufman. It notched Supporting Actor and Actress bids for the film’s mutable parents, as well placing in the finals for Editing and Production Design, among others. Other big scorers include Sciamma’s PORTRAIT, and Darius Marder’s SOUND OF METAL, each with 5 nods.

More than half of the nominations this year went to films made outside the US. Besides the expected strong showings from France and the UK, several other countries had multiple nominations.   Films from countries not usually represented included AND THEN WE DANCED from Georgia. and Chile’s NOBODY KNOWS I’M HERE.

In the Society’s most prestigious category, the Buried Treasure, the nominees are: CAT IN THE WALL, features a Bulgarian immigrant struggling against the red tape and prejudice of Brexit era London; the impressionistic GHOST TROPIC, in which a woman sleeps through her  bus stop and must find her way home across Brussels on foot; LIGHT FROM LIGHT, a character driven drama about a potentially haunted house; MARONA’S FANTASTIC TALE, a French animated film that follows the adventures of its titular dog; the intense directorial debut SONG WITHOUT A NAME, about infant kidnapping in Peru; and from Romania,THE WHISTLERS, a twist filled crime drama.

The Buried Treasure is the only category with specific requirements.  In previous years, nominated films had to have earned less than $250,000 in its U.S. theatrical run. Since the pandemic effectively shuttered theaters, this rule was waived for 2020.  Members submitted 1 film they felt strongly was given distributional short shrift and deserve a wider audience.  Once the final ballot is set, all members voting in the category must verify that they have watched at least 5 of the nominated films.

The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film highlights its commitment to independent and foreign film in style, holding its CHLOTRUDIS AWARDS ceremony in early spring.  Its 27th celebration & ceremony will be presented on Zoom, 5pm on Sunday March 21st. The  public is invited to join Chlotrudis members, nominees and special guests in the fun.  Watch our website and social media accounts for more information on how to join as the date nears, or email press@chlotrudis.org.

Here follows the complete list of the nominations for the 27th Annual Chlotrudis Awards: 

Best Movie

And Then We Danced

First Cow

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Sound of Metal

Buried Treasure

Cat in the Wall

Ghost Tropic

Light from Light

Marona’s Fantastic Tale

Song Without a Name

The Whistlers

Best Director

Kantemir Balagov for Beanpole

Eliza Hittman for Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Darius Marder for Sound of Metal

Kelly Reichardt for First Cow

Céline Sciamma for Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Best Actress

Tsai Chin for the role of Grandma in Lucky Grandma

Sidney Flanagan for the role of Autumn in Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Adele Haenel for the role of Héloïse in Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Aubrey Plaza for the role of Allison in Black Bear

Eliza Scanlen for the role of Milla in Babyteeth

Evan Rachel Wood for the role of Old Dolio in Kajillionaire

Best Actor

Riz Ahmed for the role of Ruben in Sound of Metal

John Boyega for the role of Leroy Logan in Red, White and Blue

Levan Gelbakhiani for the role of Merab in And Then We Danced

Delroy Lindo for the role of Paul in Da 5 Bloods

John Magaro for the role of Cookie in First Cow

Mads Mikkelsen for the role of Martin in Another Round

Best Supporting Actress

Jane Adams for the role of Jane in She Dies Tomorrow

Toni Colette for the role of Mother in I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Hannah Mosqueda for the role of Jenny in Gutterbug

Vasilisa Perelygina for the role of Masha in Beanpole

Ramona Edith Williams for the role of Frances in Saint Frances

Debra Winger for the role of Theresa in Kajillionaire

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Abbott for the role of Gabe in Black Bear

Orlin Asenov for the role of Jojo in Cat in the Wall

Oswin Benjamin for the role of D in The Forty-Year-Old Version

Ben Mendelsohn for the role of Henry in Babyteeth

Paul Raci for the role of Joe in Sound of Metal

David Thewlis for the role of Father in I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Best Original Screenplay

Farewell Amor, screenplay by Ekwa Msangi

Kajillionaire, screenplay by Miranda July

Never Rarely Sometimes Always, screenplay by Eliza Hittman

Sorry We Missed You, screenplay by Paul Laverty

Sound of Metal, screenplay by Darius Marder and Abraham Marder, story by Darius Marder and Derek Cianfrance

Best Adapted Screenplay

I’m Thinking of Ending Things screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, based on book by Ian Reid

Mouthpiece screenplay by Patricia Rozema based on Amy Nostbakken, Norah Sadava play

Shirley screenplay by Sarah Gubbins, based on the book by Susan Scarf Merrell

Words on Bathroom Walls screenplay by Nick Naveda, based on the book by Julia Walton

Best Use of Music in a Film

And Then We Danced – Zviad Mgebry, Music Supervisor

I’m No Longer Here – Javier Nuño and Joe Rodriguez, Music Supervisors

Lovers Rock – Mica Levi, Composer; Ed Bailie and Abi Leland, Music Supervisors

Nobody Knows I’m Here  – Carlos Cabezas, Music Supervisor

Sylvie’s Love – Fabrice Lecomte, Composer; Frankie Pine, Music Supervisor; Steven Argila, Music Producer

Best Editing

Robert Frazen, I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Chris Dickens and Steve McQueen, Lovers Rock

Gabriel Rhodes, Time

Matthew Rankin, The Twentieth Century

Andrew Patterson, The Vast of Night

Best Cinematography

Mauro Herce, Fire Will Come

Benjamin Cracun, Monsoon

Claire Mathone, Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Katelin Arizmendi, Swallow

M.I. Littin-Menz, The Vast of Night

Best Production Design

Sergey Ivanov, Beanpole

Anthony Gasparro, First Cow

Molly Hughes and Merissa Lombardo, I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Thomas Grézaud, Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Julien Tremblay, The Twentieth Century

Adam Dietrich, The Vast of Night

Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast

Another Round

Blow the Man Down

I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Kajillionaire

Lovers Rock

Sorry We Missed You

Best Documentary

Boys State

Crip Camp

Dick Johnson is Dead

The Rabbi Goes West

Time