SubscribeGotham Awards depart from sanity!
Looks like the Gotham Awards have become a bloody joke.
Initially, the kudos bestowed by the east coast branch of the Independent Film Project were meant to be much like the prizes bestowed by the IFP's former west coast outpost: the Indie Spirits. That is, to celebrate independent films.
When the Gotham nominees were announced yesterday, however, there was a shocking embarrassment among the contenders for best picture: "The Departed," which cannot, in any way, be defined as a little indie. Warner Bros. produced it for $90 million.
How ridiculous!
When IndieWIRE asked IFP to explain criteria used to determine nominees, it heard nothing back but bureaucratic blah-blah-doublespeak from poor exec director Michelle Byrd, who got stuck trying to defend the lunacy, saying, "Its fairly subjective. It is essentially saying that this is a film that has the imprint of a specific voice. From my point of view, all of the films on the list do have that, irrespective of their budget sizes. Part of what we are trying to do is celebrate the art and craft of filmmaking. I do think that it's always kind of subjective."
But I think it's clear how and why this happened. Foolishly, IFP handed over the selection of nominees to a gang of New York film journalists. Instead of focusing on the aims, concerns and priorities of IFP, they pushed, as usual, their own, testosterone-driven agenda. What, oh, what did they think this was — a vote of the New York Film Critics Circle?
Even though most members of the Gotham nominating committee are not NYFCC members, they do subscribe to journos' current groupthink, I happen to know.
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Photo: Kudos-watchers are stunned! Journalists just dealt a black eye to the awards of indie film group IFP by nominating a big-studio production for best pic: "The Departed."
(Warner Bros.)
It's so clear how loco film critics have gone for Scorsese's boom-boom bang-bang bloodfest, it's pointless now even to bother to conduct a vote at NYFCC (about 90 percent male) on Dec. 11. Forget "Volver's" early lead. "The Departed" has best pic in the bag regardless of the fact that many other top contenders haven't even been seen yet. Their fierce ra-ra-ing for Scorsese has already gotten so out of hand that they just screwed over a small indie film that could've had that slot in the best-pic lineup. Maybe even a deserving guy movie! There are plenty of journo awards ahead that they can give to "The Departed." Why did you have to skew the Gothams? Yeah, yeah, there's no rule that said you couldn't nominate a multi-million-dollar, big-studio production, but that's because no one thought it was necessary when the IFP's mission is so clear.
Memo to Gotham Award chiefs: Next year, please, return the selection of your nominees to indie filmmakers who certainly will not loose sight of their job to hail great indies that deserve award recognition. And add that criteria to your rule book, plainly stated, even though it never seemed necessary.
Read the full report from IndieWIRE — CLICK HERE!
Although I agree that "The Departed" should not have been included in a "Independent Feature Project" award, aren't those New York (supposedly) testosterone-driven guys the same ones who picked "Brokeback Mountain" as the best film of 2005?
Now, "homoerotic overtones" in "The Departed"... I gotta admit that I didn't see/feel/sense anything of the kind. What did I miss?
Posted by: Andre Soares | October 27, 2006 at 12:46 AM
Excellent points!
And clearly, the British Independent Film Awards expanded their definition of the word "independent" in order to nominate Stephen Frears "The Queen" for Best Film due to a testosterone-driven agenda!
Oh, wait...
Posted by: cc | October 25, 2006 at 01:08 PM
It must be such a disapointment to people in the indie film community to see this opportunity for recognition ( and the chance to get more exposure) of their films slip away. I personally was hoping the Gotham Awards would give a little love to Brent Hamer's "Factotum" and the fine performances by the cast. So I applaud your remarks. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Departed" but I heartily agree that some female voices might add a new perspective on the film. I thought it was kind of amusing to watch all these hetero guys go gaga over a film that is clearly has homoertoic overtones.
Posted by: cate | October 25, 2006 at 09:52 AM
What was the budget of "Marie Antoinette"?
Posted by: Logan69 | October 25, 2006 at 09:10 AM
LOL! I love this rant! I also wondered what was going on... The Departed is such a guys' movie, which is why so many critics are raving about it. It's still my lame duck for BP... it'll get in if we don't get something better by year's end.
Posted by: EDouglas | October 25, 2006 at 06:10 AM
Sorry Tom, but its much ado about nothing. To be fair, most Oscar "experts" dont make much sense round this time of year anyway.
Its not that important to get your panties in a bunch over.
Posted by: Jigga | October 25, 2006 at 04:41 AM