One Battle After Another snatched Best Feature at the 35th Gotham Film Awards, but It Was Just An Accident left as the big winner.
Last night in Manhattan, Paul Thomas Anderson accepted the grand award for Best Feature for his acclaimed ‘One Battle After Another’. This is the first Gotham Award for the filmmaker, who had four career nominations until last night.
However, The blue backdrop was conquered by this year’s Palma d’Or ‘It Was Just An Accident’ by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who was only hours removed from his conviction in absentia, one year of prison and two year travel-ban by the Iran Government. This is the latest in a list of political confrontations the filmmaker has had with Iran’s hardline Islamic Republic Authorities. He is currently on the awards season trail with ‘It Was Just An Accident’ taking home Original Screenplay, Best International Feature and Best Director.
“It is so great to be surrounded by independent filmmakers, and to be awarded by them,” he said through his interpreter. “Thank you to Neon for distributing this film…and to everyone who works with great enthusiasm and believe they are doing something valuable.”
The spirit of the night was also underlined by a sense of triumph for non-blockbuster filmmaking. Global filmmaker Akinola Davis Jr. earned his Breakthrough Director award for another Cannes-debuting film ‘My Father’s Shadow’ and accepted the prestigious Leading Performance Award in the name of actor Sopé Dìrísù, who could not be present at the event. The film is a semi-autobiographical exploration of two young brothers experiencing Lagos with their estranged father during the 1993 Nigerian Election Crisis.
Wunmi Mosaku won Outstanding Supporting Performance for her role as Hoodoo conjurer and vampire slaying Annie in this years leading horror phenomenon ‘Sinners’. Coogler would later get back on stage to accept the Ensemble Tribute Award, delivering a touching speech on the journey of foreign filmmakers. He thanked the world for meeting him in the American South.
Writer/director Harry Pillion took Best Adapted Screenplay, a first-time Gothams category, for his gay biker drama ‘Pillion’, which A24 picked up months ahead of its Cannes Film Festival premiere. Over the weekend, the movie won Best Film at the British Independent Film Awards.
In the documentary category, My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow won the Gotham. Last month the film about independent journalists being declared “foreign agents” by Vladimir Putin’s regime won the Indie Film Site Network Advocate Award, beating the top Oscar contenders.
In typical online fashion, the most shared moment of the night belonged to Guillermo Del Toro’s vehement speech as he, Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi got on stage to accept the Vanguard Tribute award for Frankenstein. The trio highlighted the achievements of immigrants in filmmaking and slammed AI, deeming films to be from humans for humans. Other tribute awards included Luca Guadagnino and Julia Roberts (Visionary Tribute for After The Hunt); Noah Baumbach (Director Tribute for Jay Kelly); Tessa Thompson (Spotlight Tribute for Hedda); Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman (Musical Tribute for Song Sung Blue); and Jeremy Allen White and Scott Cooper (Cultural Icon Tribute for Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere).
Full list of winners below:
Best Feature
One Battle After Another: Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, Adam Somner, producers (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Best Director
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident (Neon)
Outstanding Lead Performance
Sopé Dìrísù, My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)
Outstanding Supporting Performance
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Breakthrough Performer
Abou Sangaré, Souleymane’s Story (Kino Lorber)
Best Documentary Feature
My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow: Julia Loktev, director; Julia Loktev, producer (self-distributed)
Breakthrough Director
Akinola Davies Jr., My Father’s Shadow (Mubi)
Best International Feature
It Was Just an Accident: Philippe Martin, Jafar Panahi, producers (Neon)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Pillion, Harry Lighton (A24)
Best Original Screenplay
It Was Just an Accident, Jafar Panahi (Neon)
