T’was the Night Before the Academy Awards Ceremony ….

No. Do not worry that I am going to break out into cheap verse. I have neither the creativity nor the energy to go there today. In fact, my predictions for this year’s ceremony is quite simple:

People will win Oscars whilst wearing fancy frocks and suits.

And that is about it. Well, that really isn’t everything, as my most ardent wish is for awards success for Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave.

Now, to switch gears a bit, I have previously been asked (*) to look a bit further down the line and put on my prognostication glasses. The mission: to ‘predict’ which young thesps currently in the game I think will probably be awarded film’s highest honor at some point in the future. For the sake of simplicity (and my sanity), I have divided the groups into 1) actors and actresses and 2) directors.

 

THE ACTORS

1. Chiwetel Ejiofor: Although I had decided to arbitrarily restrict my selections to the ‘Under 35s’ set, I made an allowance in this case. I have hoping for Ejiofor’s ascension to widespread recognition for quite some time. Although he is nominated this year (and not likely to win according to the odds makers), I hope that he will have another shot at receiving an acting accolade in the future.
2. Adèle Exarchopoulos: Based on her breakout performance in the controversial Blue is the Warmest Color, I feel her success will continue in France and has the potential to translate into crossover success in the English language market. Which frankly will increase her chances of obtaining an Oscar in the future.
3. Tom Hiddleston: This versatile Brit is bound in the near future to strike Oscar gold. That is all.
4. Saoirse Ronan: In all her performances (yes even Byzantium) I remain captivated by the ethereal, otherworldly quality she possesses.
5. Brie Larson: A critically recognized turn in 2013’s Short Term 12 has put this young woman on the map. I see bright (golden?) things in her future.
6. James Franco: Due to his prolific nature in all aspects of the filmmaking process, I am sure he will strike lucky and at least get a nomination, if not take home Oscar at some point in his diverse career.
7. Ellen Page: Although it seems like she has been around for a while, she is still quite young and has a long career ahead of her. I think she will secure an acting gong one day.

Honorable Mentions: Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai

Side Note: in doing my research, I ‘discovered’ a rather disturbing trend when looking up male versus female actors. When I searched for males, the top search results and subsequent lists spoke mainly of their talent and versatility. The lists for the female thesps, on the other hand, produced mainly “hot” lists. Color me slightly disappointed.

 

THE DIRECTORS

Now I admit I am not as knowledgeable with up and coming directors as I would like to be. That said, here are a couple of women I feel have the greatest potential of winning top prize for their work in directing a feature film:

Sarah Polley: She started out in front of the camera but has really made a name for herself as a creative force behind the camera with films such as Away From Her and Take This Waltz. There is great promise that a future dramatic feature will be recognized by the Academy.

Ava DuVernay: Another slight deviation from my ‘age’ rule, DuVernay won the Best Director prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013 for her film Middle of Nowhere (film also garnered her the John Cassavetes Award the same year). DuVernay’s career has also seen her recognized and win multiple accolades for her auteurism.

I wish I could speak to the other folks that make the movies – shame on me.

This is where audience participation comes in. Submit in the Comments section below what who you think in these or any other categories is Oscar-bound in the future.

(*) This post is part of the 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon sponsored by Outspoken & Freckled, Once Upon a Screen and Paula’s Cinema Club.