28th Annual IFP Gotham Award Winners

Last night, November 26th, the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) announced the winners of the current edition of the annual Gotham Awards at a ceremony held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

The awards ceremony had a live stream and if you wish to check it today, Tuesday November 27th is still playable at IFP facebook site here.

Most industry and entertainment news dispatches are manifesting their "surprise" with the top winner but then they probably forgot that film was in 2017 Cannes at the Quinzaine where won the International Confederation of Art Cinemas (C.I.C.A.E.) Art Cine Award, an award that undoubtedly assures film is artful and perhaps the CICAE jury decision speaks better about the winning film:

"For the creative combination of documentary and fiction, sensitively involving the viewer into the movie, by building the strong empathy with the characters, also for showing American mythology in an unexpected way."

The Rider by Chloé Zhao won best feature and beat award season favorite contenders like The Favourite, First Reformed, and If Beale Street Could Talk.  In my book defeating Yorgos Lanthimos and Steve McQueen is absolutely outstanding.  Congrats!

Do not believe film honor at an independent awards from the East Coast will assure honors in the West Coast, not at Oscars nor at Spirit Awards where it wasn't nominated because it was nominated last year! Sigh.

Not really surprised with Best Actress winner even do was expecting Glenn Close in The Wife to win but award went to Toni Collette in Hereditary, a performances that has positively captivated many film critics and audiences.  Emma Stone, Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz were not nominated for best actress category as the three won the ensemble performance Special Gotham Jury Award for their outstanding performance in The Favourite.

This year, Rachel Weisz, Willem Dafoe, Paul Greengrass and Jon Kamen all received the Gotham Awards' 2018 Tributes.  Sandra Lee was honored with the Made in NY award.

These are all the award winners.

Best Feature: The Rider, Chloé Zhao
Best Documentary: Hale County This Morning, This Evening, RaMell Ross

Breakthrough Director Award: Bo Burnham for Eighth Grade

Best Actress: Toni Collette in Hereditary
Best Actor: Ethan Hawke in First Reformed
Breakthrough Actor: Elsie Fisher in Eighth Grade
Special Jury Award - Ensemble Performance: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz in The Favourite

Best Screenplay: Paul Scharader for First Reformed 

Audience Award : Won't You Be My Neighbor?, Morgan Neville

TV Categories
Breakthrough Series - Long Form: Killing Eve, Phoebe Waller-Bridge creator
Breakthrough Series - Short Form: 195 Lewis, Rae Leone Allen creator

Here is the moment when Patricia Clarkson announces the Best Feature winner.