This year might be a non-traditional year as far as movies are concerned but Solzy at the Movies presents the Solzy Awards for 2020…so far.
It feels like it’s been forever since Sundance kicked off the traditional start of the new movie year. So much has and hasn’t happened since the Park City-based film festival. In a traditional year, some of my favorite SXSW films would be included below. However, at least one film isn’t included because it’s still under embargo. Time will tell if the film gets an official premiere this year.
Had theatrical releases been planned for Bad Education, Hillary, and Laurel Canyon, they would have been eligible for the Solzy Awards. However, I’m not including Bad Education or Hugh Jackman’s phenomenal performance in my mid-year contenders because the film aired on HBO first, making it a TV movie. Had the film gone straight to streaming after a canceled theatrical release, it would be a different story. In the cases of both Hillary and Laurel Canyon, they are multi-part documentary series. As such, they are not an outright feature film.
For a short film to qualify for my awards, it just needs to premiere at a film festival.
Best Narrative Features
- The Vast of Night
- To The Stars
- Bit
- Da 5 Bloods
- Irresistible
- Onward
- Never Rarely Sometimes Always
- Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss
- Saint Frances
- How to Build a Girl
Best Documentary Features
- Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen
- Miss Americana
- For They Know Not What They Do
- Athlete A
- Long Gone Summer
- Becoming
- Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
- My Darling Vivian
- Netflix vs. The World
- Dolphin Reef
Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods
- Steve Carell, Irresistible
- Nick Kroll, Olympic Dreams
- Ben Affleck, The Way Back
Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Margot Robbie, Birds of Prey
- Nicole Maines, Bit
- Zoey Deutch, Buffaloed
- Anna Akana, Go Back to China
- Beanie Feldstein, How to Build A Girl
- Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
- Kelly O’Sullivan, Saint Frances
- Elisabeth Moss, Shirley
- Felicity Huffman, Tammy’s Always Dying
- Kara Hayward, To The Stars
- Liana Liberato, To The Stars
- Sierra McCormick, The Vast of Night
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Jonathan Majors, Da 5 Bloods
- Clarke Peters, Da 5 Bloods
- Mark McKinney, Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss
- Michael Stuhlbarg, Shirley
- Tony Hale, To The Stars
- Shea Whigham, To The Stars
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Tracee Ellis Ross, The High Note
- Rose Byrne, Irresistible
- Talia Ryder, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
- Odessa Young, Shirley
- Jordana Spiro, To The Stars
Best Director
- Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods
- Jon Stewart, Irresistible
- Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
- Martha Stephens, To The Stars
- Andrew Patterson, The Vast of Night
Best Cinematography
- Da 5 Bloods
- Irresistible
- Never Rarely Sometimes Always
- To The Stars
- The Vast of Night
Best Live-Action Short
- Meats
- He’s The One
- Blocks
- Broken Bird
- Basic
Best Animated Short
- Blackheads
Film Festival Favorites
- Save Yourselves!
- Palm Springs
- Worth
- Promising Young Woman
- Dinner in America
- La Leyenda Negra
Film Festival Documentaries
- 9to5: The Story of a Movement
- For Madmen Only
- Siempre, Luis
- The Go-Go’s
- Whirlybird
- REDACTED TITLE UNDER EMBARGO, AWAITING WORLD PREMIERE
Film Festival Performances
- Actors
- Michael Keaton, Worth
- John Reynolds, Save Yourselves!
- Lance Henriksen, Falling
- Andy Samberg, Palm Springs
- Richard Jenkins, The Last Shift
- Shane Paul McGhie, The Last Shift
- Kyle Gallner, Dinner in America
- Actresses
- Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
- Evan Rachel Wood, Kajillionaire
- Cristin Miloti, Palm Springs
- Aubrey Plaza, Black Bear
- Emily Skeggs, Dinner in America
- Sunita Mani, Save Yourselves!
- Supporting Actor
- Stanley Tucci, Worth
- J.K. Simmons, Palm Springs
- Supporting Actress
- Amy Ryan, Worth
