| 1. Alfonso Cuarón - ROMA (BAFTA, BFCA win, DGA, GG win) |
| 2. Spike Lee - BlacKkKlansman (BAFTA, BFCA, DGA, GG) |
| 3. Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born (BFCA, DGA, GG) |
| 4. Adam McKay - Vice (BAFTA, BFCA, DGA, GG) |
| 5. Barry Jenkins - If Beale Street Could Talk (Spirit) |
| 6. Yorgos Lanthimos - The Favourite (BAFTA, BFCA) |
| 7. Pawel Pawlikowski - Cold War (BAFTA) |
| 8. Peter Farrelly - Green Book (BFCA, DGA, GG) |
| 9. Damien Chazelle - First Man (BFCA) |
| 10. Ryan Coogler - Black Panther |
| OTHER CONTENDERS |
| Debra Granik - Leave No Trace (Spirit) |
| BAFTA - British Film Academy Awards |
BFCA - Broadcast Film Critics Association (Critics Choice) |
| DGA - Directors Guild of America |
| GG - Golden Globe |
| Spirit - Independent Spirit Awards |
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2026 True/False Film Fest Dispatch #1: ‘The Oldest Person in the World,’ ‘Broken English’ 
FINAL 2026 Oscar Predictions: BEST CASTING 
FINAL 2026 Oscar Predictions: FILM EDITING 
FINAL 2026 Oscar Predictions: VISUAL EFFECTS