2017 Oscar Predictions: BEST DIRECTOR (October)

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The top 5 remains the same but its placement that matters and La La Land‘s Damien Chazelle has vaulted over Ang Lee (Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk) with a near perfect score. Martin Scorsese (Silence), Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) and Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) round out the cream of the crop but, just as in Best Picture, Jackie‘s Pablo Larraín makes a smashing debut. He lands at #6.

I’ve put my faith back in Garth Davis for Lion after wavering on it recently. The strong reception at TIFF really brought the film to life and even with the troubles The Weinstein Company is going through they should be able to find themselves with another bountiful Oscar nominee. Arrival‘s Denis Villeneuve barely holds onto a place here with a single vote.

Also like in Best Picture, I’m looking out for Ava DuVernay (13th) to possibly make a shocking splash here. The enormous good will she’s collected since Selma could make her the first black female Best Director nominee in the Academy’s 89-year history.

Here are the 2017 Oscar predictions for Best Director from The Gold Rush Gang for October:

OTHER CONTENDERS
Ava DuVernay – 13th
Robert Zemeckis – Allied
Ewan McGregor – American Pastoral
Nate Parker – The Birth of a Nation
Ben Younger – Bleed For This
Denzel Washington – Fences
Stephen Gaghan – Gold
Ben Affleck – Live by Night
Jeff Nichols – Loving
Tom Ford – Nocturnal Animals
Morten Tyldum – Passengers
Clint Eastwood – Sully

Follow the updated Gold Rush Gang predictions in these Oscar categories here:

BEST PICTURE
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST ACTOR
BEST ACTRESS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BEST FILM EDITING
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
BEST SOUND EDITING
BEST SOUND MIXING
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (the shortlist)