‘Phillips’, ‘Hustle’, ‘Frozen’ take ACE awards
Sony’s Captain Phillips nabbed its second big prize in one week last night by grabbing the ACE Eddie awards for best editing in a dramatic film this year from the editing guild. An interesting development, as Gravity was widely expected to take this award. Does this mean the film has become a bigger threat to take the Oscar in this category? Well, sure, certainly since in the last 25 years, only six times did the winner in the Drama category no end up winning on the big night. and the WGA win earlier this week shows that industry support for Phillips is certainly there. It would be a major dent in Gravity‘s tech armor if it lost this award on Oscar night. Looks like we have a race on our hands in this category.
Or could this be one of those rare years where ACE’s Comedy/Musical winner takes home the Oscar in the end (Chicago springs to mind). Annapurna’s American Hustle was lauded in that category by the editors, and with its major haul of nominations for the Academy Awards, this could turn out a surprise winner. Mark it down as a dark horse right now.
In the final category, for Animated film, the winner was the film that keeps on winning everywhere: Disney’s Frozen. Is there any doubt that this will win the Oscar for Best Animated Film? If it doesn’t, that will surely be one of the biggest shocks in recent history.
Come join us on our forums to discuss these latest editing developments (and much more!).
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- 2026 Tribeca Festival Celebrates 25th Anniversary with World Premieres of ‘Hadestown: The Musical,’ ‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ Doc - April 16, 2026
- ‘Beef’ Season 2 Review: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton Sink Their Teeth Into Lee Sung Jin’s Meaty Morality Tale [A-] - April 16, 2026
- George Clooney to be Honored at 51st Chaplin Award Gala by Stephen Colbert, Sam Rockwell and More - April 15, 2026
2026 Tonys: Laurie Metcalf (‘Little Bear Ridge Road,’ ‘Death of a Salesman’) May Join Elite Group of Double-Nominated Performers 
2026 Tribeca Festival Celebrates 25th Anniversary with World Premieres of ‘Hadestown: The Musical,’ ‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ Doc 
Director Watch Podcast Ep. 149 – ‘Killer of Sheep’ (Charles Burnett, 1978) 
‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ Review: Careful the Spell You Cast, Children Will Listen (and Sometimes Kill) [C]