The American Cinema Editors have nominated three science fiction films — "Avatar," "District 9" and "Star Trek" — for their top dramatic film category at the 60th ACE Eddie Awards, along with "Up in the Air" and "The Hurt Locker."
In the comedy or musical category, the nominees are "(500) Days of Summer," "The Hangover," "Julie & Julia," "A Serious Man" and "It’s Complicated." "Coraline," "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and "Up" were the three nominees in the animated feature category.
The absence of "Inglourious Basterds" from the dramatic film category is perhaps the biggest surprise of the nominations, which certainly strengthened the hands of "District 9" and "Star Trek" as legitimate Oscar Best Picture contenders. "Nine" and "Invictus" continue their poor showing with the guilds.
The Oscar Best Picture winner is almost invariably a prior Eddie nominee, and often an Eddie winner.
The press release announcing the nominations:
AMERICAN CINEMA EDITORS (ACE) ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR 60TH ANNUAL ACE EDDIE AWARDS RECOGNIZING THE BEST EDITING OF THE YEAR IN FILM, TELEVISION AND DOCUMENTARIES
Universal City, CA, Jan. 12 –American Cinema Editors (ACE) today announced nominations for the 60th Annual ACE Eddie Awards recognizing outstanding editing in nine categories of film, television and documentaries. Winners will be revealed during ACE’s 60th annual black-tie awards ceremony on Sunday, February 14, 2010 in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel. As previously announced, Avid will receive ACE’s first-ever Technical Excellence Award at the ceremony. Two Career Achievement honorees and ACE’s Golden Eddie honoree will be announced next week.
The nominees for the 60th Annual ACE Eddie Awards are:
NOMINEES FOR 60TH ANNUAL ACE EDDIE AWARDS
BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (DRAMATIC):
Avatar
Stephen Rivkin, A.C.E., John Refua, A.C.E., & James Cameron, A.C.E.
District 9
Julian Clarke
The Hurt Locker
Bob Murawski & Chris Innis
Star Trek
Maryann Brandon, A.C.E., & Mary Jo Markey, A.C.E.
Up in the Air
Dana Glauberman, A.C.E.
BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (COMEDY OR MUSICAL):
(500) Days of Summer
Alan Edward Bell
The Hangover
Debra Neil-Fisher, A.C.E.
Julie & Julia
Richard Marks, A.C.E.
A Serious Man
Roderick Jaynes
It’s Complicated
Joe Hutshing , A.C.E., & David Moritz
BEST EDITED ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
Coraline
Christopher Murrie & Ronald Sanders
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Andrew Weisblum
UP
Kevin Nolting
BEST EDITED HALF-HOUR SERIES FOR TELEVISION:
30 Rock: “Apollo Apollo”
Ken Eluto, A.C.E.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: “The Bare Midriff”
Steven Rasch, A.C.E.
Entourage: “The Sorkin Notes”
Steven Sprung, A.C.E.
BEST EDITED ONE-HOUR SERIES FOR COMMERCIAL TELEVISION: (First time with 5 Nominees)
24: “8 p.m.-9 p.m.”
Leon Ortiz Gil, A.C.E.
Breaking Bad: “ABQ”
Lynne Willingham, A.C.E.
ER: “And in the End”
Randy Jon Morgan, A.C.E., & Jacque Toberen
Law & Order: SVU: “Hardwired”
Karen Stern, A.C.E.
Lost: “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham”
Christopher Nelson, A.C.E.
BEST EDITED ONE-HOUR SERIES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL TELEVISION:
Dexter: “Living the Dream”
Stewart Schill
Dexter: “Remains to be Seen”
Louis Cioffi
True Blood: “Hard-Hearted Hannah”
Louise Innes
BEST EDITED MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE FOR TELEVISION:
Grey Gardens
Alan Heim, A.C.E., & Lee Percy, A.C.E.
Into The Storm
John Bloom & Antonia Van Drimmelen
Taking Chance
Lee Percy, A.C.E., & Brian A. Kates, A.C.E.
BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY:
The Cove
Geoffrey Richman
Food, Inc.
Kim Roberts
This Is It
Don Brochu & Kevin Stitt, A.C.E.
BEST EDITED REALITY SERIES:
The Deadliest Catch: Stay Focused Ordie
Kelly Coskran & Josh Earl
Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone
Jonathon Braun, A.C.E., Brad Ley, Sven Pape & Molly Schock
Top Chef: The Last Supper
Annie Tighe, Alan Hoang, Adrienne Salisbury & Kevin Leffler
Final Ballots will be mailed on Tuesday, January 19, with polls closing on Tuesday, February 2. The Blue Ribbon panels where judging for all television categories and the documentary film category take place January 24. Projects in the aforementioned categories are viewed and judged by panels comprised of professional editors (all ACE members). All 550+ ACE members vote during the final balloting of the ACE Eddies, including active members, life members, affiliate members and honorary members.
American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of motion picture editors founded in 1950. Film editors are voted into membership on the basis of their professional achievements, their dedication to the education of others and their commitment to the craft of editing. The objectives and purposes of the American Cinema Editors are to advance the art and science of the editing profession; to increase the entertainment value of motion pictures by attaining artistic preeminence and scientific achievement in the creative art of editing; to bring into close alliance those editors who desire to advance the prestige and dignity of the editing profession.
The ACE Eddie Awards, now in its 60th year, is considered an integral precursor to the Oscars. No film has won Best Picture at the Oscars without also having received a Best Editing nomination since ORDINARY PEOPLE in 1981. Since the ACE membership boasts a very high crossover within its membership of Academy members, it is considered a very accurate bellwether for the eventual Oscar outcome.
For additional information on ACE and the ACE Eddie Awards please visit the ACE website at http://www.americancinemaeditors.com <http://www.americancinemaeditors.com/> .
