Commentary: Where are the Oscar contenders?

November 20, 2008 Unlike past awards seasons, when front-runners emerged in the fall and distributors started to support them with early buzz campaigns, this time around everyone seems to be lying low. Nonetheless, awards marketers are saying privately that before they'll pull the trigger on campaigning, they want to see critical acclaim and early kudos, especially from the National Board of Review (announcing Dec. 4), Broadcast Film Critics Assn. (nominating Dec. 9), Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. (voting Dec. 9), New York Film Critics Circle (voting Dec. 10) and, needless to say, Golden Globe nominations (announcing Dec. 11 at 5 a.m. PST). While awards gurus do quiet lobbying behind the scenes and some distributors already have sent out DVD screeners, not much in the way of serious campaigning is taking place to reach these early awarders with whom distributors should be trying to gain traction.

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