2013 Buckle Awards

The Rules: ANY Film released in an Australian cinema in 2013/early 2014 + any films I have seen at a festival or via screener that have not had a general release. This is a HUGE list of films to select from, but doesn't include some 2013 U.S releases (Dallas Buyers Club and All is Lost are two examples) that have not yet been screened in Australian cinemas.

*There are some exceptions of course: AMOUR, NO, THE HUNT and THE IMPOSTER all had a cinema release in 2013 but were considered in last year's awards because I watched them well prior to their release date and included them amongst my 2012 releases.*

As a result of the large volume of films, there will be up to ten slots (and as few as four) for each category and the winner marked in BOLD.

Best American/British Film

Gravity *WINNER*
Zero Dark Thirty Runner Up*
Before Midnight
Silver Linings Playbook
Cloud Atlas
Captain Phillips
Her
Nebraska
Short Term 12 
The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Australian Film

Mystery Road *Runner Up*
The Rocket *WINNER*
Drift
The Turning

Best Foreign Language Film

The Past
Aftermath *Runner Up*
Blue is the Warmest Colour *WINNER*
The Rocket
Laurence Anyways
Like Someone In Love

Best Director

David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
Paul Greengrass - Captain Phillips
Alexander Payne - Nebraska
Martin Scorsese - The Wolf of Wall Street
Alfonso Cuaron - Gravity *WINNER*
Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty *Runner Up*

Best Lead Male Performance

Joaquin Phoenix - Her *Runner Up*
Tom Hanks - Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street *WINNER*
Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained
Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years A Slave

Best Lead Female Performance 

Adele Exarchopoulos - Blue is the Warmest Colour *WINNER*
Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine *Runner Up*
Julie Delpy - Before Midnight
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Brie Larson - Short Term 12
Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty

Best Supporting Female Performance

Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine
Lea Seydoux - Blue is the Warmest Colour *WINNER* TIE
Scarlett Johansson - Her *WINNER* TIE
Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years A Slave
June Squibb - Nebraska
Shailene Woodley - The Spectacular Now

Best Supporting Male Performance

Jake Gyllenhaal - Prisoners *Runner Up*
Sam Rockwell - The Way Way Back
Michael Fassbender - 12 Years A Slave *WINNER*
James Franco - Spring Breakers
Jason Clarke - Zero Dark Thirty
Bradley Cooper - American Hustle

Best Original Screenplay

Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty
Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, Darius Marder - The Place Beyond the Pines
Wladyslaw Pasikowski - Aftermath
Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained *Runner Up*
Spike Jonze - Her *WINNER*
Bob Nelson - Nebraska

Best Adapted Screenplay

David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
Lana and Andy Wachowski/Tom Tykwer - Cloud Atlas
Billy Ray - Captain Phillips
Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy - Before Midnight *Runner Up*
Destin Daniel Cretton - Short Term 12
Terrence Winter - The Wolf of Wall Street *WINNER*

Best Cinematography

Nebraksa
Her
Gravity *WINNER*
12 Years A Slave
The Best Offer *Runner Up*
Prisoners

Best Editing

Zero Dark Thirty
Upstream Color *WINNER*
Cloud Atlas *Runner Up*
Stoker
Captain Phillips
Spring Breakers

Best Original Score/Soundtrack

Prince Avalanche
Prisoners
Spring Breakers
12 Years A Slave
Nebraska *Runner Up (Score)*
Gravity
Cloud Atlas *WINNER (Score)*
Django Unchained *WINNER (Soundtrack)*
Silver Linings Playbook *Runner Up (Soundtrack)*
The Best Offer

Best Documentary

The Act of Killing
20 Feet From Stardom
A Band Called Death
Dirty Wars *WINNER*
West of Memphis
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God *Runner Up*

Best Animated Film

ParaNorman *Runner Up*
Frozen *WINNER*
Monsters University
Despicable Me 2

Now, it is very likely I have forgotten to include some worthy nominees, but when reflecting on an entire year of film it is hard just narrowing down the categories. Thoughts?