LONDON — “Frost/Nixon,” “Hunger” and “Unrelated,” the debut feature by Joanna Hogg, will vie for the top film prize at the Evening Standard Awards.
The kudos, which have been dished out by the London newspaper every year since 1973, are focused on pics with a high quotient of Brit talent, and are judged by a panel of top U.K. crix.
Noms recognize both hyped awards season contenders, such as “Frost/Nixon” with three noms, and “Slumdog Millionaire” with two, and lower-profile Brit indie and arthouse pics.
“Slumdog” is nommed for director honors alongside Stephen Daldry for “The Reader” and Lenny Abrahamson for Irish small-town drama “Garage.”
“Garage” matches “Frost/Nixon” for most total noms. Mark O’Halloran is up for screenplay, and Pat Shortt takes on Michael Fassbender in “Hunger” and Michael Sheen in “Frost/Nixon” for actor kudos.
Screenwriter Peter Morgan rounds out the “Frost/Nixon” noms.
In the actress category, Kate Winslet, a previous recipient of two Evening Standard Film Awards, is jointly nommed for “The Reader” and “Revolutionary Road.” Tilda Swinton (“Julia”) and Samantha Morton (“Mister Lonely”) provide the competish.
The newcomer nods are for Hogg, “Slumdog” actor Dev Patel and Rupert Wyatt, the writer-director of prison escape drama “The Escapist.”
A private winner’s dinner hosted by Evening Standard editor Veronica Wadley takes place Feb. 1 with the winners made public Feb. 2.
Evening Standard British Film Awards FILM “Frost/Nixon
“Hunger
“Unrelated
DIRECTOR Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”)
Stephen Daldry (“The Reader”)
Lenny Abrahamson (“Garage”)
ACTOR Michael Fassbender (“Hunger”)
Michael Sheen (“Frost/Nixon”)
Pat Shortt (“Garage”)
ACTRESS Samantha Morton (“Mister Lonely”)
Tilda Swinton (“Julia”)
Kate Winslet (“The Reader,” “Revolutionary Road”)
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT Roger Deakins (cinematographer of “No Country for Old Men,” “In the Valley of Elah,” “The Reader” with Chris Menges)
Mark Digby (production designer of “Slumdog Millionaire”)
Joe Walker (editor of “Hunger” and “The Escapist”)
SCREENPLAY Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”)
Mark O'Halloran (“Garage”)
Peter Morgan (“Frost/Nixon”)
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER Joanna Hogg (director, “Unrelated”)
Dev Patel (actor, “Slumdog Millionaire”)
Rupert Wyatt (writer-director, “The Escapist”)
PETER SELLERS AWARD FOR COMEDY Sally Hawkins for her performance in “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Eddie Marsan for his performance in “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Chris Waitt for his documentary, “A Complete History of My Sexual Failures”
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