Final Oscars Nominations Predictions – Best Film Editing

With the Academy’s nominations announcement drawing closer by the day, it’s time to lay it all on the line with my final Oscar nomination predictions. With nominations from the American Cinema Editors, BAFTA, and the Critics Choice Awards, it’s safe to presume Conclave, Anora, and Dune: Part Two are the strongest contenders for a Best Film Editing Oscar nod. There is a possibility Sean Baker suffers a similar snub to Alfonso Cuarón (Roma) in 2018 in a sign that the editing branch doesn’t appreciate directors editing their own films. And maybe Dune: Part Two suffers from being a sequel to a film that won this category already. That being said, I feel like one of them would have had to miss with ACE for that to be a possibility.

Emilia Pérez is only absent at CCA, so it feels like a safe fourth, leaving only that final spot open for several possibilities. Perhaps September 5 sneaks in, given its editing has been highly praised for months now. Maybe either A Complete Unknown or The Substance overperforms and this category gets swept along for the ride. But I think it’s coming down to a battle between The Brutalist and Challengers.

The former is a big contender overall. If it’s to be taken seriously as a Best Picture contender, does it need an editing nomination? CODA didn’t need one in 2021. Neither did Birdman in 2014. But the fact it couldn’t nab editing nods from either ACE or BAFTA was pretty damning to its chances here. Challengers has dominated wins with the critics to add to its ACE and CCA nominations. I think it has the slight edge, but it’s a tough one to call.

BEST FILM EDITING PREDICTIONS:
1. Conclave – Nick Emerson (Focus Features) – ACE, BAFTA, CCA
2. Dune: Part Two – Joe Walker (Warner Bros.) – ACE, BAFTA, CCA
3. Anora – Sean Baker (Neon) – ACE, BAFTA, CCA
4. Emilia Pérez – Juliette Welfling (Netflix) – ACE, BAFTA
5. Challengers – Marco Costa (Amazon MGM Studios) – ACE, CCA

Alternate: The Brutalist – Dávid Jancsó (A24) – CCA