With another week gone, we’re inching closer to the end of yet another year and marching into yet another season of film and television awards.  Golden Globe nominations were announced about a week and a half ago and Oscar nominations are soon to come (Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 5:30 AM pacific standard time, to be exact).  Variety just announced that the ballots have been mailed to 5,738 members of the Academy.

Though I’m usually excited around this time of year for nominations and examinations of nominations and analyses of examinations of nominations, I’m downright pissed off and a little saddened that Nadine Labaki’s film “Where Do We Go Now?” was not nominated for a Golden Globe (Best Foreign Language Film).  Oh, the humanity!!!  This is by far one of the best films of 2011, painstakingly crafted and beautifully told.  It’s hard to say when my bitterness will begin to subside.  I take solace in the fact that Labaki has secured U.S. distribution through Sony Pictures Classics for this film.  At least American audiences will get to see it in theatres.

Interestingly, two films directed by women snagged the lead actresses nominations for their performances (drama), but the directors received nothing (see Streep’s nom for The Iron Lady directed by Phyllida Lloyd, and Swinton’s nom for We Need to Talk About Kevin directed & co-written by Lynne Ramsay). As everyone seems to be adding their spin, take and well-deserved grumpy analysis of the continued lack of nominations for women’s stories and women artists and artists of color, I’ll try to avoid that here (though I do agree!), but I will say here’s to a new year of continuing to promote the work of women filmmakers and women in film!  Check out the names of women below who’ve played key roles in the making of these nominated films.

MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

“Descendants”

(Based on the novel by KAUI HART HEMMINGS)

“The Help” 

(Based on the novel by KATHRYN STOCKETT; Executive Producers include: Jennifer Blum; Co-producer: Sonya Lunsford)

“Hugo”

(Executive Producers include: Barbara De Fina, Christi Dembrowski, Emma Tillinger)

“The Ides of March”

(Producers include: Barbara A. Hall, Jennifer Davisson Killoran, Nina Wolarsky)

“Moneyball”

(Producers include: Rachael Horovitz; Co-producer: Alissa Phillips)

“War Horse”

(Executive Producers include: Revel Guest; Producer: Kathleen Kennedy; Co-producer: Tracey Seaward)

MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

“50/50”

(Co-producers include: Nicole Brown and Kelli Konop)

“The Artist”

(Co-producer: Nadia Khamlichi)

“Bridesmaids”

(Writers: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo; Associate Producer: Lisa Yadavaia; Co-producers: Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig)

“Midnight in Paris”

(Producers include: Letty Aronson; Co-producers include: Helen Robin)

“My Week With Marilyn”

(Associate Producer: Cleone Clarke)

ACTRESS, DRAMA

Glenn Close – “Albert Nobbs”

(Writers include: Glenn Close and Gabriella Prekop; Producers include: Glenn Close, Bonnie Curtis, Julie Lynn; Co-executive Producers include: Marcia Allen)

Viola Davis – “The Help”

(Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett; Executive Producers include:  Jennifer Blum; co-producer: Sonya Lunsford)

Rooney Mara – “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

(Executive Producer: Anni Faurbye Fernandez; Co-producer: Berna Levin)

Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”

(Director: Phyllida Lloyd; Writer: Abi Morgan; Executive Producers include: Tessa Ross; Co-producers: Anita Overland, Colleen Woodcock; Editor: Justine Wright)

Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

(Director & Co-writer: Lynne Ramsay: Executive Producers include:  Paula Jalfon, Lisa Lambert, Christine Langan, Lynne Ramsay, Tilda Swinton; Producers include: Jennifer Fox; Co-executive Producers include: Suzanne Baron; Associate Producers include: Molly Egan)

ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Jodie Foster – “Carnage”

(Co-writer and based on her play: Yasmina Reza)

Charlize Theron – “Young Adult”

(Writer: Diablo Cody; Executive Producers include: Helen Estabrook; Producers include: Diablo Cody, Lianne Halfon, Charlize Theron; Co-producers include: Beth Kono, Kelli Konop; Editor: Dana Glauberman)

Kristen Wiig – “Bridesmaids”

(Writers: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo; Associate Producer: Lisa Yadavaia; Co-producers: Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig)

Michelle Williams – “My Week with Marilyn”

(Associate Producer: Cleone Clarke)

Kate Winslet – “Carnage”

(Co-writer and based on her play: Yasmina Reza)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MOTION PICTURE

Berenice Bejo – “The Artist”

(Co-producer: Nadia Khamlichi)

Jessica Chastain – “The Help”

(Based on the novel by KATHRYN STOCKETT; Executive Producers include: Jennifer Blum; Co-producer: Sonya Lunsford)

Janet McTeer – “Albert Nobbs”

(Writers include: Glenn Close and Gabriella Prekop; Producers include: Glenn Close, Bonnie Curtis, Julie Lynn; Co-executive Producers include: Marcia Allen)

Octavia Spencer – “The Help”

(Based on the novel by KATHRYN STOCKETT; Executive Producers include: Jennifer Blum; Co-producer: Sonya Lunsford)

Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”

(Based on the novel by KAUI HART HEMMINGS)

BEST DIRECTOR, MOTION PICTURE

I hear crickets for women in this category.  Hmm, par for the course?

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

“The Adventures of Tintin”

(Producers include: Kathleen Kennedy)

“Arthur Christmas”

(Director and screenplay: Sarah Smith; Executive Producers include: Carla Shelley)

“Cars 2”

(Producer: Denise Reahm)

“Puss ‘n Boots”

(Executive Producers include: Michelle Raimo; Producers include: Latifa Ouaou)

“Rango”

(Co-producer: Shari Hanson)

BEST SCREENPLAY, MOTION PICTURE

Really?  No women?  Yup.  No women in this category!

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

“The Flowers of War” (“Jing Ling Shi San Chai”) – China

(No women credited as key creatives)

“In the Land of Blood and Honey” (“Le Gamin au Velo”) – USA

(Director & Writer: Angelina Jolie; Executive Producer: Holly Goline; Producers include: Angelina Jolie; Editor: Patricia Rommel)

“The Kid with a Bike” (Belgium)

(Executive Producer: Delphine Tomson; Associate Producers include: Bernadette Meunier, Arlette Zylberberg)

“A Separation” (“Jodaeiye Nader az Simin”) – Iran

(Executive Producer: Negar Eskandarfar; Editor: Hayedeh Safiyari)

“The Skin I Live In” (“La piel que habito”) – Spain

(Producers include: Esther García; Associate Producer: Bárbara Peiró)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG, MOTION PICTURE

“Lay Your Head Down” – “Albert Nobbs” – Music by: Brian Byrne; Lyrics by: Glenn Close
“The Living Proof” – “The Help” – Music by: Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason, Jr.;Lyrics by: Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas
“Masterpiece” – “W.E.” – Music & Lyrics by: Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry