We are less than one week away from our 4th annual InSession Film Awards show as we discuss the very best that film had to offer in 2016. This is an exciting time of year and our awards show is one our favorite things we get to do. As we’ve done in previous years, we will have a list of categories, individually nominating 3-5 candidates and then presenting our winner for that category. We will also dive into our Top 10 movies of 2016 in Part 2 of the show.

So to help you prepare for this week’s show, we’ve laid out below all of the categories we’ll be discussing. To play along with us, select 3-5 nominations and a winner for each category. Then stay tuned for Episode 204 as we discuss each category and see how your selections compare with ours. Click on the link below if you would like a print out version.

Remember, treat each category as your own. Select your own nominations and winner based on your own experience with film this last year. If you’d like, email, Facebook or tweet us your ballot. We would love to see how your awards sheet turns out!

InSession Film Awards Categories:

Individual Special Awards

– For this category, make up your own special awards that you want to give away. This can be anything from film in 2016 that isn’t related to any category below.

Biggest Disappointment

Worst Movie

Best Movie Poster

Best Movie Trailer

Best Opening/Closing Credits Sequence or Scene

Best Surprise Actor/Actress

Best Surprise Movie

Best Use of Soundtrack Music

– This can be any song (non-score) used in the film. It does not have to be an original song. Opening and closing credits count.

Best Score

Best Animated Movie

Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Original Screenplay

Best Director

Best Supporting Actress

Best Supporting Actor

Best Actress

Best Actor

Best Picture

– Hear our Top 10 films of 2016 on Part 2 of Episode 204.

Well, tonight is the 2017 Golden Globe Awards and here are our thoughts on how we expect things to go down. Some categories are a lock, while others are up in the air. It should be a lot of fun, as always. At any rate, here are our prediction for this year’s Golden Globes:

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water
Lion
Moonlight
Manchester by the Sea

Brendan: The HFPA likes to help pave the way to who the possible winners and main competitors at the Oscars will be. And with Moonlight getting the attention it’s receiving, Moonlight is expected to take home the prize here. Potential spoiler for Manchester by the Sea is possible, but it’s really Moonlight’s to lose.

JD: I agree with Brendan, this is Moonlight‘s to lose, setting up a fun “rivalry” with La La Land as we head into Oscar season.

BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
20th Century Women

Deadpool
Florence Foster Jenkins
La La Land
Sing Street

Brendan: This is La La Land’s award to lose, and it will be a major surprise if it does not take home the prize here.

JD: La La Land and it’s not even close.

BEST DIRECTOR
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Brendan: Again paving the way for Oscars competition, Damien Chazelle and Barry Jenkins are arguably leading the pack. But for the technical precision used to craft a musical about Hollywood, I believe Damien Chazelle will take home the award here. But, like any awards ceremony, a great comeback is always welcomed, so don’t rule out Mel Gibson who could sneak away with a win.

JD: This is going to be a close one. It could go to either Chazelle or Jenkins and both are very deserving. Brendan makes a great case for Gibson, but I think he’s a distant 3rd. In the end, given all of the technicalities of La La Land, I think Chazelle takes this as well.

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Joel Edgerton, Loving
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences

Brendan: Aside from paving the way for what we’ll see at the Oscars, the HFPA also likes to award the “most famous” celebrity in certain categories. Because that person is arguably Denzel Washington here, he could easily win for his role in Fences, and would be the case in any other year. BUT, this year we have Casey Affleck, who just has way too much steam behind him to ignore; it’s his year.

JD: “I can’t beat it” – Lee Chandler

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA
Amy Adams, Arrival
Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie

Brendan: This one is very tight this year, and honestly could go either way, as it reflects all types of celebrities the HFPA would like to honor. We have a newcomer such as Ruth Negga, then there’s Amy Adams and Jessica Chastain, both regulars and always competitive bets, but ones who have already taken home Globes before. I feel this comes down to Natalie Portman (another Globe winner but one whose performance as Jackie Kennedy has so much steam already) and Isabelle Huppert (giving the HFPA their international win). In the end, I think it will be Natalie Portman, but don’t be surprised if Isabelle Huppert takes it home.

JD: This is a very stacked category but in the end I think it’s a two horse race between Natalie Portman and Amy Adams, with Huppert not far behind. That said, I think Portman takes this one home.

BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Colin Farrell, The Lobster
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
Jonah Hill, War Dogs
Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool

Brendan: While the Globes would love to award a great comeback (Hugh Grant in this case), this is ultimately the battle of the Ryans. Ryan Gosling has a great shot; he has yet to win a Globe and La La Land is a potential frontrunner for the entire night. But the HFPA will also need to get their “pop entertainment” win for the night too, and who doesn’t want to hear Ryan Reynolds give an acceptance speech? Ryan Reynolds is my pick.

JD: First of all, why is Jonah Hill nominated here? I find that so hysterical. Secondly, Brendan is right. I think Reynolds surprises everyone and takes this one home over Gosling.

BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Annette Bening, 20th Century Women
Lily Collins, Rules Don’t Apply
Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Brendan: It’s as safe a bet as any to predict Meryl Streep, no matter what she does. But not a chance this year; Emma Stone is your winner here.

JD: I would love nothing more than to see Hailee Steinfeld steal this one. She was spectacular in The Edge of Seventeen. That said, I expect Emma Stone to take this one home.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals
Dev Patel, Lion

Brendan: First off, so funny (and great) to see Aaron Taylor-Johnson here, but he won’t be able to sweep the steam that Mahershala Ali has already established for himself, and he will most likely take this award home; also remember he has a great television career on his side too, which the Globes love to recognize as well. Most probable spoiler would be Jeff Bridges for his incredibly strange turn in Hell or High Water, but this seems to be Ali’s to lose.

JD: What Brendan said about Aaron Taylor-Johnson. I LOVE that he got nominated here. That said, as much as I love Bridges, I expect Ali to come away the champ here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Brendan: She has yet to win a Globe or Oscar yet, and she also has her current television career on her side (similar to Mahershala Ali above), so Viola Davis is expected to take home the prize. But keep a possible eye out for Naomie Harris and Michelle Williams, but I just don’t think it’s their year this time around.

JD: I find this category interesting. It seems that, if you follow all the hype, that this is Davis’ award to lose. However, I find it personally so much closer than that. But for the sake of this exercise, I’m putting my money of Davis and would be surprised if she lost.

BEST SCREENPLAY
Hell or High Water

La La Land
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
Nocturnal Animals

Brendan: This is yet another tight category, and honestly I feel it can go either way; this one is more complex than it should be, since there’s no split between adapted and original screenplay. Like the Oscars though, the HFPA also likes to split up their wins as much as possible, and it is here I believe Kenneth Lonergan will get his win for Manchester by the Sea, giving the film another win along with Best Actor, Drama. This then gives major wins to Manchester by the Sea, La La Land, and Moonlight, arguably this year’s powerhouse trio. But this really could be anyone’s category to lose, and I even have a hunch Tom Ford could win here, as the HFPA seems to have had an overall positive reaction to Nocturnal Animals.

JD: Brendan said it very well in his pick above. This could go in several different directions, but in the end, I think Manchester takes this award home. However, Moonlight would not surprise me in any way.

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
Sing
Zootopia

Brendan: When in doubt, go with Disney. Enough said. While Kubo and the Two Strings should win, I feel this will be between Moana and Zootopia. Moana is the safer choice, with Zootopia being the more bold and progressive choice. In the end, with the musical craze at a peak right now (not just for La La Land, but for Hamilton), Moana is my pick here.

JD: As sad as it is to say, Disney will reign King once again. Don’t get me wrong, I love the mouse, but this award should go to Kubo. But unfortunately it won’t happen, and instead we’ll probably see Zootopia take this away. Which I’m fine with, I adored that film too.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Divines

Elle
Neruda
The Salesman
Toni Erdmann

Brendan: With Isabelle Huppert nominated for Best Actress, Drama, it’s most expected to see Paul Verhoven’s Elle take home the prize here, and I honestly think it will go that way. However, Toni Erdmann could sneak in with the acclaim it’s getting, and Pablo Larrain could get an edge with his film Neruda, since he has two acclaimed films out this year (Neruda and Jackie).

JD: I expect Elle to take this one but with Toni Erdmann nipping at its heels.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Arrival

Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight

Brendan: Justin Hurwitz for La La Land has this one, and I honestly can’t expect it to go any other way.

JD: I hope Justin Hurtitz has his speech ready to go. He’ll need it.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Can’t Stop the Feeling”, Trolls
“City of Stars”, La La Land
“Faith”, Sing
“Gold”, Gold
“How Far I’ll Go”, Moana

Brendan: In any other year, I would repeat and say, “When in doubt, go with Disney.” But this year we have La La Land, which is expected to sweep the night, so this could be a fight between La La Land and Moana. In the end, I’m expecting “City of Stars”, La La Land to take this one as well.

JD: Would Ryan Gosling be willing to sing “City of Stars” on his way to the stage?

All the way back on Episode 185, when we discussed our Top 5 Fall Films of 2016, I had Martin Scorsese’s Silence at my #1 spot. And for a lot of reasons, Silence is still very high for me, but on a true list that spot was held for A Monster Calls. During that discussion on #185, I didn’t include A Monster Calls on purpose, given how much I’ve talked about the film on previous shows. However, it’s J.A. Bayona’s new film that truly has me more amped up than any other film to come out this fall/winter season. For two major reasons. First, I’m a big fan of The Orphanage, which is one of the best horror films of the 21st Century so far. It is equally terrifying as it is emotionally thriving. Bayona is a director that clearly knows how to construct his vision in a way that captivates the audience. Secondly, the trailer for A Monster Calls is one of the best I’ve ever seen, period. The trailer is a work of art. It tells its own story and is one of the most moving experiences I’ve ever had watching a film trailer. To this day, as I write this, I sob every single time I watch it. For those two reasons, A Monster Calls is a highly anticipated film for me and I cannot wait to see it this weekend.

Another reason to be excited for A Monster Calls is Felicity Jones. Forget her in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. She was fine there, but is on a completely different planet (pun intended) when it comes to her performance in Bayona’s new film. At least based on the trailer. That line she has about “breaking things” nearly kills me every time I hear it. I have no doubt that she will be one of the best things about A Monster Calls. I don’t know much about Lewis MacDougall, but from what I’ve seen he also looks pretty good here as well. Additionally, this film features the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Toby Kebell and Liam Neeson. Pretty great cast if you ask me.

Speaking of Neeson, his character of The Monster is one of the most intriguing elements of this film for me. A Monster Calls isn’t just about a boy struggling to cope with his mom’s illness, it’s about *how* he goes about it. Now, let me reiterate, I haven’t read the book and I’ve only seen the trailer, so this idea I’m about to explore is purely based off of my interpretation of the film’s marketing. It looks to me that MacDougall’s character of Conor finds his coping mechanisms through his imagination by conjuring this “monster” if you will. Which to me, has these spiritual undertones that provokes a whole other level of emotion for me. I don’t care to get into religious beliefs in this article, so I’ll just say, that aspect has be very curious. Neeson’s voice acting is not only good, but in some ways, it also amplifies this notion. He has a deep, caring and other worldly voice that works for the character while maintaining this idea of spirituality that I’m hoping the film explores.

It’s for all those reasons why I’m super excited that we are ending our 2016 campaign on A Monster Calls. This will be our last main review before our annual InSession Film Awards and Top 10 show that we will be doing on Episode 204. If Bayona pulls through and the film lives up to my expectations, it couldn’t be a better fit to my 2016.

What about you though? Are you excited for A Monster Calls?

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Here’s what else you can expect this weekend at the box office:

Underworld: Blood Wars

Hidden Figures
I, Daniel Blake (expanding)
Railroad Tigers (limited)

When Damien Chazelle hit the scene in 2014 with Whiplash, he took the world by storm. The film was nominated for five Oscars, winning the Best Supporting gold statue for J.K. Simmons in one of the most iconic roles of recent memory. The film also won Oscars for Film Editing and Sound Mixing as well. That is to say, for a directorial debut (at least for a major feature film), it’s hard to beat what Chazelle did with Whiplash. And now, here we are with La La Land, a film that many critics are claiming is the best film of 2016. Just two years after the huge success of Whiplash, it seems that Chazelle has outdone himself. If that is true, we could be looking at one of the best directors we’ll see in the next 20-30 years.

On the surface, La La Land looks to be a vastly different film than Whiplash, which would showcase the kind of range Chazelle has as a director. Both films will feature jazz in some way, but Whiplash at its core, was almost a horror film in the way it depicted its intense drama. La La Land seems to juxtapose that in terms of tone and will be more of a traditional Hollywood musical. And if you ask me, that sounds pretty exciting. I’m a fan of musicals in general, and you attach Chazelle’s name to it, and I’m there. Additionally, I’ve heard good things about his “school project” film Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, which was also a musical. So, he’s no stranger to this material. In fact, the more you read about Chazelle, the more you start to understand that this type of filmmaking is a passion of his, and now he’s been given more resources. If you’ve seen the trailers for La La Land, it seems that he has fully taken advantage of that. The film looks absolutely gorgeous on all fronts. As a result, some critics are claiming La La Land to be an instant classic that will stand the test of time.

La La Land is also enticing because it stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Not only are these two incredible actors, but this is the third time they’ll be romancing each other on screen, and there is a clear chemistry there. There is no doubt that La La Land‘s dramatic undercurrent will be felt due to the prowess of Stone and Gosling acting abilities. The question is mostly around how they work in the setting of a musical. The song and dance elements look transcendent in the trailer, so I’m not dubious, but I can’t recall them ever doing a musical before. I’m just curious to see how they settle in to the rhythm of a musical, something I’m sure they will both handle well. The awards buzz around their performances seem to hint that they nail it, which is even more exciting.

La La Land, according to our friend Matt Neglia, is a lock to win Best Picture at next year’s Oscars. I know that may build certain expectations, but it’s hard to hear that and not anticipate the hype. This film was in my Top 10 most anticipated at the beginning of the year for a reason. I’m sure it’s a good film. But how good? That is the question we’ll debate this weekend on Episode 201.

What about you? Are you excited for La La Land?

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Here are other films coming to the box office this Holiday season:

Passengers

Assassin’s Creed
Sing
Fences
Why Him?
Lion (limited)
I, Daniel Blake (limited)
20th Century Women (limited)