Today, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), announced the nominees for the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards. This year, with the pandemic crippling much of Hollywood’s cinema distribution and disrupting filming productions across the globe, the Golden Globes still proved that content was in no short supply for viewers in 2020.
With an NBC semi-virtual ceremony set to take place on February 28, return hosts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey will no doubt bring the laughs at the expense of this year’s list of nominees; and with many heavyweight shows left out of this year’s nominations due to production delays, this year’s nominations brought many snubs, surprises, and inevitable recognition for many.
Netflix dominated this year’s Golden Globes, receiving six nominations apiece for David Fincher’s Hollywood bygone era film Mank and binge-worthy drama series The Crown. Also leading nominations for Netflix was Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of The Chicago 7, featuring a stacked cast including Sacha Baron Cohen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, and more.
The film, executive produced by NYFA Screenwriting alum Shivani Rawat, is based on the infamous 1969 trial in which seven individuals faced a plethora of charges including conspiracy after counterculture protests took place at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
The Trial of The Chicago 7 earned five nominations total including the coveted Best Motion Picture – Drama category for Rawat (alongside The Father, Mank, Nomadland, & Promising Young Woman). The film’s other nominations included a supporting actor nod for Sacha Baron Cohen, both best director and screenplay acknowledgments for Aaron Sorkin, and a nomination for best original song for “Hear My Voice” by Daniel Pemberton.
Rawat attended NYFA’s 1-Year Screenwriting program at the New York campus in 2007. She has since become a film producer with a special focus on independent films. Some of her credits include critically acclaimed films like Captain Fantastic, Danny Collins, Trumbo, and Brian Banks. In addition to The Trial of The Chicago 7, Rawat also produced the 2020 film Wander Darkley starring Diego Luna and Sienna Miller. Her next release, The Ice Road, starring Liam Neeson, is expected to be released later this year.
Rawat is also the founder and CEO of ShivHans Pictures, a production house that seeks to support films that are outside the mold of the typical Hollywood model.
Included in the nominations were NYFA guest speakers Al Pacino, who received a nod for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama (Hunters), alongside The Mandalorian’s Carl Weathers; Glenn Close for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Hillbilly Elegy); and Bryan Cranston for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Your Honor).
New York Film Academy congratulates all of this year’s nominees and wishes Shivani Rawat and the cast and crew of The Trial of The Chicago 7 all the best. The winners will be announced on February 28, 2021.
Click the video below to watch the trailer for The Trial of The Chicago 7.
***Update on March 17, 2021: The Trial of The Chicago 7 has received Best Picture nominations from The Golden Globes, The British Academy Film Awards, The Academy Awards, the PGA Awards, and more. For a full list of nominations, click here.
Please note: NYFA does not represent that these are typical or guaranteed career outcomes. The success of our graduates in any chosen professional pathway depends on multiple factors, and the achievements of NYFA alumni are the result of their hard work, perseverance, talent and circumstances.