A CONTEST WAS HELD
To Predict the Best Actress Nominees of Jan 2008 in March 2007
Point Totals (Complete) & Contestant List

POSSIBLE CONTENDERS
I created a list of possibilites A-K and L-Z to help contestants choose. They could write candidates in, too. 112 people entered. 66 different performances received votes.

THOSE WHO ENTERED CHOSE...
5 women to predict for Lead Actress Oscar Nominations for the 2007 Film Year. The Collective Prediction and the Individual Ballots and the FINAL POINT TOTALS

WHAT THEN?
Contestants accumulate points throughout the year for their choices. I will periodically update a "contestants page" with point totals so you can see how everyone is doing.

HOW DOES ONE WIN?
The two people with the most points from their 5 prophesied nominees win best actress related prizes (TBA)

POINTS? WHY POINTS?

In order to make the game more interesting (i.e. not completely beholden to January's Oscar Nominee Announcement) you can gain points for lots of things. So, if your candidate is a noticeable Oscar snub you still have some points for that candidate because they've been "in play" throughout the season.

Contest Points accumulate from 04/01/07 through the morning of the Oscar nomination announcement.

box office
The (recent) average gross of a best actress nominated film prior to the nominee announcement is approximately $27 million but many aren't even in the 8 figures.

+1 when your film actually opens (REVISION: just to help me keep track)
+1 your film crosses the $6 million mark
+1 another point if it crosses $27 million

general media points
(I know this is EW centric but I have to pick things I can easily track ;))
+1 Entertainment Weekly Cover (inset photo. Points max out at 3 if subject appears frequently)
+1 NYT Sunday Magazine or NYT Style Magazine Cover
+2 Named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful (annual issue)
+2 Hosts Saturday Night Live
+3 Vanity Fair cover
+3 Entertainment Weekly Cover (large photo)
(Additions and subtractions: +2 if cover uses the word "Oscar" in relation to your candidate * Shared covers -1 point for each additional person on the cover)
+3 Entertainment Weekly names as an "Entertainer of the Year" OR includes in "Great Performances" section of their Best of 2007 issue OR chosen as the "FYC" but not actually predicted Oscar candidate in the Oscar Prediction issue
+5 Campaigned for by Roger Ebert in "Memo to the Academy"
(*no points for Roeper selection)

festival points
+2 film wins any prize at Cannes (+5 instead if it's an acting win for your candidate)
+2 Acting prize at Venice
+2 World Premiere at Toronto (+1 more if film wins audience award)
+3 Serves on jury at Cannes

Critics Awards
+1 for each minor critics org prize (*leading only, maximum of 3 points)
+2 Your candidates film is at 85% or higher on the TomatoMeter at Rotten Tomatoes as of January 1st, 2008 (REVISION: Films debuting before September will have their RT Scores calculated for points on Sept 1st, 2007. To help me keep track)
+3 Your candidate is nominated for a leading actress Film Bitch Award here at the Film Experience --hey, it's my contest I can do what I want ;) Readers will know that I take my site awards way too seriously to be swayed by your guesswork.
+5 Your candidate wins the LAFCA, NYFCC, or the NSFC award (Only +1 if the prize is in supporting instead. Maximum 10 points --even if they win all three) (REVISION: deleted the option for runner up point. Getting less media attention and harder to find the results each year)

Precursors & Oscars
+1 Film makes the AFI Top Ten List

+2 Nominated for BFCA

Additions and Subtractions to the 2 points:
-1 if the nomination is in any special category OTHER THAN lead.
-1 if there are more than 5 nominees in that category

+3 Wins an NBR award

Additions and Subtractions to the 10 points:
-1 if the honor is a "tie"
-1 if it's outside the typical "Best Actress" honor

+10 Nominated for a SAG Award (EXCLUDING ensemble)

Additions and Subtractions to the 10 points:
-5 if the nomination is supporting instead..
+2 if the performance is in a foreign language OR if it marks their first SAG nomination outside of "ensemble"
+1 if their film is nominated for ensemble as well

+10 Nominated for a Golden Globe

Additions and Subtractions to the 10 points:
-7 if it's supporting
+2 if it's their first Globe nomination
-3 if it's nomination 6 or higher with the HFPA

+25 Nominated for an Oscar

Additions and Subtractions to the 25 points:
-20 if the nomination is for supporting
+5 extra points if it's their first Oscar nomination.
+2 extra points if Lead Actress is the films only nomination OR if the performance is in a foreign language OR if they are nominated for a film that's grossed less than $3 million OR if they were also nominated in the Musical/Comedy division at the Globes
+2 if the film openedbefore September
-2 if the film opened in December
-2 points if this nomination is their 4th or higher with AMPAS
-2 if they're a previous Oscar winner

 

IS THAT IT?
Isn't that enough?

 

GOOD LUCK