Movie buffs from across the north-east are relishing the excitement of Oscars night as the glitzy awards ceremony approaches.
And as the stars don their gladrags and prepare to walk the red carpet for the 90th Academy Awards, the Press and Journal canvassed a panel of local film experts for their predictions.
Aberdeen University’s Cinergi filmmaking society enjoys regular visits to the cinema to sample Hollywood’s finest offerings and 17 members ventured to the Glasgow Film Festival last weekend.
While preparing to host her very own Oscars party in Aberdeen tonight, the president of the group, Sarah Geddes, took time out to offer her picks.
She believes recently released coming of age film, Ladybird, deserves to win the Best Picture gong over other top contenders such as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Darkest Hour and The Shape of Water.
Miss Geddes said: “I want it to be Ladybird and I think it’s going to be.
“I think it is amazing, and is less likely to divide the judges than Three Billboards.”
Should the film’s director, Greta Gerwig, be rewarded for Ladybird then she would become only the second woman to ever win the Oscar for Best Director.
And Miss Geddes said the milestone win is something she would celebrate.
The English Literature and Creative Writing student also reckons that Gary Oldman will win Best Actor for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, while Sally Hawkins from the Shape of Water or Frances McDormand from Three Billboards will scoop the Best Actress award.
The nominees will take to the red carpet at midnight UK time, with the ceremony itself kicking off at 1.30am.
Also watching will be the treasurer of Robert Gordon University’s film society, Ryan Johnson, who thinks Christoper Nolan’s World War II movie Dunkirk deserves to be named Best Picture.
The events management student said: “I took my mum to see it, and it has inspired us both to learn more about the events around it and the soldiers involved.”
Mr Johnson predicted that Darkest Hour could pip it to the post though, and that its star would take the Best Actor trophy.
Belmont Cinema employee, Claudia Santos Goncalves, has taken in many of this year’s top contenders at her place of work.
The Shape of Water, an unusual movie about a romance between a sea creature and a mute woman, leads the field with 13 nominations.
Miss Santos Goncalves thinks it should win big but fears it may not get the nod from the Academy.
The 22-year-old said: “It is a classic, but I don’t think it is going to win.
“Because of the feminist movement at the moment, I think either Three Billboards or Ladybird will win.”
Miss Santos Goncalves said she would be happy with either Frances McDormand or Sally Hawkins winning Best Actress.
And she predicted that Timothy Chalamet would emerge as a dark horse winner in the Best Actor category, for his performance in Call Me By Your Name.
Though she added that Daniel Kaluuya, the star of Get Out, would also be a worthy winner.
Moray filmmaker, Yvonne Findlay, spoke up for a film which she feels has been overlooked by the Academy.
Her favourite movie of the past year was Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, which featured Annette Benning and Jamie Bell.
The film is based on the true story of Gloria Grahame, a Hollywood actress who found romance with a younger man in the English city, and it achieved strong reviews upon its release in December.
However, it has not been nominated for a single Academy award.
Mrs Findlay said: “I loved it, I thought it was very moving, and it brought attention to a film star many people hadn’t heard of.
“It feels like the movie has been a bit overlooked in the same way that she was.”
