The Potential 'Best Director' Contenders for Oscars

The 2016 Academy Awards has been accomplished, and with the winners relaxing and their fellow candidates drafting their next move, we can put the cinematic awards season to rest, for the time being. However, five months after the ceremony, looking to the future, a simple prediction for the next year's challengers can be strategized. With a varying degree of certainty, the picks for 2017's potential top ten 'Best Director' nominees have been mapped. Consider this a sort of 'before the awards season cheat sheet' to have in your back pocket.

1. Damien Chazelle (La La Land) – Continuing on with the hunch that this might be a huge Oscar juggernaut, it makes sense to have Chazzelle this high up.

2. Martin Scorsese (Silence) – Would anyone argue with Scorsese potentially winning a second Academy Award?

3. Ang Lee (Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk) – On the flip side, it would certainly be something if Lee won a third time.

4. Ben Affleck (Live By Night) Possible 2016 release – Toying with the idea of Affleck's crime epic being in play this year, as the rumours suggest.

5. Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) – Perhaps too small a choice to majorly be in contention, but it deserves to be.

6. Jeff Nichols (Loving) – A very safe upper echelon pick, Nichols got plenty of praise for this biopic at the Cannes Film Festival.

7. Nate Parker (The Birth of a Nation) – The Sundance Film Festival launched Parker pretty high up on this list when his passion project was met with acclaim.

8. Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) – The sophomore outing from Ford, plenty of eyes will be on this one.

9. Garth Davis (Lion) – The unknown director of the top tier, Davis certainly has a path to a nomination.

10. Derek Cianfrance (The Light Between Oceans) – This seems like such a prestige laden project that you have to expect Oscar voters to at least slightly fall in love with it.

That is what the 'Best Director' race could very well be made up of this year folks. Stay tuned for more similar predictions!

Source hollywoodnews.com