The writing's on the billboard

The Woods team lists the favourites for the award in some key categories and also picks those we would like to see take home the statuette from among the nominees.

The Golden Globes and Baftas are done, the pièce de résistance — the Oscar night, or morning for us in India — is just around the corner. This year’s ceremony has been pushed back from its usual late-February slot to avoid clashing with the Winter Olympics, which were on until February 25 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Ahead of the big night, rather morning, here’s everything you need to know about Oscars 2018.

When is the Oscars ceremony happening?

Sunday, March 4 

For viewers in India, 
Monday, March 5, 6.30am IST

Where is it?
The 90th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

Where can I watch it?

Live on Star Movies on Monday, 5am, with a repeat telecast at 8.30pm 

Who is hosting Oscars 2018?

American late night television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel 

Best Picture

Call Me By Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (in picture)

Favourite: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Woods pick: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Outside chance: The Shape of Water

Achievement in directing

Christopher Nolan: Dunkirk
Jordan Peele: Get Out
Greta Gerwig: Lady Bird 
Paul Thomas Anderson: Phantom Thread
Guillermo del Toro: The Shape of Water

Favourite: Guillermo del Toro 

The Woods pick: Greta Gerwig (in picture)
Outside chance: Jordan Peele (if he does, he will be the first black filmmaker to win in this category)

Supporting Actor

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Favourite: Sam Rockwell

The Woods pick: Sam Rockwell
Outside chance: Willem Dafoe

Original Screenplay

Jordan Peele: Get Out
Greta Gerwig: Lady Bird
Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani: The Big Sick
Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor: The Shape of Water
Martin McDonagh: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Favourite: Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Woods pick: Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Outside chance: Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water

Sound Editing

Julian Slater: Baby Driver
Mark Mangini, Theo Green: Blade Runner: 2049
Alex Gibson, Richard King: Dunkirk
Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira: The Shape of Water
Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Favourite: Dunkirk

The Woods pick: Dunkirk
Outside chance: Blade Runner: 2049

Original Score

Hans Zimmer: Dunkirk
John Williams: Star Wars The Last Jedi
Jonny Greenwood: Phantom Thread
Alexandre Desplat: The Shape of Water
Carter Burwell: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Favourite: Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water

The Woods pick: Hans Zimmer, Dunkirk
Outside chance: Carter Burwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Supporting Actress

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Favourite:  Laurie Metcalf

The Woods pick: Allison Janney
Outside chance: Sadly Kristin Scott Thomas didn’t get a nod for Darkest Hour

Original Song

Mighty River from Mudbound: Mary J. Blige
Mystery of Love from Call Me by Your Name: Sufjan Stevens
Remember Me from Coco: Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez
Stand Up For Something from Marshall: Diane Warren, Common
This is Me from The Greatest Showman: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Favourite: This Is Me 

The Woods pick: Remember Me
Outside chance: Mighty River

Sound Mixing

Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin: Baby Driver 
Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill: Blade Runner: 2049
Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern: Shape of Water
Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo: Dunkirk
Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Favourite:  Dunkirk

The Woods pick: Dunkirk
Outside chance: Blade Runner: 2049

Lead Actor

Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out (in picture)
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Favourite: Gary Oldman

The Woods pick: Daniel Kaluuya
Outside chance: Timothée Chalamet

Lead actress

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird (in picture)
Meryl Streep, The Post

Favourite: Frances McDormand

The Woods pick: Frances McDormand
Outside chance: Sally Hawkins

Adapted screenplay

James Ivory: Call Me By Your Name
Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green: Logan
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber: The Disaster Artist
Aaron Sorkin: Molly’s Game
Virgil Williams and Dee Rees: Mudbound

Favourite:  Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green, Logan

The Woods pick: Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game
Outside chance: Virgil Williams and Dee Rees, Mudbound

Cinematography

Roger Deakins: Blade Runner: 2049
Bruno Delbonnel: Darkest Hour
Hoyte Van Hoytema: Dunkirk
Rachel Morrison: Mudbound
Dan Laustsen: The Shape of Water

Favourite: Roger Deakins

The Woods pick: Rachel Morrison (the first woman ever nominated in the category)
Outside chance: Dan Laustsen

Best Foreign Language Film

A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
The Insult (Lebanon)
Loveless (Russia)
On Body and Soul (Hungary)
The Square (Sweden)

Favourite: The Square (in picture)

The Woods pick: The Square
Outside chance: Loveless

The performers: Gael García Bernal, Mary J. Blige, Common, Andra Day, Natalia LaFourcade, Miguel, Keala Settle and Sufjan Stevens 

The presenters: Mahershala Ali, Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Laura Dern, Jennifer Garner, Greta Gerwig, Tiffany Haddish, Tom Holland, Kumail Nanjiani, Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Daniela Vega, Gal Gadot, Mark Hamill, Armie Hammer, Oscar Isaac, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Gina Rodriguez, Eva Marie Saint, Wes Studi, Kelly Marie Tran, Zendaya, Emily Blunt, Sandra Bullock, Dave Chappelle, Eugenio Derbez, Ansel Elgort, Jane Fonda, Jodie Foster, Eiza González, Ashley Judd, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Lupita Nyong'o and Christopher Walken