My Oscar predictions

There is now less then 1 day left till the start of the 81st Annual Academy Awars. And what am I doing? Not cleaning, not rearranging furniture, not helping with the cooking. Nope, I'm working on my ballot!

Our party isn't just about good foods and fabulous friends. It's about being able to hold your head up high all year long as the winner of the "Bragging Rights" Being the one from our group who predicted (or guessed!) the most winners. There will be a flurry of last minute activity once every one arrives and the ballots are handed out. Some keep theirs very secret till the last minute, others are begging advice from anyone who will listen to them. Then we collect the sheets and hand them out for marking. We often miss a lot of the speaches as the shouts criss-cross the room~ "Who did I put down for this one?" "How many do I have right so far?" "I can't find this category on the sheet!!!"

So here are my early predictions (subject to change as I troll the internet for more insight tonight.

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)

Best animated feature film of the year
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)

Achievement in cinematography
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design
"Australia" (20th Century Fox) Catherine Martin

Achievement in directing
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature
"Trouble the Water" (Zeitgeist Films)An Elsewhere Films Production Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject
"Smile Pinki"A Principe Production Megan Mylan

Achievement in film editing
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year
"Waltz with Bashir" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production - Israel

Achievement in makeup
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E" (Walt Disney)
Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas NewmanLyric by Peter Gabriel

Best motion picture of the year
"Slumdog Millionaire"

Best animated short film
"Lavatory - Lovestory"

Best live action short film
"New Boy"

Achievement in sound editing
"WALL-E"

Achievement in sound mixing
"The Dark Knight"

Achievement in visual effects
"The Dark Knight"


Adapted screenplay
"Slumdog Millionaire"

Original screenplay
"WALL-E"