Hold your breath and count to ten...

Mere hours away from the big announcement! Which means it's dream ballot time. Unfortunately this year I do this having yet to see ZERO DARK THIRTY (opening tomorrow here in Tarannah). Also LES MIZ, though not so unfortunately. Could not be bothered. On to the categories!

Best Picture

Amour

Argo

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Bernie

Damsels in Distress

Holy Motors

Magic Mike

The Master

Rust and Bone

Silver Linings Playbook

Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master

Leos Carax, Holy Motors

Michael Haneke, Amour

Ang Lee, Life of Pi

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Special mentions:

Ben Affleck, Argo

Jacques Audiard, Rust and Bone

Richard Linklater, Bernie

Steven Soderbergh, Magic Mike

Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

Denis Lavant, Holy Motors

Joaquin Phoenix, The Master

Matthias Schoenaerts, Rust and Bone
Jean-Louis Trintignant, Amour

Special mentions:

Jack Black, Bernie

Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Mark Duplass, Your Sister's Sister

Richard Gere, Arbitrage

John Hawkes, The Sessions

Channing Tatum, 21 Jump Street

Best Actress

Linda Cardellini, Return

Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone

Nina Hoss, Barbara

Emmanuelle Riva, Amour

Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Special mentions:

Emily Blunt, Your Sister's Sister

Rosemarie DeWitt, Your Sister's Sister

Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

(the rest after the jump)