Film Editing Awards to Work Towards

Film Editing Awards to Work Towards
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Introduction

For film editors who are just starting out in the business, it is always good to look forward to achievements in your chosen career, especially one that attracts so much attention and praise from all around the world when done right. A film editing award is the perfect goal for any young upstart who is taking on the role as film editor. It is the perfect motivation to be good at your craft and to be always striving for excellence. For experienced film editors, film editing awards are the greatest compliment one could receive. It is something that tells them that they did good in their field and they have left their mark in film editing history. Here are some of the most prestigious and sought after awards in film editing that definitely motivates all kinds of film editors to do the best work they possibly can.

Academy Award for Best Film Editing

This is considered the gold standard in awards for film editing. The Academy Awards, or the Oscars, have become the end-all and be-all of technical and creative achievements in American filmmaking. These awards are given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or AMPAS. The Academy gave out the first Oscar for Best Film Editing in 1934. The Academy only considers the principal editors of a film project to be eligible for this award, so all the other additional editors are not considered. The nominees for Best Film Editing are determined by the members of the Academy’s Editing Branch. Once the nominees have been determined, members of the Academy vote for the winner. Recent winners of this award include the movies Slumdog Millionaire, The Aviator, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Black Hawk Down and Titanic.

BAFTA Award for Best Editing

The BAFTA, or the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, is the equivalent of the AMPAS in the U.S. Of course, they also have an award for best achievement in film editing in the form of the BAFTA Award for Best Editing. BAFTA recognizes creative and technical achievements in movies, TV shows and games. They look to works both in the U.K. And in the U.S. Their members in their film branch choose the nominees for the film awards, including this one for Best Editing. Like the other film editing awards in this list, only the principal editor is considered for nomination. Past winners of the BAFTA Award for Best Editing include The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire and The Bourne Ultimatum.

Eddie Award for Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic)

The American Cinema Editors, or ACE, is an honorary society of film editors. This society focuses on the professional achievements, the dedication to film editing and the education of others by its members, so it is quite natural for the entire film industry to look to this society for recognizing the best edited movies and TV shows, as well as the best filmmakers who exude the best practices and creative vision in film editing. Initially, they just recognized and celebrated the nominees for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing during a special dinner, but eventually, the society came up with their own set of awards that focus more on film editing in movies and TV shows. One of their most prestigious awards is the Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic) which is given to the film that presents the best achievement in film editing. This award, along with the rest of the ACE Eddie awards, is given every year, usually a couple of weeks before the Academy Awards are presented. This award is usually a good indicator of who the winner will be of the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. Past winners include movies such as Slumdog Millionaire, The Bourne Ultimatum and The Hurt Locker.

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series

Film editing awards given during film festivals are not just limited to movies. There are also awards that recognize great achievements in film editing on TV shows. The gold standard for TV awards is the Primetime Emmy Awards which are presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences or ATAS. The Primetime Emmy award that focuses on film editing is this one, which was originally called the Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Series award, which in turn also included comedy series, now with its own category. Past winners of this prestigious award from the Academy include 24, Lost, Dexter and Breaking Bad. Like its movie counterparts, the nominees only include principal editors.

References

https://www.india-server.com/awards/features/best-film-editing-16.html

https://www.ace-filmeditors.org/newace/home.html

Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com