‘The Trial Of The Chicago 7’ To Get Ensemble Tribute At IFP Gotham Awards

In a newly created honor, the IFP Gotham Awards will salute The Trial of the Chicago 7 with the Ensemble Tribute at next month’s virtual ceremony.

In the past, the ensemble award has been decided by a jury. IFP describes it as honoring “the performances of a group of dynamic and noteworthy cast onscreen and celebrate their collective effort and contributions to the film’s narrative.”

A Netflix film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, Chicago 7 dramatizes the events following the uprising at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago and the resulting trial of seven anti-Vietnam War protesters. Cast members include Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jeremy Strong, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch, Alex Sharp, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Caitlin Fitzgerald, Alice Kremelberg and Ben Shenkman.

On January 11, the 30th edition of the Gotham Awards will be held live at their longtime home, Cipriani Wall Street, but in a hybrid format due to Covid-19 health and safety protocols. Nominees and guests will participate online.

“For our 30th Anniversary, we are proud to introduce a new tribute honor, recognizing excellence in an ensemble cast,” IFP executive director Jeffrey Sharp said in a press release. “Starting this year and in the years to come, we look to celebrate a film that demonstrates the collaborative nature of a group performance and the effect that it has in elevating each individual, and the overall story. Each cast member of The Trial of the Chicago 7 delivers an intricate and powerful performance, and we are delighted to celebrate them and their cumulative achievement.”

Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow drew the most Gotham nominations of any film, with four. In a typical year, the ceremony is held in November and signals the start of Oscar season, but the pandemic has upended the usual contours of the 2020-21 campaign.

As previously announced, tribute honors will go to Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Steve McQueen and Ryan Murphy.