Los Angeles Prepares for Golden Globe; Rasoulof's Film Among Main Contenders

The 82nd Golden Globe Awards will be held on Sunday, January 5 (16 Dey) at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, and the film "Fig Tree Seeds" by Mohammad Rasoulof has a strong chance of winning an award. This ceremony, which marks the beginning of the awards season in American cinema, has largely regained its professional credibility after overcoming various challenges, including new ownership of the organizing body, an increase in the number of judges, cultural, racial, and gender diversity, and extensive changes in how winners are selected. According to art critics, this year "Brutalist" is a main contender for Best Drama, and "Emilia Perez" for Best Musical or Comedy, while "Confidential Meeting" in the drama category and "Wicked" in the musical or comedy category also have strong chances for the award. In the 2025 Golden Globes, "Emilia Perez" leads with 10 nominations, including in the non-English language category, "Brutalist" with 7 nominations, and "Confidential Meeting" with 6 nominations in the film category. This year, the film "Fig Tree Seeds" by the renowned Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof is nominated in the non-English language category. This work, representing German cinema, has shone at international festivals and has made it to the preliminary lists for the BAFTA and Oscar awards. Hamed Soleiman-Zadeh, a writer, film critic, and one of the judges of the Golden Globe Awards, tells Voice of America that unlike the Oscars, where voters are members of the Academy, meaning professionals in cinema working in various fields such as screenwriting, directing, cinematography, editing, etc., Golden Globe voters are merely prominent journalists and film critics from around the world. He adds, "This difference in voters can increase the chances of a director like Mohammad Rasoulof to win an award at the Golden Globe compared to the Oscars, as he has become much more prominent than before due to his circumstances of leaving Iran, extensive media coverage, and numerous discussions in the international arena, and regardless of the quality of his film, he has had a prior advantage." Mr. Soleiman-Zadeh also reminds that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which is the main organizer of the Golden Globe, usually pays special attention to current social and political issues around the world, which could ultimately benefit Rasoulof. However, according to this Iranian Golden Globe judge, considering any scenario, one cannot overlook the good quality of Rasoulof's competing films such as "Emilia Perez" and "Girl with a Needle," which are respectable and worthy works for the award. Hamed Soleiman-Zadeh speaks about the presence of Iranian cinema at the Golden Globe, stating, "The potential of Iranian cinema for success at the Golden Globe is much greater than what has been achieved so far." He considers the special focus of Iranian film distributors solely on the Oscars rather than the Golden Globe, lack of awareness of the high importance of screening films in the U.S., lack of connection with the global film industry cycle, insufficient continuity in co-producing films with other countries, and some other issues as reasons why, apart from Asghar Farhadi, other Iranian filmmakers have not had success at the Golden Globe. Mr. Soleiman-Zadeh adds, "In any case, we can hope that in the coming years, deserving Iranian films directed by the current brave and bold generation will shine more and more at such important ceremonies." This year, Nikki Glaser, a young American comedian and actress, will host the event. This will be her first performance at this ceremony, which is considered a challenging mission given recent years' experiences. Known for her sharp, biting, and critical humor, she states that she will present a different program to ensure attendees have a good time at this artistic feast. Stars such as Pamela Anderson, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Tilda Swinton, Fernanda Torres, and Kate Winslet are competing for the Best Actress award in the drama film category. In the same category, Adrian Brody, Timothée Chalamet, Daniel Craig, Coleman Domingo, Ralph Fiennes, and Sebastian Stan are the nominees for Best Actor. Amy Adams, Cinthia Erivo, Carla Sofia Gascon, Mikey Madison, Demi Moore, and Zendaya are nominated for Best Actress in the musical or comedy film category. In this section, Jesse Eisenberg, Hugh Grant, Gabriel LaBelle, Jesse Plemons, Glen Powell, and Sebastian Stan are the nominees for Best Actor. Dwayne Johnson, Elton John, Andrew Garfield, and Awkwafina are among the prominent figures listed as award presenters. Unlike the Oscars, the Golden Globe Awards are presented in two categories: drama and musical or comedy films, providing more opportunities for visibility within the film industry. The Golden Globe Awards somewhat reflect the conditions of films and artists during the awards season, and their winners have a high chance of receiving an Oscar as well. The winners of the Golden Globe Awards are selected by 334 journalists and art critics from 85 countries around the world, who collaborate with the non-profit foundation responsible for organizing this event. In the television category, series such as "Bear," "Only Murders in the Building," and "Shogun" are leading this year's nominees. This year, the streaming network "Netflix" surpassed traditional Hollywood studios with 13 nominations, solidifying its strong presence in the art and entertainment world. The 82nd Golden Globe Awards will begin on Sunday at 5 PM Los Angeles time in the western United States, and will be covered by CBS and Paramount Plus in the United States. This article was compiled using reports from Reuters, Associated Press, Hollywood Reporter, and the Golden Globe website.