1. Richard Linklater

How did Richard Linklater not win the Oscar for Boyhood?

Seriously, Boyhood’s loss to Birdman and Linklater’s loss to Alejandro González Iñárritu were two of the biggest mistakes that the Academy has made since the start of the new century.  Linklater spent twelve years filming a movie, with no idea of what the eventual story would be, and he somehow made one of the best and more cohesive films of the 2010s.  And somehow, that was not good enough for the Academy.

And while that may not bother the independent-minded Linklater, it does bother me.  Here’s hoping the Academy will make it up to Linklater soon.  His upcoming film, Hitman, has been critically acclaimed but it doesn’t necessarily sound like Oscar fare.  Well, no matter!  Linklater will hopefully get his Oscar soon.

Here are five other directors who I hope will be honored in the next ten years.

2. Jeff Nichols

Speaking of directors with possible contenders set to be released, Jeff Nichols could be a contender at the next ceremony for his work on The Bikeriders.  Originally, The Bikeriders was set to be released in 2023 but it was delayed by the SAG strike.  Ever since Take Shelter, Nichols has been a consistently interesting and intelligent director.  I can’t wait to see The Bikeriders!

3. Sofia Coppola

Sofia is a perennial on these lists and I’ll keep including her until she finally wins her Oscar.  No one captures the beauty of ennui with quite the skill and visual flair of Sofia Coppola.

4. Celine Song

Past Lives is a film that deserved a lot more love than it received from the Academy.  I can’t wait to see what Song does next!

5. Denis Villeneuve

Villeneuve, as of right now, seems like he’ll definitely be a contender next year for his work on the Dune sequel.  Even if he’s not remembered at next year’s ceremony, he still seems to be one of those directors who is destined to win sooner than later.

6. Paul Schrader

Seriously, can you imagine the speech he’d give?