Film shown in IFFAM 2017 | ‘The Shape of Water’ wins top Producers Guild Award

Sally Hawkins (left) and Doug Jones in a scene from the film “The Shape of Water.” Guillermo del Toro’s Cold War fantasy romance is a contender for the Oscar for best picture

Women and inclusivity continued to dominate the awards season conversation yesterday [Macau time] at the Producers Guild Awards, where Guillermo del Toro’s fantastical romance “The Shape of Water” won the top award and honorees like Jordan Peele and Ava DuVernay gave rousing speeches to the room of entertainment industry leaders.

The untelevised dinner and ceremony, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., is closely watched for its capacity to predict the eventual Oscar best picture winner, but this year the “awards race” seemed to be the secondary show to the more urgent questions facing the industry, including the crisis of representation and sexual misconduct.

The Producers Guild last week ratified guidelines for combating sexual harassment in the entertainment industry, and everyone from DuVernay to Universal Chair Donna Langley and television mogul Ryan Murphy made mention of the changing times and the work that still needs to be done.

“If we want more brilliant films like ‘Get Out’ […] we need to have many different perspectives including equal numbers of women, people of color, people of all faiths and sexual orientation involved in every stage of filmmaking,” Langley said in accepting the Milestone Award — noting that she was only the third woman to do so.

It was not the only time “Get Out” got a special mention, despite not winning the top award. Peele also won the Stanley Kramer Award.

Del Toro was not present to accept the PGA’s Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures, due to the health of his father.

His film was up against 10 others this year, including “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” which won big at the Golden Globes earlier this month, “Lady Bird,” ‘’Get Out,” ‘’Dunkirk,” ‘’The Post,” ‘’Call Me By Your Name,” ‘’The Big Sick,” ‘’I, Tonya” ‘’Wonder Woman” and “Molly’s Game” — many of which were represented by actors and directors in attendance like Timothee Chalamet, Christopher Nolan, Margot Robbie, Patty Jenkins and Greta Gerwig.

Presenters at the 29th Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton included Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman, Reese Witherspoon (pictured), Mary J. Blige, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kerry Washington

Other presenters included the likes of Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, Mary J. Blige, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kerry Washington and Morgan Freeman in the ceremony that saw Disney and Pixar’s “Coco” pick up best animated feature and Brett Morgen’s Jane Goodall film “Jane” win best documentary.

In television, “The Handmaids Tale” picked up best drama series, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” won best comedy series, “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” won best TV variety series, “Black Mirror” for long-form TV, “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” for nonfiction television, “Sesame Street” for children’s program and “Carpool Karaoke” for best short-form program.

The pre-announced honorees stole most of the show, however.

Norman Lear presented the Stanley Kramer Award to Peele invoking the award’s namesake in speaking of “Get Out,” which Lear proudly said he’s seen three times.

Peele said he was proud to call Lear a friend.

“I want to say, you can use my body for your brain anytime,” Peele laughed, before taking a more serious turn in his speech.

The Producers Guild’s choice for top film has eight times in the last 10 years matched the eventual Academy Award best picture winner.  Last year, its nominees predicted all 9 best picture nominees, although the PGA went to “La La Land” which lost out to “Moonlight” at the Academy Awards.

Oscar nominations will be announced Wednesday [Macau time] in advance of the ceremony on March 4. MDT/AP